Bloomberg Philanthropies commits $50 million to support Sierra Club Beyond Coal campaign

[Kolesar]

Dear Friends,

As the Mayor of New York City, I know first-hand the effects of air pollution on a community. I have been working for years on initiatives to clean our air, prevent climate change, and create a clean energy future.

As a New Yorker, I'm pretty hard to surprise. But as I have been watching the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign do the unthinkable -- stop over 150 coal plants from being built over the past several years -- I have been truly impressed. The power of Sierra Club members and supporters from around the country to lead their communities beyond dirty coal is just astounding. And I want to join this growing movement.

As of today, Bloomberg Philanthropies is committing $50 million to the Beyond Coal Campaign. Together we can build an unprecedented level of support in local communities to get off of coal and usher in a new era of clean energy innovation and jobs.

I'm doing my part to move our country Beyond Coal. Are you with me?

Join me by making your own pledge to do a specific activity in your community to move us to a clean energy future.

We're not waiting for Washington. Moving away from coal will save us money -- the costs of coal are going up while wind and solar are coming down. What's more, coal causes over $100 billion in health costs each year. Mining, burning, and disposing of coal are very costly to our health and our pocketbooks. Wind and sunshine are free.

I'm committed to this fight. I believe in the power of this grassroots movement to fight climate change and bring about our clean energy future. I know communities across America are ready to continue the work that will lift up the world we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the families we raise.

Whether it's writing a letter to your newspaper, recruiting ten of your friends and family to get involved or volunteering a couple hours a week at your local campaign office, tell us what you will do to move the U.S. Beyond Coal.

Thank you for inspiring me.

Sincerely,

Michael Bloomberg
Sierra Club Supporter
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New York's perspective is that they are downwind from the coal fired generation in the Ohio Valley. The attorneys general of NY, NJ, and Connecticut had to sue to force American Municipal Power and First Energy to meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act 2 - the law that President George H. W. Bush advocated.

Thank Attorney General Spitzer for those legal victories.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Excellent.

[wtmusic]

2. Related: Bloomberg Backs Indian Point Nuclear Plant

"For decades people have been trying to close Indian Point. It became the focal point of the national tug-of-war over continued reliance on the "peace time atom." It is about to become that again.

The ongoing devastation in Japan is unfolding at the same time as the last phase of Indian Point's renewal process. To the north in Vermont, a similar battle is occuring over the future of the Yankee power plant.

With the sounds of bagpipes in the background at the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Thursday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he supports keeping Indian Point open."

http://www.wnyc.org/articles/its-free-country/2011/mar/18/bloomberg-backs-indian-point-nuclear-plant/