The coal-burning question (TX)

[jpak]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/4158744.html

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made national headlines this last week, and it was no movie stunt or doomsday film release: In what is so far America's most significant solution to the global warming crisis, He announced a deal with the California Legislature that assured passage of a landmark bill that will reduce California'sthat state's emissions of carbon dioxide, the most significant greenhouse gas. That's the good news.

The bad news is that here in Texas, our governor just doesn't seem to get it, and the rest of the world is quickly passing him and the state of Texas by.

Despite impressive efforts by neighboring states and other nations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, our governor Gov. Rick Perry is instead helping to expedite the construction of 18 new coal-fired power plants that would nearly double our Texas' carbon dioxide emissions.

Texas already ranks number one No. 1 among the states in carbon dioxide pollution. We even spew more carbon dioxide than most countries, including the U.K.United Kingdom, Canada and Italy.

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[Gregorian]

1. Coal fired power plants are like slow motion Chernobyls.

It's the radioactive particulates in the mined ore that is released into the atmosphere that I believe is harmful. This is from what I learned fifteen years ago. However, I doubt there have been any changes since then. I assume this line of thinkiing is still valid.

I have no answers. Do your thing, people.

[DeSwiss]

2. What about the wind....

With all the so-called economic "benefits" to be derived from a coal-fired plant (said almost with a straight face), I wonder how that stacks up against the wind....

Mammoth Wind Farm Proposed in Iowa
(AP)

HAMPTON, Iowa (Aug. 31) - Northern Iowa could have one of the nation's largest wind farms by 2008. Iowa Winds LLC wants to build a 200- to 300-megawatt farm covering about 40,000 acres in Franklin County. A county zoning board will consider approving permits for the $200 million project next month. "It's something new and renewable," said Amber Schwarck, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Falls-based company. "It's great for national security, so we can start depending on ourselves and the wind."

Iowa ranks third in the nation in wind energy behind Texas and California, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The Franklin County Wind Farm would help Iowa keep pace with those states and create 30 to 40 technical jobs maintaining turbines, said Schwarck. A pay scale was unavailable.

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"It's not very often you have someone who wants to make a $200 million investment in the county," he said. "That's a huge investment. It's just a win-win for the county." Schwarck said Iowa Winds has conducted meteorological studies in southern Franklin County since the company was formed in 2002. The project would be its first wind farm.

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Texas leads the nation with 2,400 megawatts of wind energy installed and California has 2,323 megawatts.

more: http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/mammoth-wind-farm-proposed-in-iowa/n20060831073809990021

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