31 Aug “QUIT COAL, TOO EXPENSIVE” — media updates

Austin’s leading environmental groups united Tuesday (Sept. 1) to urge Austin Energy to go further, sooner, in phasing out coal-fired electricity. The current plan keeps Austin plugged into coal through 2020. Meanwhile, coal is becoming more costly to maintain (health, environment, and economy) than clean sources of electricity. Go to the bottom of this page to see what the media said.

Here are some reasons we are working together:

1. Coal is the dirtiest fuel on earth.
Burning coal is increasing the incidence of birth defects (mercury pollution), childhood asthma, adult asthma, acid rain…

2. Coal is the same price as Wind.
What’s more — wind, solar, wave, and energy efficiency are all likely to become tremendously less expensive (*think Moore’s law) for the foreseeable future. We ought to invest in the energy technologies that give our rate payers the best value…

3. Coal companies are irresponsible.
The coal industry refuses to take financial responsibility for any of its “negative externalities” — i.e. — damage to human health & the environment…

4. Coal is the most destructive fuel on earth.
The coal industry: mountain top removal, habitat destruction, mining, strip mining, black lung, tar sands, sludge ponds, pond spills, species extinctions, CO2 emissions, greenhouse gases, heat exhaust, expensive power plant maintenance…

Mike Sloan (PowerSmack.org), “Clean is cost effective.”

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YOU HAVE THE POWER.

Austin Energy is a community-owned utility. As an Austinite, you’re not just a customer — you are part owner of the utility (Austin Energy) … Congratulations! You are a decision maker! What kind of future do you want?

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YES YOU CAN:

> Voice your view: Online vote, 3 easy questions: http://www.austinsmartenergy.com/divison.php?page=get_involved&sub=survey

> Learn more and share this info: http://powersmack.org/2009/08/austin-is-running-on-coal-far-into-the-fut…

> Follow Donna Hoffman’s blog http://austineconet.wpengine.com/blog/332 — for more info on how you can support this movement to go cleaner, faster. (*Donna is from the Austin-branch of the Sierra Club.)

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And, HERE’S WHAT LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED

> KUT http://kut.org/items/show/18033
> PublicCitizen / TexasVox http://tinyurl.com/lyzakl
> Austin American Statesman http://tinyurl.com/nc3vwm
> Daily Texan http://tinyurl.com/ktmuk2

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>>thanks!