28 Aug do you Love Clean Electricity?

“This is our moment, This is our time.”

i’m sitting at my computer, 5:51am, wishing you knew everything Mike Sloan (Powersmack.org) knows about Austin Energy and how attainable a clean energy future actually is for this little City. Coal is for losers — it’s time to phase coal out as fast as possible. Here’s why:

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.
And wind, solar, wave, energy efficiency, and more are all likely to become tremendously less expensive (think Moore’s law*) for the foreseeable future.

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, “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! Next Tues, Sept 1, is a critical moment in history: City Council will be receiving Roger Duncan’s recommendations for Austin’s energy future. What kind of future do you want? Check out this beautiful video, from clean energy activists in Australia, to get inspired:

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WHAT YOU CAN DO

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

> Attend next Tuesday’s meeting: Mike’s group (PowerSmack), Public Citizen, Environment Texas, and the Sierra Club — are all asking for your to join in and stand strong at the City’s Town Hall Meeting: September 1, 2009, 6:00 to 8:30pm, Austin Energy, 721 Barton Springs Road, Room 130.

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

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THANKS. I really appreciate your interest & point of view on this — please feel free to comment below… And have a great weekend, Chris