San Antonio closing its coal plant, beats Austin to the punch
San Antonio sees "nexus" between dirty, old technology and new, green opportunity.
June 23, 2011
Do you know where the electricity in your house comes from? Coal? Solar? Nuclear? The answer impacts everything from climate change to environmental justice. That’s why we write stories about the local effort to make Austin’s energy supply more sustainable.
Permie Response to Speth Article – ideas for living well and transforming culture
After reading this article "Off the Pedestal: Creating a New Vision of Economic Growth" by James Gustave Speth I had the following comments:
A wonderful, well-written article – heart-felt, gut-wrenching, and aimed at the heart of the ugly beast that has us all captive. Thank you, thank you. But the thanks is for an eloquent additional rendition of the problem we've got and the pot of warm water, about to get hot and fatal, that we are all sitting in the frogs in the pot.
We know now/again that we are in a "pot of trouble", so to crudely change the metaphor:
-how to get off of the "growth train,"
June 9, 2011
June 3, 2011
June 3, 2011
Call now to stop HORRIBLE Senate Bill 875
Please CONTACT YOUR TEXAS SENATOR IMMEDIATELY!!!
[list below – In Travis County our senator is Kirk Watson 512-463-0114]
Rep. Dennis Bonnen unexpectedly put a horrible amendment on an already bad (but previously limited) bill – SB 875 – that now makes the bill universally bad.The bill passed in the House. Bonnen's amendment gives immunity from ALL nuisance suits!!! It strips your right to protect your property and your health from pollution from ANY SOURCE. If mercury from a coal plant contaminated your lake or pond, you couldn't do anything about it. If sulfur from that coal plant destroyed your pecan trees, your roof or even if it impaired your breathing – you'd be out of luck. If toxic runoff from an industry or CAFO reached your land or creek, there would be nothing you could do. The immunity goes for pollution of land, water or air. It's that bad!!! The bill could come up on at any time. Please email or call RIGHT AWAY!!! Immediately!!!
Please contact your State Senator IMMEDIATELY! Urge them to vote NO on SB 875.
Failing that, at least strip the Bonnen amendment from the bill. Ask them to take at least 48 hours so they can look at the bill carefully.
May 26, 2011
May 18, 2011
Austin’s Coal Plant gets its scrubbers … but,
Recently Austin's coal plant got its "scrubbers." Mike Sloan, Texas energy consultant and founder of PowerSmack.org says, "Completion of the scrubbers at the Fayette coal plant is good news & bad news."
Mike Sloan
Summary:
- CO2 emissions are still VERY high.
- Significant new costs will delay Austin's leadership on climate protection.
- According to Sierra Club the plant is still spewing record pollutants in numerous other categories.
Austin's coal plant is in Fayette County (near La Grange),
providing Austin's least expensive electricity.
May 4, 2011
April 28, 2011