The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a right-wing think tank, has announced it is holding a counter-protest to the Capitol Climate Action, the biggest civil disobedience on climate issues in U.S. history. They’re calling it the “Celebrate Coal! and Keep Energy Affordable” rally.
A better name might be the “Celebrate 24,000 Dead Americans!” rally, because that’s how many people toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants kills every year, costing Americans $167 billion in additional health care costs.
Other titles CEI could have chosen:
Celebrate Unemployment! Coal kills jobs. Investments in energy efficiency create more than twice the number of jobs as investments in coal, according to the latest numbers from Professor Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier at the University of Massachusetts. Every dollar sunk into a coal plant, even if it’s spent making it marginally cleaner, is a job creation dollar almost half wasted. New coal plants are so expensive that they actually cost jobs.
Celebrate Economic Collapse! As the biggest U.S. source of global warming pollution, coal is a major contributor to the $271 billion annual drag on the economy global warming is projected to cause by 2025 (it’s already causing a multi-billion drag). Unless we solve the climate crisis, it’s going to be that much harder to overcome our economic woes.
Celebrate Weather Disasters! Expect more intense (and possibly more frequent) hurricanes like Katrina and Rita in a global warming world—and many more climate refugees.
Celebrate Species Extinction! According to the journal Nature, “New analyses suggest that 15-37% of a sample of 1,103 land plants and animals would eventually become extinct as a result of climate changes expected by 2050.”
Celebrate Mercury Poisoning! Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of man-made mercury pollution. Mercury from coal pollution can interfere with the development of babies’ brains and neurological systems. One in six babies born in America (as well as Jeremy Piven) have elevated levels of mercury in their blood, putting them at risk of learning disabilities, developmental delays, and problems with fine motor coordination.
If it was up to CEI, we would still have lead in our gasoline, no seatbelts in our cars, and more pesticides in children’s food. These are the guys who backed deregulation of Wall Street CEO’s—and are now opposing action on climate to get the economy back on track.
If Congress listens to CEI and Big Coal, we won’t be able to solve global warming, switch to clean energy, and create the millions of green jobs we need to put people back to work and restore prosperity.
You can help make sure they don’t by signing up for the Capitol Climate Action here.
For McCain, it’s really all about the fake snow
Copenhagen, U.S.A. December 7
Comments
View as Flat
Ted Clayton Posted 6:26 am
28 Feb 2009
One such complication is that organizing a public event like this gives the opposition a great opportunity to 'coat-tail', nay, even free-load on the work another group or movement has already performed to gain publicity.
"Lights - Camera! - Action!" ... and then there's some damn interloper with a contrary message, right in the middle of it.
It's not exactly 'all gain, no pain' for the counter-demonstrators - they can take a (usually figurative but occasionally literal..) beating in a duel - but usually the group initiating the demonstration finds their message at least partially countered, while the challenger at least raises their profile and establishes their ability to act.
If the duel goes off as now projected, we will see how strongly the (majority) portion of the public that put 'Climate Change' at the bottom of their Pew-priorities really feels about their position.
If it's really more a case of being distracted by the economy, the wars, etc, then CEI will come up looking feeble. If, however, a broad swath of the public is at all substantially uneasy about the idea to dismantle coal industrialization, then the Competitive Enterprise Institute could come off looking like a leader, and the Anthropogenic Global Warming movement could end up losing traction.
And AGW will have given CEI the opening.
Demonstrations are a good deal more nuanced maneuver-option than enthusiastic issue-adherents often realize when they first set out to mount one.
Permalink
christophersj Posted 1:04 pm
28 Feb 2009
"You know, its just not worth it to speak out".
"Better not take the risk, its risky".
"Speaking out might have unintended consequences. Better not do it."
and,
"The head that pops up gets cut off. Better to keep down and quiet about things."
Permalink
biodiversivist Posted 3:01 pm
28 Feb 2009
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
Permalink
dobermanmacleod Posted 4:47 pm
28 Feb 2009
China has one of the largest coal reserves in the world, and coal accounts for 67% of its primary energy use, compared with 24% for the world average. China is currently bringing two additional coal-fired power plants to the electric power grid every week. In a hypothetical scenario in which carbon intensity keeps pace with a GDP growth rate of 7%, by 2030, China would be emitting as much as the world as a whole is today (8 GtC/year) --Ning Zeng et al., Science, 8 February 2008
"Contrary to the conventional wisdom that China is outpacing the rest of the world in building coal plants, the International Energy Agency has projected that between 2011 and 2020 the OECD (most of Europe plus the U.S.), with 150 million fewer people than China, will build 10 percent more coal capacity than China (184 GW for the OECD vs. 168 GW for China)." --"Schwarzenegger's folly," Gristmill, 16 Oct 2008
Building new coal-power plants in Germany means the country will miss government targets to cut carbon-dioxide emissions, the environmental ministry said, countering earlier claims by Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel. --Jeremy van Loon, Bloomberg, 17 October 2008
"Chief engineer Aleksandr Marinich believes that coal could reduce Ukraine's energy dependence on neighbouring Russia. Ukraine, he reasons, does not have Russia's oil and gas wealth. But it does have coal. "Why," he asks rhetorically, "should I wait for Vladimir Putin to turn off his gas supply in the New Year? We have billions of tons of [coal] reserves. Our main aim is energy independence."" --"Dicing with danger in Ukraine mines," BBC, 23 Dec 08
Any carbon diet strategy would be dependent upon clean coal:
"The vast majority of new power stations in China and India will be coal-fired; not "may be coal-fired"; will be. So developing carbon capture and storage technology is not optional, it is literally of the essence." --"Breaking the Climate Deadlock," Tony Blair, June 26, 2008
But, Vaclav Smil, an energy expert at the University of Manitoba, has estimated that capturing and burying just 10 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted over a year from coal-fire plants at current rates would require moving volumes of compressed carbon d ioxide greater than the total annual flow of oil worldwide -- a massive undertaking requiring decades and trillions of dollars. "Beware of the scale," he stressed."
There is a simple and cheap way to cool the Earth immediately: just add a little sun dimming aerosol to the upper atmosphere. "The alternative (to geoengineering) is the acceptance of a massive natural cull of humanity..." -Lovelock, Aug08
Permalink
Dr Doom Posted 7:58 pm
28 Feb 2009
Dr. Doom
The Doom Institute
Permalink
Billhook Posted 9:07 pm
28 Feb 2009
Whichever term is current in American parlance, it neatly describes the folly of the coming demonstration.
Consider, protesting a token coal-power station, that is so easy a target for reform that Congress leaders have pre-gutted the demo by calling for its closure in advance ?
And consider, protesting the new administration's policy of renegeing on the US' formal commitment to the Berlin Mandate by setting a derisory target of cutting only to 1990 output by 2020 - while doubtless insisting on developing countries' comparable commitments later this year.
Going to Copenhagen with that target would be asking for the BRIC nations to do nothing to constrain their rising output until even later - which will be far far too late to avoid catastrophic climate destabilization.
So which of these two issues urgently needs protesting ?
And which is a blind alley ?
Those who boast about how they're "willing to be arrested" on this demo need to stop and consider just what that arrest would achieve,
and whether this demo is merely a safe sink for dissidents' concerns,
and how some of us have occasionally faced arrest for over 15 years, but only for worthwhile issues.
Regards,
Billhook
Permalink
spaceshaper Posted 9:21 pm
28 Feb 2009
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Permalink
Ted Clayton Posted 12:03 am
01 Mar 2009
At the rate we're going, climate-activists will be lucky if the U.S. even makes it to Copenhagen next December, much less achieves anything there.
There should always be a "Plan B" (C, D ...). Everyone, every group, every movement who tackles meaningful challenges & sets non-trivial goals, will experience set-backs, will lose battles. Being unprepared for the real conditions & costs of conflict is not a positive indicator of success.
Permalink
Ted Clayton Posted 12:17 am
01 Mar 2009
Demonstrations are intrinsically exciting. It's understandable.
As high-school students we demonstrated on behalf of a new school-levy in my home town. People were more pumped-up than for a Homecoming game with our arch-rival. Several were arrested! Wow! Cool!
Well, as high-school kids, maybe. But in the role that Anthropogenic Global Warming has cast itself, there is going to have to be a lot higher level of performance.
Permalink
Pompey Road Posted 1:34 am
01 Mar 2009
In the 60's we were all up for going down to the many demonstrations and getting our share of the abuse. Take your pick you could get your head clubbed or your tear gas fix for a myriad of causes. It is not we can't get as passionate about a cause as we once could. We just heal slower and hey lets face it we are the establishment now, or part of it. I guess blogs such as this one is in reality our new electronic protest and the clean coal ads the new form of getting in the mans face.
Have become a little more political and have learned to use the system to beat the system. We should take full advantage of the media to educate the general public about the devastating effects on the environment of the mining and the preparation of coal that is presentably graphic in the now. The long term effects of co2 and global warming is more difficult on account of all the coal bought scientist and the massive amount of media money and lobby money coal corporations have at their disposal.
From what we have learned about the economic system we live in which dominates most social engineering, our renewable energy sources will have to be cost efficient to be completive with coal. Sadly Wall Street has more impact on our environmental future than main street. Most of us are cognizant of that fact and the capitalistic model. This new administration can be our first chance at leveling the playing field and may allow us our first real opportunity to introduce alternatives to coal into the grid that are more environmentally friendly. I believe we can find more effective ways of forwarding our position than demonstrating or counter demonstrating.
But we can still do that dance, still got my ol Nam helmet and can knock a sign together on short order?
HELL NO, NO MORE COAL, HELL NO, NO MORE COAL!
The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.
Permalink
Ted Clayton Posted 2:20 am
01 Mar 2009
:-))
Permalink
hsr0601 Posted 4:30 am
01 Mar 2009
With the promsing digital revolution, smart grid, the controversial, unpopular clean coal, nuclea energy issues are not so sigtnificant any longer, I think.
Permalink
christophersj Posted 4:31 am
01 Mar 2009
Its symbolic, not literal about the DC plant
It about transmitting our serious intent to the sleepy public
Its about doing something physical that is not violent. This is in lieu of blowing the damn things up. It is CIVIL disobedience and people should be grateful it is so. Without it, pressure builds under the steam-pot.
This is the year. Not next year.
Permalink
Billhook Posted 6:06 am
01 Mar 2009
As a farmer, I very rarely get to sit in an armchair, (I finished stacking hay at 9pm a couple of nights back, and must be up at dawn tomorrow)
so your remarks are plainly not for me, but I'm interested by the paucity of defense you offer for the anti-coal demo Hansen promotes.
· " Its symbolic, not literal about the DC plant"
· -- being symbolical in a media circus is great, but misses the opportunity, as outlined above, of advancing the far more serious issue of the impacts of ongoing US bad faith in international negotiations, while setting people up to blame Johnny Foreigner if the talks fail. ["After all, we did our bit, protesting coalpower and all."]
· "Its about transmitting our serious intent to the sleepy public"
· What serious intent ? This demo wholly ignores the serious issue of America's conduct in the global negotiations, while, as you honourably acknowledge, indulging gesture politics protesting just the nearest symbolic target.
· "Its about doing something physical that is not violent. This is in lieu of blowing the damn things up. It is CIVIL disobedience and people should be grateful it is so. Without it, pressure builds under the steam-pot."
· We could do lots of things that are civil, physical and non-violent together if you like, but I too disdain the option of blowing things up. Gratuitously noisy. All you need is a good stilson filmed on the bolts of the pylon connecting power station to grid to cause investors to think not twice but several times about coal-power's future profitability.
· "This is the year. Not next year."
-- Agreed - so hadn't we better start focussing on the issue that is critically important, the agreement of an equitable and efficient global treaty of the Atmospheric Commons ?
That is, rather than protesting "symbolic" coal and thereby amplifying the trade-war geopolitical prescriptions of Hansen, who is esteeemed only as a climate scientist ?
Personally I find the blob Inhofe's pronouncements on climate destabilization inspire a similar degree of confidence as do Hansen's on global negotiations.
Regards,
Billhook
Permalink
christophersj Posted 7:22 am
01 Mar 2009
I must be missing something. How does a demonstration take away from the topic of a solid international agreement? Its the opposite in my eyes.
Where and what is the "limited resource" that is being taken away from Copenhagen by this street demo?
I dont think this is a dichotomy. Am I missing something here?
Permalink
ids Posted 8:02 am
01 Mar 2009
Whether the participants are aware of the massive pollution exports US produces, I doubt it and doubt if the American green al-queda are gettings schooled on it.
Don't forget the joy of taking the streets with others to claim the little wurld. Ultimately, it is whining, and it'd been better if the carbon footprint of the excercise was offset by immediately shutting down the plant by some means for some time, then it'd seem more like movement
Permalink
Billhook Posted 8:21 am
01 Mar 2009
In answer to your question, it is possible that you have not seen (or maybe have not closely considered) Hansen's published proposal (in the letter to Michelle & Barack) regarding an international climate deal.
His aim is, apparently, to get allies to accept a US proposal for a carbon tax, and then to present a fait-acompli to developing nations with the promise of trade sanctions against any nations that fail to comply with America's will.
The idea of coercing all nations into compliance by threat of a trade war, on a critical issue with a scope of many decades, is so farcical that I question his reasons for pushing this line. He is, after all, quite bright.
A line about how the EU carbon trading system has failed, so all cap & trade systems are not viable, is a further example of the utter lack of intellectual rigour he displayed.
So if you want to go to the demo and inadvertently endorse his promotion of those evidently destructive proposals, that's up to you -
but personally I'd at least make clear on a really good banner the sort of global treaty worth aspiring to,
and I'd get it up near the front, facing the cameras, with several stalwart assistants !
Regards,
Billhook
Permalink
ids Posted 9:12 am
01 Mar 2009
Permalink
Billhook Posted 10:03 am
01 Mar 2009
then you've got another think coming.
Regards,
Billhook
Permalink
Ted Clayton Posted 12:03 pm
01 Mar 2009
Street-action can be (and often is) rained-out, blown-out, baked-out ... and snowed-out.
Official WINTER STORM WARNINGS are now posted for Washington D.C., New York City, and environs.
In D.C., 4-8 inches overnight, continuing into Monday morning, tapering off early afternoon, maybe even a sun-break by mid-afternoon. Clouds then building back in, possibility of additional light snow later in the afternoon. More snow yet, in NYC.
Strong winds, gusting to 30 mph and more, with temperatures in the mid-20s. The D.C. power plant neighborhood could very well be experiencing mild blizzard conditions during the scheduled demonstration time.
Demonstration-organizers, I recall, have asked participants to attend in dress attire.
The stakes in the duel between the Conservative Enterprise Institute and Anthropogenic Global Warming now escalate sharply.
Demonstrations - exciting, but not for the risk-averse.
Permalink
ids Posted 12:59 pm
01 Mar 2009
Permalink
Pompey Road Posted 1:32 pm
01 Mar 2009
No, I just remembered Saddam snuck and sold some oil for Euro's look what happened to him!
But then again how does the world relate to a banana republic with Nukes?
It's all so speculative right now!
The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.
Permalink
amazingdrx Posted 2:34 pm
01 Mar 2009
The whole world's economy and currency is weakening, ours is weakening less than the rest.
Obama can order the electronic printing presses to keep on printing enough e-money to maintain liquidity, other governments and central banks are doing the same.
All we have to fear is fear itself, lack of confidence. Once enough people get it into their heads that trusting wall street and it's international trading cronies is unecessary and ridiculous, confidence will return.
Learn to trust government again and ignore the stock market. It is a chart read and manipulated by idiots, signifying nothing.
http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin
Permalink
christophersj Posted 3:50 pm
01 Mar 2009
IDS, youre just a hater and misanthrope. What kind of organizing are you doing?
Ted Clayton said, "See, I told you taking action was too risky and not worth it. Better to just stay quiet and be good little boys and girls".
Honestly guys, if you dont dig it then dont watch or participate. Go watch a movie or get an ice cream. Jeez.
Permalink
Billhook Posted 5:31 pm
01 Mar 2009
I think you can expect him to claim any support the demo gets as endorsement for his disdain of a global treaty, on all the media that are interested.
To the extent it boosts Hansen's profile, the demo is thus very far from being merely about "getting off coal".
Be assured that I shall be watching very carefully, from across the Atlantic.
Regards,
Billhook
Permalink