This One's for Mom Earth

News & Analysis
In the News Gristmill Blog Muckraker Features

Columns
Ask Umbra Victual Reality Weekly Recipes The Bottom Line From A to Green The Grist List

Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.
Donate to Grist.

ADVERTISING POLICY

[Advanced]

Tools: print | email | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS

Sierra Club will sue over new coal plants

Posted at 10:11 AM on 07 May 2008

The Sierra Club is planning lawsuits to halt construction of coal plants in seven states, arguing that the mercury-spewing plants violate the Clean Air Act. Noting that a federal appeals court ruled in February that the Bush administration's mercury regulations were too lax, the green group seeks to require the coal plants to get new state permits meeting tougher emissions standards. "We want to give moms across the country some peace of mind this Mother's Day," says Bruce Nilles of the Sierra Club. "That's why we're taking action ... to ensure that these coal plants make every effort to keep their toxic mercury pollution out of our communities."

sources: Reuters, Sierra Club

ADVERTISING POLICY

< Previous | Next >

Comments: (4 comments)

You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

Seriously Sierra?

Ahh, the Sierra Club. Protecting people from power plants since 1892. Huh? How many power plants were there in 1892 anyways? Not many would be the answer. Weren't they formed to protect the forests and woodlands? How did you get so far away from your original mission? You may want to go back and re-read what your founders said. I digress, onto business...we need energy folks. Yes, coal is not the best way but it beats living in a cave. Trust me, I know. I will say this once...each and every means of making energy has both a plus side and a negative side. No one (other than possible Tesla) has ever invented anything that is all positive. Instead of continually fighting why not help energy companies in a positive direction by offering assistance, guidance, sweat and hard work? Seriously, you need to all be in this together. Otherwise, Mother Earth will send you the way of the Dragon. -Dragon

by Dragon at 12:22 PM on 08 May 2008

Sierra Club's Mission

Sierra Club's mission is and was to protect and preserve as much of the natural environment as possible. Because power plants destroy the naturual environment by extracting & burning fuels, destroying natural habitat, and killing native plants and animals, it certainly is within Sierra Club's mission to oppose them.

by Wolverine at 2:18 PM on 10 May 2008

dragon

Cool the firebreath buddy. Have you heard of mercury by any chance? Take a look at orca or maybe alaskan innuits and the salmon they rely on....some of the highest concentrations of mercury in the world, not b/c of any fault of their own. Sierra was very instrumental in informing people of Bush's ridiculous mercury rule and thankfully it has now been overturned. One less layer of BS to clean off our laws after this 8 years of hell is over. I hope the coal barons appreciate this mother's day gift. Go Sierra!

by greenfire8 at 1:47 PM on 13 May 2008

Coal sucks.

The Sierra Club must not only continue but dramatically increase this crucial work of stopping coal. All kinds of energy may have downsides, as Dragon notes above, but there's one helluva difference between degrees of evil, and it matters. Huge savings in efficiency can be achieved with some initial investment that will pay for itself over time. Wind and solar are vastly safer and cleaner than fossil fuel energy, and wind power is now cost-competitive. There is no reason in the world for this nation to be blowing up mountains and destroying streams to burn coal, the leading source of carbon dioxide emissions and neurotoxic mercury in the US. Finally, Dragon, global warming presents one of the largest threats to those wild places the Club was fighting to protect in 1892. And still is.

by davedenali at 5:26 PM on 15 May 2008

The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?