Walking the talk is what seems most impressive on any given Sunday. I contend though that it's possible for executives at Goldman Sachs who are making 'green' decisions - not to be aware or involved in actions of coal plants in Iowa and Texas. Yes, it seems far-fetched, but having worked with people in large corporations it's always interesting to hear someone say to another, I didn't know about that division for five years.

The coal companies obviously need to make more money to feed their stockholders, whose Escalades, Hummers, Excursions and Suburbans require additional tonnage of fuels. While one faction is trying to reap profits by landing unclean coal-burning power plants in corn fields, another is trying to increase corn production to make ethanol. All-in-all it's obvious that we lack leadership on an energy policy, strategy, or what-have-you. If we don't get our thoughts together and start crunching some numbers on a future, we're not going to have one.

There's nothing in the Bible or any other book that says we have to dig up every ounce of coal and oil to produce energy. If you want to stick it to the man, then start investing in companies that are improving wind, solar and geothermal technologies. Put some on your house, on a car, even a bike. Once you've done that, start talking your neighbors into it. And whatever you do, join the National Resource Defense Council and become a voice of public opinion. There are literally hundreds of letters, faxes and emails waiting to be sent through automation. Don't sit idly by and watch the skies turn black. Be a voice, chooser a cause, do something to make a difference, and spend your money on things that will make change - rather than refuse.

As for me and mine, we'll see you out there, on our bikes of course... JD Howell

This article correctly points out the irony between the planned LS Power coal plant near Waterloo and Iowa's leadership in wind power and biofuels.  An AP article of Thursday August 31, 2006, discusses a proposed new wind farm in Franklin County, two counties west of the planned coal-fired plant. This 200 to 300 megawatt wind farm will increase Iowa's wind power capacity still further. No problem if the electricity is sold out of state-- Franklin County residents and all earth residents are in a win-win situation.

Waterloo and Black Hawk County residents deserve better.  More importantly, we all deserve better and had better fight for it.  New fossil fuel power plants should be carefully thought out as to need and the ability to replace more heavily polluting power plants.  

In an August 23 article in The NewStandard, "Texas Utility Admits Coal Plants Will Increase Some Pollutants", TXU, Texas' largest utility company, is reported to be planning to quickly build 11 new coal-fired plants in the state, 9 more than it had planned just six months ago.  That doesn't sound need-based to me.  There appears to be no intention or mechanism to replace older more polluting plants with the newer ones.

My own city's electricity generation is 90 percent via coal, 10 percent renewables.  However, it is a municipal utility and encourages citizens to become more energy efficient and reduce power demand. I'll be trying to help them bring both the total megawatts and the 90 percent figure down, so they will never need to buy power from a speculator in fossil fuels.