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Energy Crisis News

by xx
Today's news re polluting power plants, greedy energy corporations, drilling in the Arctic, etc.
Heard on the KPFA evening news 2/26:

Senator Scherr proposed a Bill that would "relax" California's pollution-control regulations so that new energy plants could be built quickly and cheaply.

Guess what? All the energy corporations spoke up in support of this Bill. Enron, PG&E, et al. gave it their approval.

Air polluting would be allowed in exchange for money paid by the polluting plant. Environmentalists protested that cash-strapped communities would accept polluting plants and suffer the consequences to health and environment.

The proponents of the bill replied that Yes, in fact that would happen, but the community would receive the money and the money stays in their community to help them deal with these issues. (I wonder if these corporations also are invested in hospitals and the cancer industry? Double bonus for them.)

A Planning and Conservation League representative spoke up: "I'm very concerned that we're riding this juggernaut to increasing pollution. I keep hearing talk about saving the environment, etc. but everything I see speaks to rolling back environmental rules.

"What's more, there's nothing in here that's going to get us power this summer. You can't build a 500 megawatt plant in less than 3 years

"The Energy Commission hasn't turned down an application for a power plant yet."

Democrats said that they were worried about Republican measures that would gut the environmental and public health laws EVEN MORE...

There is one proposal to reward energy conservation this summer -- AC will bring summer blackouts. The proposal was for rebates to people (especially low-income people) and small businesses that conserve.

Mindy Spatt of TURN says we need a longer-term solution to combat "the shocking greed of the energy corporations."

Republican Senator Frank Berkovski has created a bill that calls for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge being opened to oil drilling and timber and mining.

In an unusual development, former President Jimmy Carter voiced his strong opposition to this bill.

He said that the ANWR would produce only a very small amount of oil that won't be available for 10 years. President Carter signed the original bill that protected the ANWR in 1980.

The Sierra Club issued a statement about the country's dependence on foreign oil, because of industries' resistance to change technologies. We need a different mix of vehicles, fuel economy, alternative fuels, hybrid vehicles, incentives for alternative.

Environmentalists are vowing an all-out fight against drilling in the Arctic

John White: We are looking forward to waging this campaign. People in California are aware of the energy barons and profiteers that have fleeced Californians. The idea that the Republicans think they are going to capitalize on the energy crisis in CA is a sign that they are dreaming. The public needs to be protected from their greed and from their impulse to despoil the environmednt.

Trent Lott hoped the bill would be voted on this summer.
by garsh
well,
just tell us all on indymedia where and how we can get this message through clearly, (besides writing our congress people) like protests et al., and I will be sure to be there!

thanx
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