Happy New Year! I’m ready for a fresh start, what about you? I’m ready
to see decision makers from all sides of the political spectrum step up
and speak out about the reality and risks of human-caused climate change
and finally commit themselves to finding bipartisan solutions.
I'm tired of hearing that we can't afford to shift to cleaner
energy—it's just not true.
In fact,
new UCS analysis finds that a significant number of U.S.
coal-fired power plants are so old and inefficient, that they’re no
longer economically competitive with cleaner alternatives such as
natural gas, wind, and solar.
The good news is these outdated coal generators can be closed down while
still maintaining a reliable electricity system and accelerating the
transition to a cleaner, healthier energy future for America. And that's
something we should all be able to agree on. —Karla
Tell the dirtiest power
companies to retire coal
Growing competition from abundant, cheap, clean, and reliable energy
sources are making it harder for our nation’s aging, polluting coal
power plants to compete. These generators can be closed without
jeopardizing the reliability of the national electricity system and
shutting them down would significantly reduce global warming emissions
in the United States.
Tell
the 15 power companies who own the coal plants that are most ripe for
retirement to shut down these generators and replace them with cleaner
energy resources.
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©Nathan Shields,
2012. All Rights Reserved.
Ask the Scientist
Steve Clemmer, M.S.
Director of Energy Research
Climate & Energy Program
Recent advertisements have been pitching the use of "clean coal,”
claiming that it is abundant and cheap. Even the president has used the term. My
understanding is that both the production and use of coal as an energy source is
very polluting. How do they justify using the word "clean"? —E. Bockian,
Fullerton, CA
The term "clean coal" has been pushed hard by the
coal lobby, but you are right to note that it has always been more of a myth
than a reality. When people talk about "clean" coal, they are usually referring
to expensive, high-tech coal plants that are designed to reduce the vast amounts
of pollution and carbon emissions coal causes when it is burned.
Pollution-scrubbing and carbon-capture technologies do exist that can lessen
coal's air emissions. But, even with such technologies, coal is a lot dirtier
than other energy sources when you consider the whole fuel cycle. MORE
Help find common ground for our common atmosphere.
We're all sick of the partisanship and bickering that’s been happening these
last few years among our nation’s leaders. But no one is more sick of it than
the thousands of scientists who study climate change. Two of these
scientists—one who has usually voted for Republicans, the other for
Democrats—have come together to urge leaders of both parties to find bipartisan
solutions to human-caused global warming. Check out their short video and then
help spread the message: It's time to find common ground for our common
atmosphere! MORE
The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S.
science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a
safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts,
and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. To subscribe or
visit go to: http://www.ucsusa.org
