Live from DC: Thousands Converge for Capitol Climate Action Against Dirty Coal

[bananas]

Source: Alternet

Today's action in DC shows that there is a new urgency to the climate change movement. Read here for the latest news about the protest.

Editor's Note: This page will be updated throughout the day with the latest news and photos from the Capitol Climate Action in Washington, DC. For more about the action, you can visit Capitol Climate Action.

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Read more: http://www.alternet.org/environment/129630/live_from_dc:_thousands_converge_for_capitol_climate_action_against_dirty_coal_%5Bupdated%5D/

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Live video and chat from ustream.tv at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/capitol-climate-action
or http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/coal
Video only at http://www.capitolclimateaction.org/?p=614

[pinto]

1. Kick.

K & R :thumbsup:

[No Elephants]

2. Industries where jobs grew most last year? Health care, government/education and coal mining.

[No Elephants]

3. Recommended!

[Lost in CT]

4. How come every time there is a "Climate Change event" there is a fucking blizzard.

I can't be the only person who notices this...

Why don't they schedule these thing in August in Las Vegas or something.

[bananas]

5. D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is speaking

on the live stream about the coal plant.

[bananas]

6. Robert Kennedy on now

Jim Hansen will be up later
Bill McKibben and a city councilman were on earlier
and singer Kathy Mattea

[bananas]

7. He said the police won't arrest them because they're on our side.

Don't know if that's official or if he's just guessing.

[swilton]

8. K&R

:bounce: :applause:

[bananas]

9. James Hansen on now

preceded by a native american spokeswoman.

[Abq_Sarah]

10. What are the realistic and workable immediate solutions

To coal fired plants?

If we were to end coal as an energy source, what would we use instead that would produce a comparable level of reliable power without an increase in price? What about people who earn their living in the coal industry? What jobs will be available for them? What about the loss of tax revenue in coal producing states? Where will they make it up?

Protesting is easy. Coming up with viable immediate alternatives is not.

[bananas]

11. Gore's proposal

http://www.repoweramerica.org/

[Abq_Sarah]

12. No, I mean specifics

Not, what's our wish list. This is a serious subject that will effect the economy and lives of millions of people. Just saying "we'll invest in solar and wind power" isn't a solution. Will solar and wind provide a steady, reliable and constant energy flow in quantities large enough to completely eliminate coal plants? Especially with those plug-in cars.. that means more electricity generation. How much will it cost to upgrade every single home in America to make them more energy efficient? Last time I looked, most people don't have that kind of money laying around. And the jobs aspect is important as well. There are approx 81,000 jobs in the coal industry. When they lose their jobs, will they be relocated and given the jobs of people currently working in wind or solar industry or will they just be SOL? What about the towns and businesses supported by the coal industry? What happens to them?

These are real legitimate concerns that must be addressed. I'm not willing to tell them "tough shit".

[bananas]

13. Those are all very good questions

Frankly, I doubt we're going to follow Gore's proposal to do it ten years, these changes are going to happen over a longer period of time, but they are going to happen.

Q: "Will solar and wind provide a steady, reliable and constant energy flow in quantities large enough to completely eliminate coal plants? Especially with those plug-in cars.. that means more electricity generation."

Yes, especially with plug-in cars:
http://climateprogress.org/2008/12/14/stanford-study-part-1-wind-solar-baseload-easily-beat-nuclear-and-they-all-best-clean-coal/

Q: "How much will it cost to upgrade every single home in America to make them more energy efficient? Last time I looked, most people don't have that kind of money laying around. And the jobs aspect is important as well. There are approx 81,000 jobs in the coal industry. When they lose their jobs, will they be relocated and given the jobs of people currently working in wind or solar industry or will they just be SOL?"

Efficiency is one of the biggest pieces, it saves money in the long term and creates jobs, Obama is already getting it rolling: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x188489

There will also be new jobs installing wind and solar, building plug-in cars, upgrading the grid, etc. There's plenty of work to be done.

Q: "What about the towns and businesses supported by the coal industry? What happens to them?"

Nothing stays the same forever, and the changing climate is going to affect every place on earth. So the question is, what do you want to see happen to them? Here's what's happening to Pennsylvania: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/impacts/climate-change-pa.html