"Importing coal to produce electricity is a drain on Ohio's economy"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 06/17/2010 - 10:34.

The June 15, 2010, Toledo Blade published an important editorial titled To curb Ohio's costly coal bill, fix U.S. energy policy, by Jeff Deyette, assistant director of energy research and analysis in the Union of Concerned Scientists' climate and energy program, and Alan Frasz, vice president of Dovetail Solar and Wind in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, that leads-off with an important observation most residents of Ohio find hard to believe... "When you turn on your coffee pot in the morning, the power likely comes from coal, which generates 85 percent of the electricity in Ohio. According to a new report, three-quarters of that coal comes from elsewhere".  Yes, Ohio is ADDICTED to dirty, expensive, environmentally destructive imported coal - Ohio electricity ratepayers spent $1.5+ billion in just 2008 on imported coal - Ohio is the 5th biggest imported coal junkie in America, and we have the pollution to prove it.

As the authors of this informative editorial point out:

Importing coal to produce electricity is a drain on Ohio's economy. Ratepayer dollars are diverted out of state, instead of being spent locally on renewable-energy projects and energy-efficiency measures that can provide the same electricity service while directly benefiting residents and creating jobs.

The report by the Union of Concerned Scientists, "Burning Coal, Burning Cash," ranks states that are net importers of domestic and foreign coal. Ohio is one of 38 states that depend on imported coal. The state spent $1.5 billion on net coal imports in 2008, making it the fifth most dependent state.

First Energy's Bay Shore plant in Oregon imported all of its coal, shelling out $64 million mostly to Wyoming. Most domestic coal comes from Wyoming, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Some states import coal from overseas, as far away as Colombia and Indonesia.

It doesn't have to be that way. Ohio has significant wind, biomass, and solar-power resources, and we've only started tapping into that potential. 

Having a coal fired powerplant in my backyard, poisoning my family with pollution that only benefits large institutions, it pisses me off knowing the coal burned there was probably imported - probably strip mined from somewhere they blew up a mountaintop - now that I have learned burning coal is in every way bad for the Ohio economy...

..."Clean Coal" is an expensive pipe-dream...

...pollution from coal is literally a killer.

Because Ohioans have been brainwashed into a nihilist state of believing coal and air pollution are good for the state economy, we have been suckered into the worst, most polluting energy policies, technologies and solutions possible, and now shall suffer a long transition to renewable energy, while living through serious economic consequences of our dirty imported coal era, including the poor health and reduced productivity of our population.

We may not begin getting off this coal "junk" - this black tar heroin - soon enough.

That is why I have proposed a new energy solution for Ohio to transition our state economy off of imported coal by developing our hemp biomass economy - Growing a Bright Green NEO PAC for Legalization & Commercialization of Cannabis Crops, Products & Services.

Such a biomass strategy has has not been proposed as a state-wide renewable energy economic development platform with serious scale and initiative anywhere else in America, or the world - making hemp biomass a core component of our state renewable energy portfolio - making Ohio the new world leader in the development, commercialization and manufacturing of hemp agriculture and related technologies, systems, machinery, and economy.

By developing a hemp biomass economy, we shall develop renewable fuelstocks that may replace coal - even for burning in existing coal powerplants - and biofuel - for running existing vehicles - creating cleaner, natural power for Ohioans and the world, from Ohio-harvested powersources.

I expect the first such bright green clean hemp biomass burning powerplant in Ohio to be in my backyard, to replace the coal burning powerplant located there now - my community of East Cleveland shall make that happen for the state of Ohio, and no imported coal lobby shall get in the way. 

Our Bright Green Hemp Energy plan compliments the vision of Jeff Deyette and Alan Frasz to tap into our significant wind, biomass, and solar-power resources, as articulated in their editorial linked here, concluding with:

Our congressional delegation could do a lot to help Ohio keep more energy dollars in the state. Legislation before Congress would reduce pollution and require more renewable-energy and efficiency measures nationwide. A truly effective bill would place a limit and a price on the pollution that causes global warming, so wind and other renewable-energy sources would get a level playing field with fossil-fuel energy sources such as coal. It also would require utilities to generate increasing amounts of renewable energy. Leadership in Washington would help expand the opportunities for Ohio companies to compete in the global clean-energy race.

Our energy system is not as clean, efficient, or cost-effective as it should and could be. It's time we start to power our state in a way that protects our economy and our environment. A federal bill that makes energy reform a priority is key.

I've asked for the Sierra Club to endorse our Bright Green Hemp Energy plan to shift the MCCO coal powerplant and other coal burning powerplants in Ohio to hemp biomass, as a major addition to the Ohio renewable energy portfolio and our economy, and expect to see all world-leaders for renewable energy work together on a comprehensive set of solutions for developing the hemp biomass economy in Ohio, America and the world, with a strong focus on making Ohio world leaders in this brightest greenest new economy.

Hemp biomass

Makes too much sense Norm, which is why we won't see it anytime soon. 

Our "leaders" have no interest in health--because that would undermine the Clinic.

Having a coal fired powerplant in my backyard, poisoning my family with pollution that only benefits large institutions, it pisses me off knowing the coal burned there was probably imported - probably strip mined from somewhere they blew up a mountaintop - now that I have learned burning coal is in every way bad for the Ohio economy...

.....

We may not begin getting off this coal "junk" - this black tar heroin - soon enough.

That is why I have proposed a new energy solution for Ohio to transition our state economy off of imported coal by developing our hemp biomass economy - Growing a Bright Green NEO PAC for Legalization & Commercialization of Cannabis Crops, Products & Services.

 

AND our "leaders" have no interest in spending our tax dollars for green solutions that retain and maintain trees that remove pollutants in my neighborhood Brooklyn Centre. 

No, we get concrete WALLS....

Our "leaders" have no interest in health - so are dead

I'm making pollution very personal to the individual leader and taking out any MF who has no interest in health.

The problem is I seem to be the only citizen who cares if our leaders are ignorant poisoning pieces of shit...

I don't see anyone else worrying about pollution from Mittal or MCCO for example!

Too nihilistic to help.

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I care, Norm

Let me know how I can help you.

 

I see the thick black dust on the inside of my mother's screen door.  She wipes it off and it comes right back. She lives near Mittal and has had nothing but breathing/sinus problems since she moved there about 2 years ago. I will take a picture to show the black dust INSIDE her house.

The thick black dust is very visible on her white screen door.

ATTACK every politician in OHIO - Mercilessly

ATTACK every politician in OHIO.

Mercilessly.

Start with Cimperman and Jackson!

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Community SAFETY

Community SAFETY MEETING...HOSTED and CHAIRED by our Ward 3 Councilman JOE CIMPERMAN

MONDAY JUNE 21ST 6:00 P.M. OLA ST Joseph Hall   2346 W 14th St .

***This meeting is NOT about parking or valet issues..we are working on those as all know.

***This meeting IS to talk about the sudden increase in VIOLENT CRIMES
and
HOW we can work with the Cleveland Police Department and the TWDC
Safety Committee to do and help more.

***IN ATTENDANCE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS will be:

 

Councilman, Ward 3, Joe Cimperman
 Commander, 2nd District, Keith Sulzer

 
2nd District Safety and Outreach Coordinator,  Bob Shores
 TWDC Safety Committee Chairperson, Dean Malaker

my two favorites to attack

attacking either one of them is more like pleasure than work.

will do. count me in on any other help that you need, Norm.

I am going to get a picture of my mom's door later today and will post it here.

Help the Sierra Club help you

I've asked the Sierra Club to help me deal with MCCO and they have people working on other pollution issues here... I'll compile a contact and action list and post it to realNEO

There will be a meeting about MCCO's coal burning renewal permit in July - I'll certainly let everyone know the details... it should be where the environmental injustice is greatest, so I have requested we hold it in East Cleveland.

I'm taking action to shut MCCO's coal plant down, deny them permits to build more coal burning capacity in my city, improve pollution monitoring and reporting in the region, and I'm seriously driving developing alternative energy solutions beyond what we have on the tables here, including hemp biomass.

I am forcing NEO to recognize coal is dead, and kills.

Help the Sierra Club help you - call out for any help you may from outside Ohio!

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Call the Mayor and Councilman about your air pollution

Call the Mayor and Councilman about your air pollution - the city of Cleveland is responsible for keeping your air safe and notifying you if it is not safe and they are paid federal EPA dollars to do that and their staff and systems are in every way broken - WHY I HATE OUR LEADERS HERE - there may be no good excuses for this situation so call your leaders to hear their lame-brained, lying, ignorant explanations and tell them to go to hell - and then tell everyone you know what killing haters our leaders are - tell everyone in the world - and then force them out of office and drive for new leaders, just like I have been doing on realNEO for these many years...

Truth is working.

More truth.

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