Leaders in Congress Agree: NO NEW COAL!

[1]After years of research, and grassroots support, key members of congress are hearing our message loud and clear: the last thing America needs is more dirty coal plants. Earlier today, our friends Rep. Henry Waxman (CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (MA) introduced a new piece of bold federal legislation that would institute a moratorium on traditional coal-fired power plants.

"Comprehensive economy-wide regulation to address global warming is coming soon," said Rep. Waxman. "But new uncontrolled coal-fired power plants are being built today. My legislation says: ‘No new plants without emissions controls.’ The alternative is senseless - locking in decades of additional global warming emissions and requiring greater emissions reductions across the U.S. economy to compensate."

"If we lose control of coal [2], we will have lost control of the climate," said Markey, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. "This bill will make companies prepare for the future and prevent them from building low-tech coal-fired power plants before a global warming bill is passed that will necessitate the use of the newest, most climate-friendly technology."

What began as a few local ripples of resistance to proposed coal power is quickly evolving into a national tidal wave of grassroots opposition from environmental, health, youth, labor, justice, and business organizations and a fast-growing number of state governments. Citizens at large are turning against coal. In September 2007 a national opinion poll [3] asked consumers which electricity source they prefer . . . only 3 percent chose coal. 

Nonetheless, we’re already finding [4] that the coal industry won’t give up their power—or their subsidies [5]—without a fight. Despite being obsolete, dirty energy has a lot of power in this country—power that is quickly being overtaken by the movement of people ready to revolutionize the way we produce energy in this country.

You can join the action by setting up a district office visit with your member of Congress this month. Sign-up right here [6], and we’ll help you get started. Let’s show our friends in congress that we support the 1 Sky Solutions, and let’s keep this movement moving!