Comments on: Lockdown on the Cliffside Coal Plant Generator; 4 Arrested

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:31:34 +0000

Change doesn’t happen overnight.
Coal is bad, but you can’t get everyone on clean/green energy overnight. If Cliffside is shutdown where will those customers get their power from?
Please keep in mind that producing power is a constant process. The levels have to be matched at an instant. Too much power produced, has to be sold to another utility(or risk destroying) equipment/people). Too little power and it has to be bought(at higher rates) from another utility; or brown/black outs will occur.
What happens around 5pm? People come home, turn on their ac/heat, turn on the tv, microwave, computer, etc… When that happens coal plants and gas turbine plants ramp up their production to meet that need. How will solar and wind power solve that issue. Last time I checked, making the sun shine and wind blow at a whim is not possible. Storing large quantities of energy(except in dams and pump stations) is years away. In the mean time using coal more efficiently(with new generators) and building more nuclear generators will fill that gap.
It takes time please be patient.

By: Nick Magel

Nick Magel — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:14:38 +0000

Amazing work today everyone involved! There is an energy in Copenhagen (seriously) today as people are reading about communities in the US continuing to take action for climate justice in a more coordinated and driven way then ever!

By: Rob Taylor

Rob Taylor — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:10:00 +0000

You guys know that the more c02 in the atmosphere the better the climate is for plant life right? Since co2 rich atmosphere is good for plants. Maybe you should try actually growing trees instead of hugging them.

By: Gabriel Elsner

Gabriel Elsner — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:30:20 +0000

Mikal,

Wind power is on par with Coal in cost. Solar power is quickly approaching the same cost as coal.

Check out this graphic on page 20 of this report, information came from the Energy Information Agency, Department of Energy. http://www.worldwatch.org/press/prerelease/EWP178.pdf

Thats not to even mention the health costs associated with burning fossil fuels – Coal alone costs $62 billion dollars in health costs due to the pollution it spews. See this report from the National Academy of Sciences:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12794

Please research the facts before posting. Don’t just listen to the lies being spun out by Fox News.

Gabriel

By: Morgan

Morgan — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:36:56 +0000

Mikal: I don’t want my electricity to come from exploitation, destruction and violence.

Great job cliffside activists.

By: Avram Friedman

Avram Friedman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:33:22 +0000

Thank you once again Rising Tide! You are courageous and responsible.
By the way Mikal, it would be MUCH less expensive to shut down Cliffside, reduce energy consumption and develop wind and solar in North Carolina. We can’t just live in denial while sacrificing our children’s future just to avoid taking action today.

In solidarity with those who risked there lives to stop this generator from moving toward Rutherford County,
Avram

By: Mikal Despree

Mikal Despree — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:52:51 +0000

Don’t like pollution but wouldn’t want to be sitting in the dark either or paying 400% more for clean energy either. I’m sure if Duke generated all electricity by wind and solar and raised rates to 4 times current levels these folks would change their tune real fast!

By: Gabriel Elsner

Gabriel Elsner — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:31:18 +0000

A huge thanks to all of you putting yourselves in harms way – very professional, non-violent direct action from what I can see.

Best of luck to all of you.

In solidarity,

Gabriel