Just Say "No" to Coal!

I've been writing a lot about the Tennessee Coal Sludge disaster, and received another email about it today from Friends of the Earth, with the encouraging news that yesterday's New York Times had a front page report Hundreds of Coal Ash Dumps Lack Regulation about all the other dumps just waiting to become a disaster. The article includes a map of dumps (look for one near you!) a link to the E.P.A. Report: Coal Combustion Waste Damage Case Assessments, a slide show and a video, Coal Ash Spill Raises Broader Questions.

The email from Friends of the Earth asked for our help to make Congress aware:

Coal is dirtiest form of energy there is -- a fact that's underscored by the disaster in Tennessee. And there is only one solution. We must transition away from our use of coal. Will you help us send this message to Congress today?

Too many members of Congress still don't understand how serious this problem is. They need to hear from you, their constituents, that coal is public enemy number one. A ban on new coal-fired power plants is needed immediately, and we must rapidly phase out existing coal facilities and replace them with clean energy alternatives and energy efficiency.

So please read more about it, add your name to the petition to Congress, and even write a letter to the editor of your local paper to help your neighbors (and your politicians) learn more about why coal has always been dirty, and no modern technology can make it "clean" even if it can sequester small amounts of CO2 from burning coal.