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Canary News and Action July 27, 2005
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Attorney General Cooper to Sue TVA Over Power Plant Pollution
Sign Up for the Relay for Clean Air
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NC Attorney General Cooper to Sue TVA Over Power Plant Pollution
NC Attorney General Roy Cooper is on a roll for clean air. He seems to have have gotten the message that this is an important issue to North Carolinians. A little yellow bird told him so.
In his latest action he has announced his intention to sue TVA for contributing to North Carolina's air pollution.
“They (TVA) won’t agree to any type of legal document that guarantees reductions,” Cooper said. “It’s important for us to see the fine print. If they are willing to do these things, they should be willing to put it in writing.”
Go get 'em Roy!
Article on the interview in the Asheville-Citizen Times
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Board Passes
Resolution Opposing New Nuclear Power Plants; Supports Wind and Other
Renewables
At its annual meeting on July 21, the Governing Board of the Canary Coalition passed a resolution, by a vote of 5-1, opposing the construction of new nuclear power plants while promoting the development of wind, other renewables, energy efficiency and conservation measures. Until now the Canary Coalition has remained officially neutral on the issue of nuclear energy because some of our members may see this technology as a viable alternative to coal and other fossil fuels in helping to reduce greenhouse gases and toxic emissions. However, the evidence has become clear that this is not a true asset of nuclear power when the nuclear fuel cycle is examined closely. It takes an enormous expenditure of energy to mine, transport and refine uranium and ultimately produce nuclear fuel pellets, processes that produce both high volumes of greenhouse gases and highly toxic air pollutants. It takes still more energy, including the burning of fossil fuels, to transport and store nuclear waste and to decommission older nuclear power plants. No one yet knows the ultimate cost, in energy or dollars, of nuclear waste storage or decommissioning. A comprehensive study indicating there is no net gain in greenhouse gas or air pollution reductions from the use of nuclear energy can be viewed here. Resolution in
Favor of the Development of Large-Scale Wind and
other Renewable Energy Resources, Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Measures and
in Opposition to Further Development of Nuclear Power Nuclear power has proven itself to be uneconomical, dangerous and environmentally irresponsible. No permits have been issued for new nuclear power plant construction in the United States since the 1979 Three-Mile-Island accident and The Canary Coalition strongly opposes any further nuclear development for the purpose of producing electrical power. The dramatic economical and technological advancement of large-scale wind energy combined with energy efficiency and conservation measures makes the risks associated with nuclear technology obsolete and unnecessary. Nuclear energy poses a public health and environmental hazard from the beginning of the nuclear fuel cycle to the decommissioning stage of each power plant. Uranium mining creates radioactive dust that travels long distances, contaminating air, water and earth as it shortens the lives of those who work in and near the mines. The enrichment and refinement processes that generate uranium nuclear fuel involve the use and disposal of many toxic and radioactive substances that are subsequently incinerated, released into the air or buried in leaky toxic waste dumps. Spent plutonium nuclear fuel rods have a half-life of over 200,000 years and there is no known way to safely transport or to contain this material for a period of time many times longer than recorded human history. Accidents such as the ones that occurred at Three-Mile-Island and Chernobyl are an ever-present possibility wherever a nuclear power plant is operating, resulting in massive releases of radioactive dust and gases high into the atmosphere, exposing millions of people on a global scale to potentially life-shortening contamination. The insurance industry refuses to insure nuclear power plants and without heavy government subsidies the nuclear industry would not be an economically viable source of energy. In contrast, large-scale wind energy is safe and economical. Wind energy requires no fuel. There is no mining or deep-drilling. There are no waste products. There is no air pollution. There are no greenhouse gas emissions. There is no danger of a catastrophic event. The construction of a wind farm is economically competitive, per kilowatt, with the construction of a nuclear power plant, but without the liability or continuous cost of fuel and spent fuel disposal. Wind farms have no unknown costs of decommissioning. Wind energy is the fastest growing energy resource in the world. The Canary Coalition calls for the rapid development of large-scale wind energy and other renewable resources, combined with a comprehensive program promoting energy efficiency and conservation. We stand in strong opposition to any further development of nuclear energy.
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August 26, 2005 8 PM at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC tickets $20, $15 for participants in the Relay for Clean Air Marjorie Mulhall will speak at AirAid representing the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. She will join, among others, Dr. Anthony Deluccia, former Chairman of the Board of the national American Lung Association. Both former NC Senator John Edwards and former Vice-President Al Gore have expressed regrets they will not be able to attend AirAid this year. But both have expressed strong support and promised to send written statements to be read the night of the event. Unfortunately, David Via of Corn Tornado will not be able to perform at AirAid afterall. But, instead Steve (Big Daddy) McMurray, of Acoustic Syndicate will play, joining Steve Earle and Larry and Jenny Keel. Air Aid posters are now available for downloading (1 megabyte). Please print and distribute them far and wide. Put them on bulletin boards and in public places wherever you go.
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Sign Up for the Relay for Clean Air August 25-26 from Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, all the way to Asheville, NC Walk, run or bike a segment of the Relay for Clean Air. View the schedule then contact the office to receive an instruction sheet and a pledge form. Support workers are also needed for shifts during the entire 24-hours of the Relay. If you have a pickup truck or cargo van and would like to volunteer please contact the office. All participants will be admitted to the AirAid concert for the discounted price of $15, normally $20. BioWheels bicycle shop in Asheville is donating a free water bottle to all participants in the Relay for Clean Air. Relay for Clean Air posters are now available for downloading (275 kilobytes). Please print and distribute them far and wide. Put them on bulletin boards and in public places wherever you go.
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The Southern Energy and Environment Expo (S.E.E. Expo) will happen August 26-28 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Arden, NC, this year. The Canary Coalition will have an information booth set up and we need volunteers to cover shifts at the three-day event. Please contact the office if you'd like to help and get in to this GREAT event for free. For more information about S.E.E. Expo visit http://www.seeexpo.com/
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Now, We Need Funds -This is the Time to Help the Canary Coalition and to Assert Our Right to Breathe Clean Air Summer is a difficult time of the year for the Canary Coalition financially. Its the time we're coordinating our largest events, AirAid and the Relay for Clean Air. There is great expense involved in publicity, venue fees, professional services, permit fees, transportation and communication expenses. At the same time, our bank account is beginning to get low because most of the large donations come at the end and the beginning of the year when contributors are thinking about tax deductions. The primary purpose AirAid and the Relay for Clean Air is to focus national attention on the impact, to our health and the environment, of poor air quality in our region. But, an important secondary purpose is to raise enough money to keep our organization going for the rest of the year. So, these events and the period of time surrounding their promotion is the most important time to promote the Canary Coalition, recruit new members, donate money to the organization and help find others who will contribute. Attending AirAid will help. We need to sell at least 500 tickets to break even on this event. If you participate in the Relay for Clean Air, and gather pledge money for your miles, that will help too, in helping to pay for the costs involved with promoting and organizing that event. But, we need much more money than these two events will bring in to sustain the regular activities of the Canary Coalition, pay the rent, phone and internet bills, transportation costs and staff salaries for the rest of the year. To be working at full capacity the Canary Coalition needs to meet its budget of $225,000. This budget will enable full-time work by three staff members: The Office Manager, the Program Development Manager and the Executive Director. Right now we have only a small fraction of these funds and it's slowing down our progress, although our progress has been remarkable. Currently, the Executive Director works alone in the office. There is some volunteer help, but it doesn't compensate for the continuity and responsibility taken by a paid staff member. Until last year, thanks to their dedication, we were able to maintain three staff members, although none of us received full pay. But, in the months leading up to the election of 2004, many people donated their "disposable income" to political campaigns and the money was diverted from non-profit organizations like ours. Our Office Manager and Program Development Manager had to leave because they could no longer sustain themselves and their families on the bits and pieces of salaries they were receiving. We have an opportunity now to reverse this unfortunate trend in our finances. Aside from any income that will be generated directly by AirAid and the Relay for Clean Air, these events are going to generate considerable publicity for the work of the Canary Coalition. The time is ripe for asking people to join in our effort and contribute to our cause. We ask that all members and supporters help make this period of time the moment when the Canary Coalition elevates itself to a new level of influence and effectiveness. By acquiring the funding we need to operate at full capacity a movement of monumental importance will arise that will shake the policy-makers in Washington, in the capitols of state governments and in the Board rooms of major corporations. Lets all make it happen together by expanding our membership and finding new contributors, now. Lets get the word out that this is the time to support the Canary Coalition and transform it into the civil rights movement of its full potential. We have the right to breathe clean air, but it's up to us to assert that right.
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If you have not already done so, please renew your annual membership with the CanaryCoalition and help keep the database updated with your most recent contact information. There is no annual membership fee, although all donations are gratefully accepted (and very much needed). All new and renewing members receive the interactive membership card, a business card-sized CD that works in your computer’s CDROM. The membership card is a powerful tool that aids its owner in being a clean-air activist. It contains a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation about air quality and the Canary Coalition that can be shown to friends, groups, classrooms, etc. Also on the membership card is a library of documents containing information on important air quality issues. There are also graphics for iron-on applications, printable membership forms and a link to the CC website. For donations of $25 or more tee-shirts are available upon request. Send contact information and donations to: Canary Coalition PO Box 653 Sylva, NC 28779
or you can donate online
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