No More Dirty Coal-Burning Power Plants!

Dear _________________________________

The verdict is in. Even President Bush says, "The United States is committed to ... confronting global climate change." However, the building of more than a hundred proposed coal plants would negate all other efforts by our country to "confront global warming" and no one knows when or if carbon capture and sequestration will be technically feasible or cost competitive.

We do know that energy efficiency - conserving energy we now waste - is the cheapest and fastest way to increase the availability of our energy supply. We know some renewable sources of energy are cost competitive now and can reasonably assume all of them will be cheaper than coal generation with CO2 controls.

The American Lung Association says "Nearly half (46 %) of the U.S. population lives in counties that have unhealthful levels of either ozone or particle pollution." We know that more coal plants can only make the problem worse. In unmistakable contrast, efficiency and renewables will not increase pollution, add millions of tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, and lead to the decapitation of more Appalachian mountain tops.

For me, my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, I ask you to commit to passing a moratorium on new coal plants until this nation has a coherent energy policy and a plan to address Global Warming.

Sincerely,

Letters to Presidential Candidates