As Northwest concerns build about global and local environmental issues in the Northwest, a small Oregon port gives its approval to exporting coal to burn in Chinese power plants. Read more.
Musician Kris Orlowski speaks out against coal export
Musician and Bellingham native made this PSA with Climate Solutions to spread the word about the Power Past Coal campaign — and saying no to coal export and yes to a clean energy future. Photo Credit: Climate Solutions video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=19&v=qZIiJt-FvgQ
Less Coal in Our Stockings?
The U.S. EPA’s announcement of new standards for mercury, lead, arsenic and other air toxics from major coal and oil-fired power plants is, as David Roberts puts it, a really big deal. Coal plants are the world’s largest sources of mercury and other toxics; burning coal is the biggest source of global warming pollution. Coal-fired power is flat-lining in the …
Guest Opinion: Lummi Nation reviewing proposed deep-water port terminal
Lummi Nation and its members rely on land at Cherry Point and the adjacent marine waters for commercial, ceremonial and subsistence fisheries necessary to perpetuate the Lummi schelangen (“way of life”). Our ancestors made sure that our right to fish and gather at this usual and accustomed site was protected in our treaty with the United States Read the full …
Coal Exports Are Bigger Threat Than Tar Sands Pipeline
The planned Keystone XL oil pipeline has earned major national attention for the damage it would do to the climate. At the same time, another climate drama is playing out with much less attention as coal companies make plans to export huge quantities to Asia by way of Pacific Northwest ports. It’s pretty clear that both projects are environmental horror …
In Northwest Town, A Local Fight Against Global Coal
Plans are afoot to build giant new coal terminals on the West Coast to ship this lucrative commodity to China. But activists want to stop this, in part because coal produces huge amounts of carbon dioxide when it’s burned. Federal climate policy is silent on this potentially large source of emissions, so the debate is happening at the local level. …
Letter: Coal the wrong track – Helena Independent Record, Oct. 3, 2011
and community. The impacts to the health and well-being of Montanans will be myriad and substantial. Most apparent is the climate crisis. With the exception of the fossil-fuel industry, which, like the tobacco industry before it, is manufacturing doubt about the harmfulness of their products (oil, gas and, dirtiest of all, coal), people are noticing the “weird” weather accompanying the …
Orient Express: Will Montana become a coal colony? – July 28, 2011
The IR recently wrote about the lawsuit against the decision (of a bare majority) of the Land Board to lease Otter Creek valley for strip-mining by Arch Coal Inc. (Missouri). This decision was made without evaluating environmental and health impacts to our climate and community. The impacts to the health and well-being of Montanans will be myriad and substantial. Most …
Guest Editorial: Exporting Montana coal doesn’t fuel prosperity, March 17, 2011
America is moving away from coal. As we have started using energy more efficiently (such as with compact fluorescent light bulbs and more building insulation) and to use cleaner sources of energy (such as wind power), our demand for coal has started to decline. Read the full story here. By ED GULICK, Chair of the Billings-based Northern Plains Resource Council. …
After years of waging disinformation campaigns, the U.S. cigarette industry finally accepted that cancer-wary Americans were lighting up less. Big Tobacco found a lucrative new market, however: It stepped up exports to Asia. Big Coal seems set on a similar strategy. With construction of new coal plants being blocked across America — and states like Washington phasing out coal — the export market beckons, …
