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Sierra Club Currents - The Heat is On Quote of Note: "For the first time in history, my community has had to use air conditioners. Imagine that, air conditioners in the Arctic." -- Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier (1) Take Action: Fight Global Warming (2) Coal: The Heat is On (3) Take Action:Help Protect Wild Forests! (4) EPA: A Breath of Fresh Air (1) Take Action:Fight Global Warming This week global warming denier Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is planning to tack an amendment onto the 9/11 bill (S.4) that would establish a new massively polluting industry to convert coal into liquid transportation fuel. This liquid coal will create almost double the global warming emissions per gallon as regular gasoline. The amendment would also short-circuit health and safety reviews, putting industry profits ahead of public well-being. At a time when we need to be solving global warming, liquid coal is a bad deal. Any Senator serious about combating global warming should be seriously opposed to this dirty, dangerous, and expensive boondoggle for the coal industry. Fight Global Warming-Tell your Senator to Oppose Liquid Coal! (2) Coal: The Heat is On It's not just new coal-fired power plants that are facing growing scrutiny; now old plants are finding themselves in the hot seat as well. For years old coal plants have ducked environmental responsibilities and refused to update their pollution controls. Now a court has ruled that plants will not only be held responsible for failing to install the best available pollution controls when they update their facility, but also for the ongoing harm caused by the soot, smog, mercury and other pollution that spews into the air as a result of their failure. Say goodbye to the coal energy of the past and see what you can do to support a clean energy future! (3) Take Action: Help Protect Wild Forests! The landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule helps to protect over 50 million acres of the wild undeveloped areas of America's natural heritage. Despite incredible public support from businesses, faith groups, labor unions and sportsmen for protecting our forests and keeping the roadless rule in place, the Bush administration is still working to remove the Rule and the important protections it provides. Congress needs to act now to permanently protect our wild forests. Urge your Representative to support the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Act! (4) EPA: A Breath of Fresh Air In sharp contrast with other recent EPA efforts that have undermined clean air protections, the agency announced a proposal to clean up dirty diesel engines Friday. The new proposal calls for significant reductions in soot and smog emissions from locomotive engines and similar engines used in ships. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson estimates that the health benefits will be about 20 times the estimated $2 -$4 billion cost of implementing the proposal. Read more about threats to our air and learn what you can do about it. |
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Currents is the Sierra Club's weekly e-mail update providing you with facts, stories, quotes, and "take action" features. |