Footnotes Issue #57: April 11th, 2012
Victory: Plant Ben Hill Cancelled;
Plant Washington in a Tough Spot
We did it! Another victory in the fight against coal! Sierra Club members and supporters won a victory earlier this week when Power4Georgians (P4G), the only company trying to develop expensive new coal plants in Georgia, agreed to cancel the proposed Ben Hill coal-fired power plant. The company also agreed to comply with critical new safeguards against mercury pollution and invest $5 million in energy efficiency and renewable projects.
Plant Ben Hill is cancelled but the battle isn't over yet -- P4G is still trying to build more unnecessary, expensive, risky, dirty coal units at Plant Washington. If we raise our voices, we can get the leadership of our utilities to hear us loud and clear: the coal rush is over!
Quick Links
Cobb EMC Elections Update
Congratulations to the Sierra Club endorsed Cobb EMC candidates, Kelly Bodner, Bryan Boyd, and Eric Broadwell - all were elected to the board on March 31st! Tripper Sharp and Jim Hudson did not get the required 50% of the vote, so there will be a runoff on April 21st at Piedmont Church. For more details, check out this article in the Marietta Daily Journal.
Sierra Club Meeting
RAIL, Monday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. Atlanta Inner City Outings (ICO), Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. Beyond Factory Farming, Wednesday, April 25, 7:30 p.m. Fundraising Committee, Wednesday, May 2, 7:00 p.m. at Noni’s on Edgewood! Smart Energy Team Meeting, Monday, May 7, 7:00 p.m. |
Upcoming Events
****** JOHN MUIR SERIES 2012 ******
Georgia's newest state park showcases a spectacular tract of wilderness in northwest Coweta County. Located in a graceful bend of the Chattahoochee River, right between two of Georgia Power's coal plants, Plant Yates, and Plant Wansley. While we enjoy the five miles of river frontage, we will talk about our Beyond Coal Campaigns efforts to retire these two plants and about Georgia Power's efforts to stymie solar and wind development in Georgia.
April 21 – Muir's Birthday Hike
Join fellow Sierrans as we celebrate the birthday of our founder, John Muir, with a walk in the woods of the North Georgia. We'll explore the Chestatee Wildlife Management area where we'll take in the beautiful Waters Creek and waterfall, take note of our threatened Hemlocks, observe about both wildlife and fish management, and see nature recovering from a forest fire.
April 28 – Atlanta Streetcar Tour
Come check out the progress of the Atlanta Streetcar, a modern, ADA compliant, electrically-powered transit system on a 2-hour walking tour of the route that connects Peachtree Street with Sweet Auburn Avenue. The line will run on electricity and will release zero-emissions into downtown Atlanta. And the line's cars will be built using sustainable and recycled materials in a facility that uses renewable energy sources.
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