small sampling – KS and coal in the news
February 2, 2008
The issue of the Holcomb coal plants is much bigger than Kansas. Burning coal for electricity is a global concern, because the process produces pollutants and especially carbon dioxide, one of the major greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. These concerns promise to revolutionize the way the world thinks about electricity. However, will the revolution occur before or after humans take the necessary steps to fight off the worst effects of climate change?
The word is trying to answer this question. That’s why they’re watching Kansas. That’s why many of them are coming to Kansas. That’s one of the reasons why the Holcomb bill before the legislature really matters to the nation – if that can pass here, they’ll try to pass it other places. (See Gov. Sebelius’s response, for her opinion on what that would mean.)
So. Here is just a selection of articles, blogs, etc. on the issue from outside the state:
- Gristmill, Kansas Republicans against global warming
- AP/ MSN (also appeared in CNN Money), Kansas coal policy outlined
- Greentech, Kansas Kisses up to King Coal
And a selection of articles and editorials from within the state:
- Kansas City Star, Lawmakers should axe this compromise
- Kansas City Star, Sebelius opposed bill that would allow coal-burning plant to expand
- Topeka Capital Journal, Emissions standards — Power play
- KWCH, Legislature Breathes Life Back Into Coal Plants
- Morning Sun (Pittsburgh, KS), Plant talk part of legislative week
- Hays Daily, House, Senate committees to open hearings on energy legislation
Furthermore – might we move toward an Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) in Kansas (Harris News/ Hutch News)? An RPS is a piece of legislation that would mandate that a certain percentage of every Kansas electric utilities’ portfolio would have to be generated by renewable energy.
And that’s not a mix of topics I ever expected to include in one post :)
— Maril Hazlett
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
NOTE TO THE PUBLIC: CEP will be live blogging from the Holcomb hearings next week. Eileen mentioned it yesterday, so, don’t forget. Do we know exactly how we are going to accomplish that bold goal? Not really! I expect we’ll figure it out as we go along.
I am in CO celebrating my Dad’s birthday, but couldn’t sleep so snuck – sneaked? – online to do a little serious research on climate, coal, etc. And ended up watching this blue man video. Climate change. Earth to America. Via the amazing Scott Allegrucci. I’m probably going to go around all day banging my head from side to side, only since my face won’t be painted blue it won’t make sense to anyone.
An article that caught my eye recently – Arizona is one of many states trying to figure out how climate change will affect its already limited water resources (AZ Central). Quotable, discussing the two studies from Science that looked at this issue – especially pay attention to the guy who talks at the end:
One study attempts to quantify for the first time the human contribution to climate change in the West. It offers evidence that man-made greenhouse gases from vehicles or power plants have caused up to 60 percent of the variations in snowpack, stream flow and higher temperatures over the past half-century.
The second study argues that climate change has rendered the past all but useless in managing water supplies. What look like cyclical droughts could turn into a new climate regime. Water-storage systems built based on historical weather and climate patterns will fail more often as conditions change, forcing water managers to adapt or face shortages.
“We have built all of our infrastructure to maximize the world as we know it,” said Tim Barnett, a researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego and lead author of one of the studies.
“As long as the climate stays the same, then we’ve optimized the system,” he said. “But it’s not going to stay the same. Things that used to work aren’t going to work.”
— Maril Hazlett, from scenic Colorado
Want to know more about climate and energy in the Midwest? Check out www.climateandenergy.org.
