----- Original Message -----

From: Janet Keating

To: 'James Kotcon' ; 'Allan Tweddle' ; 'Sierra Club Environmental Comm.'

Cc: 'Don GARVIN' ; 'Julian Martin' ; 'Kathryn Stone' ; 'Judy BONDS' ; 'Janet Keating' ; 'Karen Grubb' ; 'Judy Rodd' ; 'Frank YOUNG' ; 'Larry Gibson' ; 'Paul Wilson' ; 'Vivian Stockman' ; 'CAG' ; 'Heather Connolly' ; 'Taylor Barnhill'

Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 4:08 PM

Subject: RE: CTL

I'm wondering if all of us could sponsor a major forum on renewable energy
(the sooner the better) which includes what is wrong with going in the
direction of MORE coal via, CTL, etc.  By major forum, I'm thinking trying
to get Al Gore here or even candidate Edwards.  When I heard "Manhattan
Project" from Rockefeller, I nearly flipped; we all know what the end result
of that was! After reading that Al Gore is suggesting that students us
non-violent direct action to keep new coal-fired power plants from being
built, we might be able to get his attention and cooperation.

Who knows him well enough to ask and get a YES?
Janet


Janet Keating, Co-Director
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
P.O. Box 6753
Huntington, WV  25773-6753
304-522-0246 phone
304-522-4079 fax
www.ohvec.org


-----Original Message-----
From: James Kotcon [mailto:jkotcon@wvu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2007 12:19 PM
To: Allan Tweddle; Sierra Club Environmental Comm.
Cc: Don GARVIN; Julian Martin; Kathryn Stone; Judy BONDS; Janet Keating;
Karen Grubb; Judy Rodd; Frank YOUNG; Larry Gibson; Paul Wilson; Vivian
Stockman; CAG; Heather Connolly; James Kotcon
Subject: Re: CTL

I did not see the story in the on-line version, so there is still something
to be said for the old-fashioned paper newspaper.

I attended the rally opposing the CTL Conference in Beckley yesterday, and
Bill Price talked me into going inside.  Jay Rockefeller was scheduled to be
the lunch speaker, so I stayed around for that.  Unfortunately, Rockefeller
was late, did not start his speech till 2 PM, and spent a lot of time
talking about health insurance, veterans, and budget issues.  He did make a
strong pitch for climate change and the need for carbon sequestration as
part of a CTL program, (but I suspect that if a CTL subsidy bill passed
without sequestration, the industry would probably accept the handouts).
Then, he presented his 4-point plan for CTL which he wants to put into a
bill.  He claims that there are 60 votes in the Senate for some type of CTL
subsidy, but the parties can not agree on a version, and the supporters need
to present a united front.  (That means evidence of continued divisiveness
would be an effective delaying tactic.  His 4 points include:
1)  Build military uses of CTL fuels.  (Air Force is very interested and
were featured speakers, but the Pentagon would need authorization for
long-term contracts, which would require a change military procurement
rules.).
2) Keep everyone on the same page.  He claims there are 60 votes for CTL if
it includes "some environmental standards".
3)  A substantial federal R&D effort on carbon sequestration, a program
similar to the Manhattan Project.
4)  Expand the pipeline infrastructure, both to ship liquid fuels, and to
ship CO2 to sites for geologic sequestration.

Afterward I tried to talk to a couple reporters, but no one seemed
interested so I doubt I got much air time.  So I wrote a letter to the
editor of the Beckley paper this morning.

All in all, it was a waste of time.  The main impression I  had was that
this was a gathering of corporate honchos, all grabbing for subsidies and
federal handouts of pork.  There certainly was no opposition inside the
meeting, and I did not see any press coverage of the protest outside.

But I did learn from Bill Raney, as he introduced the speaker, that in the
coal industry "We practice aggressive stewardship and real environmental
protection every day.  Our people protect the streams they fish and the
mountains they hunt".  (The funny/sad thing is that no one laughed when he
delivered that line).

JBK


>>> "Allan Tweddle" <allantweddle@msn.com> 8/16/2007 10:56 AM >>>
Colleagues

A couple of days ago, there was an article reporting how Governor Manchin
has "finally" gat the attention of former President Bill Clinton about the
need for coal to be the solution to our energy crisis."

In today's Gazette, there is a report by Tim Huber of Associated Press with
the headline "Support Needed for Coal To Liquid" in section A...(I clipped
it...so did not get the page number).

It outlines our challenge.

Supporters of seeking Federal Government subsidies for funding CTL, because
Wall Street won't without the Government guarantees, Congressmen Rahall and
Murtha and sadly, Senator Rockefeller.

Here's Rockefeller's statement, which is unbelievably wrong...but probably
politically correct:. 
      "Coal-clean coal-must be the solution for our energy needs"....It is
the only solution to our energy needs. That is what is so ridiculous about
all of it.  It is what we have got.  God gave it to us"

There is total disregard for Global warming, and the economic opportunities
that reversing it present.  We must mount a massive two part public
education effort. I have tried to outline the issues below, and bear with
me, as I know all of you know the issues and alternatives.

First we need to refute, and educate, with independent studies and evidence,
Rockefeller's arguments:
  1.. There is no clean coal technology yet developed that is commercially
viable.   
  2.. CTL is NOT the only solution to our energy needs...by a long shot.  To
start with, Energy conservation and efficiency is very low hanging fruit
that can dramatically cut our imported oil addiction.
  3.. The widespread independent opinions about the horrors of CTL,
  4.. The truth that carbon sequestration technology on the scale that will
be required is not proven or viable...as the Australians have already
concluded
  5.. God delivers more energy every single day in sunlight than we would
need, or could consume in 20+ years.
We need to start with Rockefeller and the rest of the WV Delegation, (well
maybe excluding Capito) and educate them that
  1.. Solar energy is coming down in cost at such a rate that it will be
competitive with coal by 2015.
  2.. The Renewable energy industry, whether it be solar, wind or biomass
and alternative fuels, but particularly the solar manufacturing industry is
growing so rapidly that West Virginia is going to be in worse economic shape
if it does not participate NOW 
  3.. Several States have already embraced the inevitable switch to
renewable energy, including Murtha's Pennsylvania.
  4.. There needs to be aggressive support for raising the C.A.F.E.
Standards...because the battery technology exists to achieve 100 m.p.g. in a
plug in Prius, so the technology to get higher gas mileage is here and
emerging...so Government support needs to be focused on accelerating and
incentivizing its adoption.
When can we all get together and develop a strategy, and a program to
counter the effort that the CTL crowd are going to make?  I urge you all to
see this as a major crisis requiring bold and immediate action. 

There are National organizations in addition to the Sierra Club that may
have resources to help us. We need a ground swell of opposition to thwart
this CTL crowd. And proposing alternatives will bring a positive focus to
our efforts, and show that we are not opposed to jobs and economic
development, quite the contrary, there are just as well paying jobs in
renewable energy that are safer, (Sago, Utah Miners) , do not pollute or use
our precious water and air.

We all have a lot on our plates right now, I am sure. I am quite immersed in
starting anew manufacturing business, that ironically, will save jet fuel in
commercial airlines when brought to fruition.

But stopping this CTL effort, and educating the citizens of this State that
the ere are alternatives energy policies and technologies that will be
better for almost everyone except the Blankenship CEO types and politicians
he and his ilk have bought and paid for. 

I for one am ready, with my available slides and training from the Gore
Climate Project, to get on the road and get "our side" of this case out
there.  But I cannot do it alone....

Let me hear from you all...am I just a ranting old man, (I turned 75 today),
or are you with me?

Timing is NOW...bring me your commitment so we can together move this effort
forward...and it will be the best birthday present that I could ever want...

Allan

Allan Tweddle

Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum
Sir Henry Royce, 1924


Allan

Allan Tweddle

Quidvis recte factum quamvis humile praeclarum
Sir Henry Royce, 1924