The battle to address climate change is raging in Washington, as Big Oil and Big Coal pour millions of dollars in to block any progress on moving toward a clean energy future. But, they are not winning… yet. Several bills that would block the Environmental Protection Agency’s power to cut climate changing pollution were recently introduced in the Senate, but were defeated.
We would like to thank Senator Susan Collins for voting against the worst measure – put forward by Senator McConnell of Kentucky – which would have permanently prohibited the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating climate-changing pollution from stationary sources, such as big boilers and powerplants. This measure runs counter to the Supreme Court’s ruling that climate-changing emissions are dangerous air pollutants that EPA must address through the Clean Air Act. Senator Collins was the only Republican to vote against this measure. It is a testament to her understanding of the damaging impact climate change has had, and will continue to have, on Maine’s environment, economy, and way of life.
The battle continues over whether and how EPA will do its job to address climate changing pollution. Without authorization and the funding for EPA to carry out its work, the U.S. will fail to address the most important environmental issue of our time. Mainers are fed up with breathing bad air from away. We ask that both Maine Senators let the EPA do its work to reduce pollution now, and forestall the more devastating—and expensive—climate change that science has repeatedly shown is coming our way.
Lisa Pohlmann
Executive Director
Natural Resources Council of Maine
Maine is the beneficiary of pollution from Mid-West Coal Burning Electrical Plants. The answer would be to converted all oil and coal burning plants to Hydrogen burning plants. Hydrogen can be produced in every State that has water, even wastewater. Hydrogen is as safe as any other flamable substance such as Propane and Natural gas. Like gasoline a spark can ignite it, but contrary to what most people believe Hydrogen does not explode except under certain conditions. For example had the Hindenburg been filled with gasoline or propane instead of Hydrogen, a large part of New Jersey would still be orbiting the earth. The Hindenburg burned completely but slowly enough for many people to escape from the airship, including ground support people who ran to safety. Try that with propane or gasoline. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the known universe and unlike wind and solar, you can put it in a car’s gas tank. The answer to the US energy needs is not to drive less, this Country runs on energy and people traveling to all parts of the Country supports our economy. No the answer is to develop clean, renewable Hydrogen to replace, carbon based polluting fuels including wood pellets, ethanol, gasoline, coal, and dangerous nuclear power. In California right now Hydrogen fuel,(not gas) is $3.45 a gallon. If every State was to start producing Hydrogen that could drop to under $2.00 a gallon or less. In time it might be possible to fill up your car with a garden hose. If you were Suadi Arabia, Iran or Exxon/Mobil would you want to see this? Of course not. But if you believe global warming is real then why doesn’t the NRCM and other environmental groups talk about Hydrogen? It is the only thing in almost unlimited quantity and renewable, everytime it rains, that is capable of replacing oil and other carbon fuels while being completely non-polluting. I have been advocating Hydrogen for years now and still I don’t hear our leaders proposing at least studying the benefits of Hydrogen. Three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by the oceans, enough Hydrogen to last us for thousands and thousands of years, because the more Hydrogen you burn the more clean water vapor is returned to the environment. Clean enough to drink as one Maine reporter actually did a few years back. Remember?
Hydrogen could play an important role in a clean energy and low carbon future, but it is difficult to say exactly how at this time. It is important to remember that it takes energy to extract hydrogen from water, and that energy has to come from somewhere. That makes hydrogen a little more like electricity, in that it is a type of “fuel” that can be used very flexibly (including in cars) but needs an ultimate primary source of energy to generate it. That source could be renewable energy like solar or wind. Every source of energy has tradeoffs – nothing is perfect or free. That’s why the challenge of transitioning to a clean energy economy means it takes collective efforts by all of us to overcome the inertia for continuing our entrenched use of “cheap”, easy fossil fuels. Finally, electricity from renewables isn’t a perfect fuel source either (even renewable energy power plants have impacts and costs) but it can be used to fuel vehicles. Plug-in hybrid cars that use electricity some of the time are about to hit markets. Maine and the northeast states are currently considering a Clean Fuel Standard, which would reduce our dependence on oil and gasoline for cars and trucks by creating great incentive to use lower polluting fuels, whether electricity, hydrogen, or next generation biofuels (not corn-based ethanol!) Stay tuned from NRCM on how to support a Clean Fuel Standard.
Dylan Voorhees
Clean Energy Director