Historic Victory: Coal Free Chicago Will Electrify Clean Energy Movement

[bananas]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/02/29-7

Published on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 by Common Dreams
Historic Victory: Coal Free Chicago Will Electrify Clean Energy Movement
by Jeff Biggers

In a move that should electrify the clean energy movement across the country, the tireless champions with the Chicago Clean Power Coalition have announced that Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of multinational giant Edison International, will soon shut down the Windy City's two Model-T-era coal-fired plants.

The historic victory, after a decade-long battle, marks a shift in the clean energy battle for the country: If Chicago, once hailed as the "world's largest market of coal," can go coal free, the (Photo: Chris Diers)
rest of the nation must surely be close behind them.

Thanks to one of the most determined, diverse and successful clean energy campaigns in the nation--including a breakthrough campaign to pass a Clean Power ordinance--the retirement of the decrepit and deadly Fisk and Crawford coal-fired plants will end the century-long reign of the most toxic polluters in the heartland.

<snip>

As a unique city-wide effort, the Chicago Clean Power Coalition includes: Chicago Youth Climate Coalition, Eco-Justice Collaborative. Environmental Law and Policy Center, Environment Illinois, Greenpeace, Faith in Place, Illinois Student Environmental Coalition, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Nuclear Energy Information Service, Pilsen Alliance, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, Protestants for the Common Good, Rainforest Action Network Chicago, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, Doctor's Council SEIU, Sierra Club, and the Southeast Environmental Task Force.

<snip>

Via http://nukefree.org/chicago-goes-coal-free

[mopinko]

1. pity they didn't credit the aldermen who worked hard also.

and the mayor, who, in the end did what rahm does and put sensitive body parts into volume reducing devices.

joe moore was a proponent of this from day one, fought hard, and as a result will NOT be confirmed to be the head of the illinois epa, as the governor wanted him to be.
governments do SOMETIMES do the right thing.

[bananas]

3. The article links to the coalition website

which has a long list of alderman co-sponsors: http://cleanpowerchicago.org/co-sponsors/
and a long list of coalition partners: http://cleanpowerchicago.org/join-the-campaign/our-coalition-partners/
and the initiating group and coordinating committee: http://cleanpowerchicago.org/about-us/

The article could have made it clearer that that paragraph was only a small partial list.

[mopinko]

4. my alderman was the lead sponsor.

joe moore is one of the good guys. i hope he gets to move up the food chain, but he has pissed off a whole lot of the 1%. especially those here in illinois.

[Nihil]

2. K&R for good news ...

> If Chicago, once hailed as the "world's largest market of coal," can go coal free,
> the rest of the nation must surely be close behind them.

Here's hoping!