What are the pressures in your state for and against getting off fossil fuels?

[hedgehog]

Some states have a vested interest in fossil fuels and might see a downside to their elimination. What do you see in your state?

I'll go first:
New York:
For:we need cheaper energy for our cities. We have lots of sites suitable for wind turbines and a lot of transmission lines in place. We suffer from pollution from Midwest power plants burning coal. We even get ozone days in the summer across the entire state.
Against: People are being offered big bucks to lease their land to oil companies wanting to exploit the Marcellus Shale. Others think wind turbines are unsightly. No one wants additional transmission lines across their land (or through their front yard, between the barns, etc.) I suspect that some on Wall Street benefit from fossil fuel profits and would oppose change.

[niyad]

1. you would think, in CO--with all the sunshine and wind, that there would be a massive push for non-

carbon energy, but, sadly, no. too much of the oil and gas interests here, with all the oil in the western part of the state.

[Skidmore]

2. Iowa has been active in ethanol for years.

I know that will prompt a round of yelling, but we've tried long before it became fashionable in other states. We are also constructing windfarms (something we have in abundance), and moving to solar. I know many people who have moved to geothermal systems for their homes. Many of our farmers have long used windpower to pump water for irrigation--an old technology which functions fine today. We are pushing for the passenger rail service to be revived to connect the population centers and to reconnect us to major cities in other states.

Iowans are a thrifty and commonsensical people and darned proud of it.

[femmocrat]

3. Pennsylvania is probably in the same boat as NY.

We have that natural gas drilling going on here, too. Also mountain top removal. When the gas-drilling person came here, we told him NO, but some of the neighboring farmers have allowed drilling on their land. There have been several explosions and fires other counties.

There are some wind turbines not too far from here. I wouldn't want them IMBY, but they aren't that unsightly where they are, up in the mountains. I think they are less offensive than those huge electric towers.

A few years ago, there was a proposal to build a power plant deep in the woods about a half-mile away. It was amazing how the people from this area rallied to defeat the power company. Power to the people! :)

[northernlights]

4. heat and gas guzzlers

Here in Maine, we are now pushing forward on wind and also pellet stoves, which are supposed to burn pretty clean.

The biggest problem I see is the love for racing around in giant gas guzzlers, not to mention 4 wheelers and snow mobiles. It pisses me off to no end. If they would enforce the speed limits they'd simultaneously reduce gas consumption, make the streets safer and help with their budget crisis.

[hedgehog]

5. I was thinking of economic pressures, so i am glad you

pointed out life-style pressures. I can imagine a carbon tax would hit a lot of owners of mini-mansions pretty hard!