MORE NEWS, 2-12 (COAL FIGHTS DIRTY, TOO; GREEN WORK CAN SAVE TENN; BELIEVE THIS GUY?; BETTER BIOFUELS FROM GM? RIGHT)

COAL FIGHTS DIRTY, TOO
AMP-Ohio attorneys threaten citizen leaders, who promise to defend their rights “vigorously”
Elisa Young and Sandy Buchanan, February 10, 2009 (Ohio Citizen Action)

"Today, two leading opponents of the proposed AMP Ohio coal plant in
Meigs County promised to defend their rights “vigorously.” Elisa Young and Sandy Buchanan replied to letters sent in January to each woman by Columbus attorney Charles Saxbe, threatening legal action over their statements against the proposed plant.

"Elisa Young is the founder of Meigs Citizens Action Now, and Sandy Buchanan is the Executive Director of Ohio Citizen Action. In her reply, Buchanan said, 'Although Ms. Young and I will make every effort to avoid false statements and provide accurate information regarding this proposal, we will not relinquish our right to question the proposed plant and we will continue to make information available to ratepayers, taxpayers, public officials, the news media, our members, and the general public. We will vigorously defend this right in court if necessary, including our right to call AMP-Ohio senior managers under oath regarding their plans for this plant.'"

Here’s what Pat Benatar says.
Uploaded to Daily Motion by AZSM

"Young, founder of Meigs Citizens Action Now, is a 7th generation Appalachian. The grassroots group is already living with four coal-fired power plants in a approximate 10-mile radius in Ohio and West Virginia, and is actively resisting the threat to create up to 5 more proposed coal-fired plants in the area. 'Our only hope of beating this,' says Young, 'is to make the communities that would be receiving the electricity aware of our objections to this assault on our health and environment. To take away our voice to speak out violates our most basic constitutional and civil rights. We will not sit by and allow this to happen.'"


GREEN WORK CAN SAVE TENN
State report sees growth potential
James Neeley, February 10, 2009 (The Tennessean)

"Over the past 30 years of working with state government, I have seen a great change in Tennessee's work force.

"We have seen steady declines in manufacturing, and the current recession has cut more deeply into the pockets of employers and workers than I have ever seen before. More than 240,000 Tennesseans are out of work right now, so as I look at opportunities for job growth, "green jobs'' could be a saving grace…

"Our Labor Market Information section recently completed a report called Growing Green: The Potential for Green Job Growth in Tennessee, which identified 162 occupations in five sectors — including green building, biofuels, wind energy, solar energy and geothermal — that could benefit from investments in green energy…"

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"Of the 162 jobs identified as being tied to the green industry, many are transferable from other types of businesses. For example, construction and modification of green buildings requires electricians, roofers and carpenters. Expansion in biofuels requires chemical engineers, agricultural-equipment operators and truck drivers. Construction of wind energy sources requires tool-and-die makers, metal fabricators and industrial production managers, among many others.

"How quickly can these jobs be created? With talk of a federal stimulus package, it could be possible for the state to receive money quickly that could be used for short- and long-term projects…One study in our green report suggests that an investment of $1.9 billion over a period of two years would create more than 44,000 jobs in Tennessee alone.

"Our department is also looking to the long term…Ensuring the state has a future skilled work force is crucial to attracting companies looking to relocate or establish green industries in the state…"


BELIEVE THIS GUY?
Alt Energy Not the Answer, Says Saudi Oil Minister; Al-Naimi cautions that green boosterism could inhibit vital oil investment
Christopher Helman, February 11, 2009 (Forbes)

"Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Ibrahim al-Naimi…issued a warning against overzealous boosterism of non-fossil fuel energy sources in a time when oil prices have become "unsustainably" low.

"‘Promoting alternatives could chill investment in the oil sector…It would be a nightmare if alternatives don't meet expectations.’"

What part of peak oil don't you get? (click to enlarge)

"That's because meeting global energy needs requires constant investment on a scale unmatchable by economically uncompetitive sources like solar, wind and biofuels…"

"No part of that global energy system is more massive than Saudi Arabia's. The kingdom produces some 8 million barrels of oil a day and provides a vital supply cushion in times of geopolitical stress. Policy is to maintain 2 million bpd of production capacity that Saudi Aramco can turn on at nearly a moment's notice. Al-Naimi stated that this year, spare capacity will reach 4.5 million bpd upon completion of the Khurais project…

"But Saudi Arabia's appetite for more mega oil investments could fade with sustained lower oil prices. Already, for 2009, lower oil revenues have pushed the Kingdom into deficit spending…he indicated that today's price of $39 a barrel is too low. The right price, he said, is low enough to facilitate global economic growth but high enough to incentivize development of not just marginal oil and gas fields but even renewable energy sources."


BETTER BIOFUELS FROM GM? RIGHT
Sandia Lab predicts biofuel viability with new forecasting model; Study with General Motors shows that ethanol could displace a third of U.S. gasoline use by 2030—assuming technological innovations occur.
Emma Ritch, February 10, 2009 (Cleantech Group)

"Sandia National Laboratory said today that biofuels are a viable method to wean the U.S. off a third of its gasoline consumption by 2030, basing its findings on a new forecasting model that takes into account the land, water and transportation available today.

"According to the Biofuel Deployment Model [a joint study with General Motors], the U.S. could produce 21 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 15 billion gallons of corn ethanol each year by 2022 without using land otherwise destined to produce crops."

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"That could ramp to 90 billion gallons of ethanol by 2030, displacing 60 billion gallons of gasoline because of its lower energy content. U.S. consumption of gasoline is expected to reach 180 billion gallons that year, up from about 140 billion gallons now.

"Scientists said it would take about the same amount of capital—about $400 billion—to increase domestic production by 60 billion gallons of petroleum as it would to produce 90 billion gallons of ethanol.

"The study noted that the U.S. has enough land to grow biofuel feedstocks without affecting the food supply. Feedstock plants such as poplar, willow and switchgrass could be grown on 37 million acres of pasture or idle crop land unsuitable for food production, or used as rotation crops…"

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"Ethanol can't currently be transported using today's distribution system of pipes, requiring the use of the rail system…The calculations assumed improved conversion processes from biomass to biofuel and improved cultivation of biofuel crops—variables that aren't ensured…the lab is looking for partners to help to expand the model to look broader or deeper at the market, potentially looking at the use of cellulosic ethanol in China…

"Still, biofuel isn't the long term solution to the U.S.'s transportation problems, noted Lawrence Burns, General Motors vice president of research and development…"