Conference 7.286::maynard

You would rather burn foreign oil, or split atoms?

>* Re: Note 176.1 (I'm not for polluting the air, but...)
>*     By PRNSYS::LOMICKAJ, in notefile spider::maynard

>You would rather burn foreign oil, or split atoms?

    No, but I thought if someone else would prefer those things, they could
    start getting excited now. There's something wrong with most means of
    power production. 
    
    One of the best ways to get electricity is to use less of it in the
    first place. Failing that, people who are interested can make sure that
    the owners of the plant put into place whatever means are available to
    ensure that they pollute as little as possible.

    How's that?

    Reply to note 176.1
    
    This power plant would do nothing for the people in the area affected
    by the plant's pollution (including greater Maynard, Concord, Acton,
    Ayer, Littleton, Harvard, and towns going in toward Boston all the 
    way into Newton EXCEPT pollute our air! If you contact NOCOAL, you will
    learn that none of the power produced would be directed to our region.
    
    The pollution is not something we who live in this area can AFFORD to 
    be smugly philosophical about, Jeff. There is a great deal of
    information available on the plant (which will be designed with the
    current technology scrubbing system) that explains the environtmental
    burden that we'll bear. One of our state politicians, Macgovern, has
    already joined the townspeople opposing the plant. We need to educate
    ourselves about this and take a stand, before it's too late.
    
    Obviously, Jeff, you need to learn more about this particular proposal,
    as well as alternative sources of energy (not atomic) and conservation
    measures so that you don't by example lead others down the path of
    ignorance and inaction. You could get started by reading note # 81 in
    the environments notefile if your interest goes further than making 
    comedic comments.

>    If you contact NOCOAL, you will
>    learn that none of the power produced would be directed to our region.

    Are you sure?  I thought that New England was a heavy importer
    of power from Quebec.

    -Jeff Bell

>    way into Newton EXCEPT pollute our air! If you contact NOCOAL, you will
>    learn that none of the power produced would be directed to our region.

I don't know if that's really justifiable.  The plant, if built, would tap into
a major power corridor that runs through Ayer.  This corridor feeds a
substation in Ayer which supplies the surrounding area.  It continues in one
direction to a substation in Sterling which feeds the Leominster/Clinton area
and continues to Millbury.  In the other direction it goes north and supplies
the Lowell area.  Smaller feeds from this line probably supply the WHOLE area. 
Besides, the way the whole power grid of the US is interconnected, it's
impossible to say which plant the power that lights your lights really comes
from.

I'm also interested in alternatives to the coal plant that are CURRENTLY
feasable at a price that are environmentally better than it and won't break us
when the next electric bill comes.

-Mike

    Re 176.5:
    Let's talk about the specific area that will suffer the environmental 
    effects of this coal plant. The projections for additional power needed 
    in this area over the next decade have recently been revised and indicate 
    that the need for additional power in this area is likely to be much less
    than previously predicted. Why should people in the greater Ayer area,
    moving southeast all the way to Newton be subjected to the significant
    environmental pollutants generated by this plant if the power produced is 
    not needed in their area? I'd like to see some affordable alternatives as 
    well, but we'll never get the work done to put alternatives in place if 
    we just lay down and let Patriot Energy build this plant! If you're 
    interested in alternatives, please make your cry heard in a public way....
    before it's too late and the plant goes in. DON'T ASSUME there AREN'T ANY 
    alternatives...if enough attention and energy is directed to this end, we 
    might all be surprised by the results. 
    It is much wiser for us to oppose the plant NOW and actively search for 
    alternatives rather than wait til LATER, after the plant is built, and
    be putting our energy into fighting the damage done to our environment,
    our health, our property values, etc.

These damn things do have to be in SOMEONE's back yard.  Right now, for the
amount of our power we get, someone, somewhere has to suffer with a power plant
in their backyard that they get little benefit from, compared to pollution
from it.

The only "fair" solution is for the "bad" things such as coal plants (and
dumps, and prisons, etc.) is for them to be spread out according to how they're
"used".  Since I haven't noticed this area already having a nasty power plant,
we probably now have less than our "fair share".

Now this plant is probably larger than our "fair share", so if it is, to be
fair to those elsewhere in this country, you should be fighting for a smaller
power plant, rather than no power plant.  In my opinion.

As to alternatives, what is available in the near future?

Oil?  Also pollutes, more expensive to run, and if OPEC acts up again...
Hydro?  All the "good" sites are already taken, not to mention the large
environmental impact, and there are some people who are *really* affected (they
have to move)
Nuclear?  I think people would rather have the coal plant.  You seem to have
ruled it out yourself anyway.  Not to mention $$$$$$, the waste, etc.
Gas?  This is a possibility.  Probably expensive to run compared to coal, but
cleaner.
Solar, wind, etc.  Still *way* too expensive to be used in the near future,
but they should be researched if there's any hope for them to be competitive.

What have I missed?

-Mike

    
    
      I KNOW I'm going to get zapped for this one.
    
      I agree with Mike.  We have the pro's research, charts and
    predictions, and we have the con's.  Probably neither is
    correct, but with two opposing sides the truth and the right
    facts should eventually come out and this is what decision's
    need to be based on, not the emotional outcry's.  NIMBY is
    with us for power generation, waste disposal, prison's,
    chemical production, etc....
    
      Everyone likes their TV's, stereo's, air conditioner's, 
    microwaves, PC's, I don't see how we can, but use more
    energy in the future and this has to be produced somewhere,
    and before anyone jumps all over me I live 3 miles from
    that proposed plant.   Either people have to learn to do
    without, conserve, recycle, or whatever or these plants,
    prisons, and dumps will have to be built and maintained,
    to maintain the lifestyles that people are used to and
    would be hard pressed to give up.  It's nice to say not
    in my backyard, but that argument is only valid if you
    are ready to give up everything that depends on plentiful
    electricity.
    
      I agree there are probably alternatives (safer, better, etc...),
    but what are people willing to give up to have these.  Looking
    at the human animal I would say, very little, until its too late.
    
                             Mark
    

RE: .7
>Solar, wind, etc.  Still *way* too expensive to be used in the near future,
>but they should be researched if there's any hope for them to be competitive.

Of course you realize, Mike, that it's mostly the mega-energy conglomerates
who have a great deal of control over the research aspects of alternative
energy sources!  ;^)

Kip

    I agree with Kip, if we expect research on alternative energy sources
    to be undertaken, we have to realize that this is contrary to the
    interests of the powerful, rich energy companies. All the more reason
    for us to join with others who share our concerns, and make our voices
    heard to the political representatives who are our only hope of making
    decisions that favor the environment and the people. I urge you to read
    the notes related to the coal plant that are located in the
    environmental issues notesfile (WASHDC::ENVIRONMENTAL_ISSUES, notes 81
    - 81.11).              
    
                                                    Joan