More Coal Opponents

Here are three videos from coal opponents. They were in Iowa to testify before the IUB against the Marshalltown coal-burner proposed by Alliant Energy.

First Tom Sanzillo, an investment banker from NYC talks about coal from a financial standpoint. He was in Iowa City for an event with Plains Justice.

Second, Dr. Kristen Welker-Hood of Physicians for Social Responsibility has a lot to say about the sickening health repercussions from the mercury and other heavy metals in coal.

And last, University of Iowa’s Dr. Jerry Schnoor, questions the feasibility of burning coal to provide power for ethanol, the infamous Iowa bio-fuel.

Marshalltown Coal Plant “Silly” Says NASA Scientist

Dr. James Hansen is the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies and an alum of the University of Iowa. He was in Iowa this week to testify before the Iowa Utilities Board regarding the dangers of building a coal-fired power plant in Marshalltown, Iowa.

I interviewed him at an event last night in Iowa City:

“The only way we’re going to keep climate within a reasonable range is if we phase out use of coal except where we capture the CO2 and sequester it because most of the carbon dioxide in the fossil fuels is in coal.

“So we could solve the problem, that would be 80% of the solution but it does require that we have a moratorium on any new coal-fired power plants and over the next 25 to 30 years we’re going to have to phase out those that exist.

“And this is going to become very clear within the next several years so it is just plain silly to build a new one now because you’re not going to be able to grandfather these in … Once the government understands how serious the problem is these plants are going to have to go
so it just makes no sense to make another one now.”

My Caucus Camera: Videos from Precinct 21

Two videos shot from Precinct 21 in Iowa City. These are a little long, but then again, so is caucusing in Iowa on a cold January night.

We were caucusing on the U of Iowa campus, where over 500 were voting.

At stake? Nine county delegates.

The final tally? Watch the 2nd video to skip to the results.  But watch the first video for exciting caucus action and a very persuasive team from the Kucinich Kamp trying to gather votes for viability.

More at http://iowaindependent.com

Observers Take In Caucus Chaos

Two Virginia Commonweath University students (Obama obv.) sat at the perimeter of the caucus scene yesterday in Iowa City, Iowa. They were there strictly as observers but seemed to be having fun.

I asked them what they thought of the process.