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Coal foes hope film riles up Nevadans
Thu, Sep 4, 2008 (2 a.m.)
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- Robert Redford, co-producer and narrator of the film, “Fighting Goliath — Texas Coal Wars" talks about the origins of the grass roots efforts that inspired the making of the short film.
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- Redford discusses the importance of a solution-based approach to informing the public about global warming.
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- Redford talks about the economical factor associated with global warming and forms of renewable energy.
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- Redford on the continued use of coal-fired power plants and other forms of non-renewable energy.
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- Redford talks about why he doesn't support nuclear power as a legitimate form of alternative energy.
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Beyond the Sun
Environmentalists said it was a sign that a wave of coal plant proposals across the country was finally ebbing when an unlikely coalition of environmentalists, small-town mayors, ranchers and other citizens persuaded a Texas utility company to scrap plans for eight of 11 new coal-fired power plants last year.
This year they’re saying the coalition’s success is more than an inspiration — it’s a game plan.
Coal opponents, including the Sierra Club and the Nevada Clean Energy Campaign, next week are hosting seven screenings in Nevada and Utah of a movie about the Texas triumph.
They’re hoping the film, Robert Redford’s “Fighting Goliath — Texas Coal Wars,” inspires ordinary Nevadans who oppose the three coal-fired power plants proposed here. Narrated by Redford, the film follows the Texas coalition throughout its effort to kill the coal plants.
“ ‘Fighting Goliath’ is an inspiring movie of people from all walks of life fighting for clean air and future energy stability,” said Lydia Ball, a local representative of the Sierra Club. “Just like in Texas, the state of Nevada has a diverse group of labor, women’s, faith and environmental groups working together to defeat the proposed coal plants.”
Redford said Wednesday there are definitely messages in the film for Nevadans, not just about how to kill a project but also about what their alternatives are.
“I don’t think we get anywhere ... by just saying no. The American way is can-do,” the Academy Award-winner said. “The fact is, Nevada and Utah can do much better than coal-fired power. Without burdening the residents and businesses with coal’s financial risks, both states have bountiful, world-class clean energy resources.”
The Texas coalition succeeded, he said, by bringing together strange bedfellows — such as environmentalists and ranchers.
“It wasn’t too long ago you couldn’t get a rancher and an environmentalist to speak to one another,” he said. “Over the years I’ve seen over and over again the power of grass roots (movements). When they come together they form something strong enough to defeat a giant power company.”
The fight isn’t over in Texas or Nevada. Three coal-fired power plants are proposed in Nevada and 11 are still planned in Texas.
Redford said utilities are trying to push through coal plants in the last days of the Bush administration, which he characterized as “ideologically stuck ... in the past.”
America should have been researching renewable energy 30 or 40 years ago, he added.
But he also said “Fighting Goliath” is a hopeful film. Redford saw an early version of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and warned the former vice president that he needed less gloom and doom and more time for solutions.
“You have to give space to what we can do about it,” Redford said.
The film is to be shown free to the public at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Theatre des Artes at Paris Las Vegas and is to be followed by a panel discussion on the potential for a clean energy economy in Nevada, and how the state can move beyond using coal to provide electricity. Panelists are to include Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani; Chris Brooks, renewable energy director at Bombard Electric; Tim Hay, former Nevada consumer advocate; Nevada Treasurer Kate Marshall; and Rose McKinney-James, a former Public Utilities Commission member.
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It is great to see such a dichotomy of people on the panel. However, is Commissioner Giunchigliani really going after the special interest including Commissioner Collins and Pardee and Coyote Springs on the new coal plant needed to further develop Coyote Springs? As Collins has already taken the money!
I'm sure it'll rile up some Nevadans, but probably more out-of-state environmental folks who don't live here and know nothing about our great state and its issues. The permitting processes Ms. Sweet reports on are totally different between Texas and here. Texas is almost entirely private land. Nevada is mostly public federal land. Here, the permitting process is much more rigorous because the land acquisition requires extensive adherence to federal environmental and land policies that require public review and comment. There's no way to "fast-track" the permitting process in Nevada like they can try to do in Texas. Has anyone here tried to fast-track a permit through a federal bureaucratic agency? good luck! The federal environmental regulations have processes with timelines and review requirements that don't get triggered in Texas because of the private land.
Also, Texas has the luxury of so much private land AND viable wind resources so they can actually permit and build wind farms there quite rapidly. Not so here, again because of the federal land, but more so because the military airspace restrictions that cover almost the whole state which poses a significant roadblock to wind farms here. also there are so many restricted land spaces where NREL and others think the best wind resources are. and especially since it's so flat in north and west Texas - they don't have the terrain to deal with like we do here in NV. Solar resource may be abundant here, sure, but again...the federal land issue poses permitting challenges, as well as the same environmental groups opposing wind and solar projects almost with as much fervor as the coal plants they decry! it's crazy - when do we talk practically and realize one resource cannot replace all the other resources? we need them all.
The solar and wind nuts will cause our power bills to go up.
The brand new Solar One power plant generates power at 2.4x's the cost of the current market price of energy.
Coal is cheap.
...AND solar one uses a large amount of Boulder City municipal water for it's wet cooling towers and dust control on site AND they must have tons of that heat fluid on site which probably leaks AND they probably have a natural gas heater to keep the fluid motile, which has emissions. oh but it's clean and free energy.....there's no such thing as a clean solar thermal plant. it's an oxymoron.
I say that Nevada should develop it's own resources. We don't have coal resources and those resources are getting more and more expensive.
The truth about he solar project in Boulder City is that the whole deal was done poorly with technology that is good, but not great. Plus, it was built by out of towners and not Nevada Labor.
I wish the naysayers would get on board with Nevada's energy potential and stop complaining about enviros opposing everything. Most of the folks supporting renewable energy are not enviros, and they are not all democrats either.
They are the Nevada Development Authority, Governor Jim Gibbons, John McCain, and a host of others.
Let's work together on clean, abundant energy solutions for Nevada and stop pointing fingers.
If you care to see the film on Tuesday night you will see a story about unlikely advocates working together to stop an ill-conceived and dangerous proposal to build 13 coal plants. This proposal was brought forth by a Governor who chose powerful energy lobbyists over the constituents he represents.
The panel are intelligent and thoughtful leaders in our community who will bring the story home for Nevadans.
Thanks for the head's up on this important film Phoebe! This community event will educate people about vital issues from a different perspective than what is often presented in the mainstream media (bought and paid for by Big Coal).
A recent column in the RJ stated that coal costs are rising rapidly and that coal company executives are all but rubbing their hands together in glee over soaring profits that know no bounds. Read it here: http://tinyurl.com/6llf2t.
Apparently the key facts came directly from a Peabody Energy press release. These companies are selling America's "cheap, abundant coal" to the highest bidder in a global market. U.S. citizens face dwindling supplies, major hikes in electric rates and a deepening climate crisis.
Coal is not cheap. It is not clean. It is not a good investment.
The more we spend on fossil fuel (and nuclear), the higher prices will go. As we invest in truly clean, renewable energy from solar, wind and geothermal, prices will continue to go down.
This is the most basic law of supply and demand. Renewable energy has little or no "fuel" costs. It's not hard to understand.
Nevadans should take advantage of this free movie event to learn more. We have a brief window of opportunity that, if we're smart, could transform our economy and end our state's budget woes. I think that's something we would all welcome.
The most basic law of supply and demand is simply just that - if there's a demand for something there must be a supply readily available. If there's demand for electricity, somebody has to supply it, and as demand continues to increase in this fastest growing community of the nation year after year, somebody has to increase the supply to meet the demand.....demand cannot be met by intermittent (wind/solar) and small-scale (geothermal) supplies. Renewables are great, not as clean as lot of folks like to think they are, and definitely not the sole answer to meet the demand of this wacky town we live in.
So did the film rile anybody up? I missed it.
doncha just love REdford's audioclip on the economic benefits geothermal would have on property owners from leasing opportunities? Let's see.......the biggest property owners in this state are, oh that's right, the federal government. 85% of our land is public, not private. doncha get tired of celebrities using their high-profile "status" to push agendas in places they don't understand the issues, maybe even never visited?