| Soaring oil and gas prices and the
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| | results in a lifelong sentence of some
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| devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and
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| | measure of disability. Airborne
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| Rita have finally brought an issue into
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| | pollutants are also responsible for an
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| sharp focus for the public: When it comes
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| | exponential increase in asthma,
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| to energy, we're in trouble! We import
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| | particularly in children. Increasing the
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| far more crude oil than we produce in the
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| | use of coal without implementing
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| United States; fully 70 percent of our
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| | immediate pollution controls would only
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| oil comes from five countries in the
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| | intensify the pollution and its
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| Middle East, arguably the most volatile
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| | consequences.Environmental experts
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| and politically unstable region in the
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| | familiar with coal burning plants
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| world.We need to develop sustainable,
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| | estimate that it would cost a million
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| renewable, safe sources of energy to
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| | dollars per smokestack to decrease the
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| provide power for our homes and
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| | pollutants emitted to acceptable levels.
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| businesses. One real danger is, however,
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| | The utility plants themselves have
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| that as the memory of Katrina fades and
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| | resisted this expenditure, and have
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| the prices drop at the gas pump, the
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| | lobbied successfully to stop governmental
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| public will also lose focus, and fail to
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| | enforcement of environmental regulations;
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| continue the pressure needed for
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| | the fledgling Bush administration quickly
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| politicians to generate change. What we
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| | stopped lawsuits, begun by the EPA during
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| need is a standard bearer - a big, vocal,
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| | the Clinton administration, which would
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| powerful, charismatic standard bearer.So,
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| | have forced these plants to implement
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| Donald... When are you going to build the
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| | pollution controls.So, Donald, where do
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| world's first off-the-grid
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| | you come in? With your visibility, your
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| skyscraper?Just think of it - wind
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| | cult status, and your corporate clout,
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| turbines on the roof, sheets of solar
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| | you could easily raise the money to fix
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| panels covering the south side of the
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| | every smokestack in the country. NFL and
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| building, and, to heat and cool the
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| | NBA players, CEOs, Hollywood actors,
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| building, biodiesel, manufactured on site
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| | producers, and directors,
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| from discarded vegetable oil collected
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| | multimillionaires with old money and new
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| from the best restaurants in Manhattan.
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| | - and don't forget Oprah - all have the
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| In the interior, piped-in sunlight
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| | means to donate a million dollars, or
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| brightens the living area while saving on
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| | more, to adopt a smokestack. We could
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| electricity; a gray-water system recycles
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| | virtually eliminate the pollution problem
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| water throughout the building and can be
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| | from these coal burning plants in short
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| reused for showers, baths, and lush
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| | order - much more quickly than will be
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| gardens on every floor. Bamboo flooring
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| | accomplished by lawsuits and governmental
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| and other renewable materials create a
| |
| | interference. We could offer to fix these
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| rich ambiance while promoting the concept
| |
| | smokestacks in exchange for one promise -
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| of green living.While you're at it...How
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| | that the utility plants do not sell their
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| does an "Adopt a Smokestack" campaign
| |
| | pollution credits to anyone else.All of
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| sound?In talking about decreasing our
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| | the technology needed for both of these
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| dependence on foreign oil, one
| |
| | projects is available today, and would
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| alternative being discussed is relying
| |
| | put this country on the path to
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| more on domestically mined coal. At this
| |
| | sustainability and energy independence in
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| moment, coal burning is already
| |
| | short order. And Donald, you could pull
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| responsible for generating more
| |
| | it off, in grand style.I can see into the
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| electricity in the U.S. than any other
| |
| | future: a Newsweek cover with a picture
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| method. Unfortunately, much of this coal
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| | of a towering Donald Trump, and the
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| is being burned by obsolete, highly
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| | title, "Donald Trump Saves the World."
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| polluting utility plants. In the Midwest
| |
| | Has a nice ring to it.Aldene Fredenburg
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| alone, over a hundred aging coal burning
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| | is a freelance writer living in
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| plants spew out pollutants responsible
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| | southwestern New Hampshire and frequently
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| for acid rain which has killed hundreds
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| | contributes to Tips and Topics. She has
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| of lakes, streams, and rivers in the
| |
| | published numerous articles in local and
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| Northeast. Large amounts of mercury from
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| | regional publications on a wide range of
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| these plants are deposited in the water
| |
| | topics, including business, education,
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| and end up in both freshwater and ocean
| |
| | the arts, and local events. Her feature
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| fish, turning one of the healthiest
| |
| | articles include an interview with
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| sources of protein into one of the most
| |
| | independent documentary filmmaker Ken
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| dangerous - mercury in fish threatens the
| |
| | Burns and a feature on prisoners at the
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| unborn children of women who ingest it,
| |
| | New Hampshire State Prison in Concord.
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| threatening neurological damage which
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| |
|