...a
new study just published in the journal Energy Policy
states that the
world can provide for all of its energy needs, including electric power,
transportation, heating/cooling, etc using only wind, water, and solar
(WWS) energy by the year 2030.
By water the study authors,
Mark Z. Jacobson (pictured)
Mark A. Delucch,
mostly mean hydroelectric power,
which would involve building
more dams, with all their environmental problems.
Still, it's an interesting study demonstrating that true renewable
energy could power the world: no coal, no oil, no nuclear.
It's Sunday, so let's see what a local preacher thinks about the
biomass plant.
Mayor Fretti asked if there were any Citizens Wishing to be Heard,
and a preacher said, "yes".
No, not Rev. Rose.
He last spoke to the Valdosta City Council back on 10 February,
and left in disgust.
Besides, the Council
thinks people are frightened of little old him.
This time, 24 March 2011,
Angela Manning, minister of the 1500-member New Life Ministries
in Valdosta near the proposed site for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant,
read from the Valdosta City Council's own mission statement and
asked,
"The shipping of fathers and mothers to private prisons in far-flung
states is guaranteeing a new generation of frightened, angry,
disenfranchised children, who are future inmates," she said, adding that
"families who try to visit loved ones are treated as suspects in many
prisons. The children cannot understand the lack of warmth and hospitality
in the visiting rooms."
The Episcopal Church's General Convention is on record in opposition to
private prisons.
What local county grew twice as fast as any of the others?
If you guessed Lowndes, nope, no prize for you.
The answer, according to the 2000 census, is Lanier County:
What school consolidation would get us is more of that.
Not white flight, rather bright flight, to Lanier and other counties.
Many of the leaders of the local African-American community already
don't live in Valdosta; they live in Lowndes County or even Berrien County.
More of both black and white people will move out of a county
with a consolidated school district, resulting in lower educational
results not just for Valdosta but also for Lowndes schools.
Is that what we want?
How about all the people who claim they know how to take our schools
to "the next level" get on with doing that right now with the two
existing school systems?
Black and white, young and old, conservative and liberal,
college professors and unemployed:
dozens of them demonstrated against biomass
outside the Valdosta City Council meeting, 24 March 2011:
Valdosta Technical College (which is now Wiregrass Georgia Technical
College) earned the honor as being the fastest-growing college in the
nation among colleges with enrollments of equal size.
Its size range is
enrollments 2,500 to 4,999
(see page 8.)
Enrollment went up at Wiregrass Tech 45% between Fall 2008 and 2009.
Dr. Cristóbal Serrán-Pagán y Fuentes reminds us we don't need a biomass plant
because:
We have plenty of sunshine here.
You'd think the Valdosta City Council would know that, since
only about a month ago
Mayor Fretti assisted groundbreaking for Wiregrass Solar LLC.
Maybe it takes somebody from Spain to remind everyone.
Spain, which is a leader in solar power in the world.
Spain, which is actually north of Georgia.
Protesters outside the
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Dr. George gets to the point!
After talking to several Valdosta City Council members, he has
observed that people make up their minds regardless of evidence.
So he wants to know:
What evidence would you need to see to conclude this is a bad idea?
Dr. George also gets at something even deeper that Council might
consider a wakeup call:
The public outcry about this across the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal.
People against the biomass plant are not just black or white
or young or old or conservative or liberal or college professors
or unemployed: they are all of those things.
The intransigence of elected and appointed officials is causing
citizens to stand up and be heard on this and other issues around
the county.
This issue is serving as a catalyst for people to demand
more transparent and responsive government.
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
The Chair, Leroy Butler, named them in this order:
Rusty Griffin (Vice-Chair), George Bennett,
Tom Kurrie,
Walter Hobgood,
Johnny Ball,
Jack Edwards,
Jud Rackley,
Gene Godfrey,
and "last but certainly not least"
Ruth Council.
(Not named but listed
on CUEE's website are
David Durland,
Terry Hunt,
and Ronnie Mathis.)
As I told Rusty Griffin, I congratulate CUEE on holding public meetings
about their plans.
Kick-off meeting, 24 March 2011,
Community Unification for Educational Excellence, Inc., CUEE,
They're for consolidation of the Valdosta and Lowndes County School Systems.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Here's the question:
How many of the current CUEE board are from the county
outside of Valdosta?
the blog of LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange
...a new study just published in the journal Energy Policy states that the world can provide for all of its energy needs, including electric power, transportation, heating/cooling, etc using only wind, water, and solar (WWS) energy by the year 2030.
Recent Comments