Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Global warming

I wonder if anybody thinks the decision to reject the big coal-fired power plant in Western Kansas was good politics?

Rod Bremby, the state's secretary of health and environment, denied a permit for Sunflower Energy based on the carbon emissions that harm people's health and contribute to global warming. This was apparently the first time a plant has been rejected for these reasons and all of a sudden makes Kansas a leader in environmental protection. Gov. Sebelius's stance against the plant no doubt influencd Bremby's decion and I'm sure her inbox is full of thanks for health and environment interests groups.

But Kansas is more wheat colored and than green. It was a bold decision but will it cost Sebelius more than she will gain? I tend to think so. I get the feeling that Kansans are more influenced by the $3.6 billion project's economic benefit than by striking a blow against global warning on the dusty, wide open plans of Western Kansas. Certainly the Republicans are fired up. Even moderate Republicans, who form a coalition that helps Sebelius get things passed, seem to be on the other side of this debate.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great to hear your thoughts on this, i am very much opposed to the building of energy sorces that distroy the enviroment, we ourselves are victim of a oil refinery that has poluted the ground to the unuseable point to the west of the city, arkansas city has its very own superfund site that has for the next 800 years left the land unuseable.
to give another example, total refinery now known as Valero, has left another dead zone, it is often large company's that use politics to escape clean up of contaminated land where they once made millions if not billions of dollars, facts are that as long as there is some kind of active business at the valero site ground contamination can be left to leach into our rivers and streams.
I think being a leader in enviroment concerns is something to be proud of,,, Kudos for Kansas!!