"Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, [Washington, DC's] nonvoting member of Congress, said she's been fighting against the power plant since taking office nearly two decades ago.
"'It has poisoned untold numbers of people who live in the District of Columbia,' she said.
"Norton and others at the rally said they were encouraged by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who last week called for converting the plant entirely to natural gas in a letter to the Architect of the Capitol, which oversees the maintenance and operation of the Capitol Complex.
"The protest on energy and climate came as Washington began digging out from its largest snowfall of the season. Organizers noted that climate change causes more extreme weather, and they said the issue is important enough that people were willing to brave the cold." "Capitol Power Plant: A Symbolic Clean Energy Hurdle"
"... I live five subway stops from the U.S. Capitol. My home is right here. There's nothing symbolic -- for me -- about trying to keep the tidal Potomac River out of my living room and off the National Mall where my son takes school trips. There's nothing symbolic about fighting for homeowner's insurance in a region where Allstate and other insurers have already begun to pull out due to bigger Atlantic hurricanes. And what's vague about the local plant species like deadnettles and Bluebells that now bloom four to six weeks earlier in D.C.-area gardens thanks to dramatic warming.
"For citizens like me who live amid the symbolic trappings of D.C., we stand as proof that climate change is everywhere, right now, and no one is immune, not even the citizens and leaders of the world's most powerful city." "See you in jail: It's not symbolism when you live in D.C. - Why I'm joining 2,000 people for a global warming mass arrest on Monday"
"'Next-generation coal is going to need to continue to be part of our energy future for this country,' said GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, chairman of the National Governors Association.
"'It is abundant, it is available, it is Americanized in the sense that we control the supply,' he said Saturday. 'We would be incomplete and doing a disservice to the debate and the ultimate policy direction that we're going to take if we don't envision coal being part of that.'
"Next-generation coal typically refers to capturing and somehow sequestering or storing the carbon that coal produces. It also envisions reducing or eliminating emissions as coal is burned." "Governors: Coal must be part of energy debate"
"The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) advocates public policies that advance environmental improvement, economic prosperity, and energy security. ACCCE believes that the robust utilization of coal – America’s most abundant energy resource – is essential to providing affordable, reliable electricity for millions of U.S. consumers and a growing domestic economy. Further, ACCCE is committed to continued and enhanced U.S. leadership in developing and deploying new, advanced clean coal technologies that protect and improve the environment.
"Coal provides half of our electricity and must continue to be part of our balanced energy mix." American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity
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