Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:41:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: carole henry
Subject: graybeals climate lobby post/Ash waste
We all, as individuals, can do a lot to lower our own carbon footprint. However I am a bit leary of joining with Rep. Ellmers. Did you know she has co-sponsored a bill that will prohibit states from requiring labeling of GMO foods and would prohibit states that already have laws requiring labeling of GMO foods, from implementing their laws? They call this bill the Monsanto dream bill.
To me this shows more concern for big Biz and less for peoples right to know what they are eating. I would look more carefully into this and what it really means to the public. The big companies do not want you to use less. Called profits which = $.
Lowering our own carbon footprints can be as simple as going the speed limit. As lights are becoming the norm on country roads, it has amazed me that the car/truck that has passed me by going ten mph or more over the speed limit is at the stoplight as I catch up with him. All those dollars for gasoline just floating up into the hands of the oil companies. I discovered this savings when they first opened up the 64 bypass in Pittsboro. I joined all the others were hitting the 65mph mark when they got on the new four lane 64 bypass. I also found I was using twice as much gas. Back then it was not as big a money cruncher as it is now. I could not believe that just 15 mph more would use that much. I started to follow the speed limit of 55 again and my gas consumption went back to normal. Then one time coming back from Greensboro on Rt 421, going the speed limit a produce box truck swept passed me. When I got on rt 64 and stopped at the light by burger king, there was the same truck stopped in front of me. I was amazed and started looking at vehicles passing me on 421 when I was going to Sanford at the time where I was teaching. Lo, sure enough I caught them at the first or second or third light if they were staying on 421 through Sanford. I learned that speed usually will not get you there any sooner and will waste gas as well as worrying about a ticket. So when I am late I still drive conservatively as speeding will not help when the light turns red. That is one of the ways I lowered my carbon footprint and saved money.
As to the toxic coal ash waste dumps for Chatham and Lee counties. Did you know that there will be 20 million gallons of coal ash waste that is highly toxic dumped in Lee and Chatham counties. Did you know that the Dner will be giving a go ahead to a company called Duke Energy, who for years has shown it is incapable of storing its own toxic coal ash on its own sites safely, to dump it in Chatham and Lee counties. They say they will dump it in old mines and remove the water that is in the old mines now and put a ‘plastic’ liner under it…….has anyone thought of why the water is in the old mines in the first place. Because the mine cut through the water table. Our water will be in jeopardy. The time to act to protect our water resources is now, not when it has been laced with toxic metals from the toxic coal ash.. When that happens you can not use it to drink, clean yourself or use it for watering your stock. It will be toxic. That means it will make you sick. When a property has been opened up for receiving toxic waste it is easier for more toxic waste of different kinds to be dumped on our county. They can say, well it already has toxic waste there why not other toxic waste………
Duke energy should be required to be more efficient and not produce so much waste and to store it on site. Or better yet have the requirement that all waste Duke E produces should go into Duke Energy’s board members back yards. I think they would be more willing to spend the money to have a more efficient plant. Also another question is will all this coal ash be coming from only N.C. plants or from Duke Energy plants in other states as well? I notice that there are so many ‘feeling good’ ads from Duke Energy. The big Biz seem to do this when they need to get the attention onto something else.