[NukeNet] Newsletters?

[Mark Haim]

Hello Nukenet friends,

Our organization, Missourians for Safe Energy, has recently started to post
a once monthly e-newsletter to our growing list, currently numbering about
750. I would be interested in seeing newsletters that other groups around
the country are putting out, either posted to this list, or to me directly.

Our eventual goal is to get our website revamped--we have a volunteer
working on it, albeit slowly--and then make the newsletter in part e-mail,
in part web-based. Articles would start in the e-mail, but to read the whole
piece one would need to click on a link and go to the website. We hope to
have this system in place w/in a couple of months. In the meantime, the
e-newsletter is somewhat long, but I'm posting it below FYI. Any feedback
would be welcome, as would seeing what other groups around the country are
doing with theirs.

All the best,
Mark Haim
For Missourians for Safe Energy



-----Original Message-----
From: Missourians for Safe Energy [mailto:mail at mosafeenergy.org]
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2008 10:06 PM
To: MSE Mid-Mo List
Subject: Safe Energy News--Events, Nuke Costs Soar, Renewable Energy
Initiative, Coal Plant Cancelled, Solar Everyone Can Afford & More
Importance: High


Safe Energy News—March 2008


Hello friends,



With oil hovering in the range of $100-110 a barrel, and gasoline at the
pump more than $3 a gallon and rising, energy is on everyone’s mind. We in
Missourians for Safe Energy are doing our best to bring home a message that
the fastest and most affordable route to avoiding both catastrophic climate
change and energy supply disruptions is to become far more efficient and to
rapidly switch to renewable sources.



A carbon-free and nuclear-free future is possible, but it will take lots of
work on our part. We hope you will read on, learn more and get more involved
in our work. Always feel free to contact us at mail at mosafeenergy.org or at
573-875-0539 to get more information or to volunteer to work with us.



Your friends at MSE





THIS MONTH’S ISSUE INCLUDES:



1)  Upcoming Events.

2)  MSE Seeks Speaking Engagements.

3)  AmerenUE Update—Nuclear Costs Soar.

4)  Renew Missouri’s Renewable Energy Initiative.

5)  Norborne Coal Plant a No-Go—What’s Next for Associated?

6)  Millions Using Solar Energy—Millions More Can.

7)  Wal-Mart Goes Solar.

8)  Survey Revisited? Give us Feedback. Forward this Newsletter.



UPCOMING HERE IN MID-MISSOURI:



Saturday, March 29:  Our friends in the Columbia Climate Change Coalition
(CCCC) have asked us to pass on an invitation to participate in Earth Hour a
global movement to raise awareness about the need to address climate change.
At 8 p.m. on the evening of March 29, people are being asked to turn off
their lights for one hour. This symbolic effort has the potential for being
a good awareness raiser, although energy efficiency, rather than abstinence
from the use of electricity, should be the take home message. For more info
please see: www.earthhour.org



Tuesday, April 1:  MSE’s monthly business meeting will be held 7:15 p.m. at
the Peace Nook. All interested in getting involved in our work are welcome.



Wednesday, April 2:  “Climate of Hope”  MSE will be screening this
Australian documentary covering climate change, nuclear power and
sustainable energy alternatives starting at 7 p.m. in the Friends Room of
the Columbia Pubic Library. This event will be co-sponsored by the CCCC.
There will be a response panel made up of MU Environmental Studies Director
Jan Weaver and MSE co-founder Mark Haim. All are invited to arrive between
6:30-7 p.m. for light refreshments and conversation.



Sunday, April 20:  Earth Day in downtown Columbia. All are encouraged to
attend the Festival, which runs from 12 noon to 7 p.m. in Peace Park and on
the adjacent streets. More info on the Festival and access to volunteering
at www.columbiaearthday.org.  MSE will have a booth at the Earth Day
Festival on the south side of Elm between 7th and 8th Streets. We invite you
to come by and visit or to get more involved and help us staff the booth.
(The rain date for Earth Day is Sunday, April 27.)



Wednesday, April 30:  MSE and CCCC will be screening the documentary
“Kilowatt Ours.” Details to be announced. Save the date.



Tuesday, May 6:  MSE’s monthly business meeting will be held 7:15 p.m. at
the Peace Nook.



Note:  If you know of energy/sustainability events please post us and we’ll
include these on future calendars.





INVITE OUR SPEAKERS:



MSE would be happy to have one of our speakers come to your club, class,
house of worship or organization to discuss energy issues and options. An
informed public is a prerequisite to the adoption of sound energy policies.
If you’d like to have a speaker, please contact us at mail at mosafeenergy.org
or 573-875-0539.





AMEREN UPDATE—NUCLEAR COSTS SOAR—UTILITIES PUSH FOR TAXPAYER FUNDING:



AmerenUE appears to still be headed down the misdirected path of ordering a
new 1,600 MW nuclear plant to be built on its Callaway County site. In fact
we have heard recently that they plan to apply this June to the Missouri
Pubic Service Commission for a certificate of necessity authorizing them to
invest in this undertaking.



In point of fact, a new nuclear plant is not needed. Sufficient investment
in efficiency and renewables would assure Ameren’s customers needs would be
met cost effectively and safely.



We have yet to see Ameren’s cost projections for a new Callaway nuke. But
across the country projected nuclear costs—even from utilities proposing to
build the plants—are going through the roof.



As we previously reported, in October 2007 Moody’s Investors Service
estimated that a large, new nuke, of the kind Ameren is talking about
building in Callaway County would cost between $5-6 per watt of capacity, or
$8 billion and $9.6 billion in total. This was a dramatic leap from the
$1.50-2.00 per watt that industry sources were citing just a few short years
ago. (For details on these escalating cost estimates see Nuclear Engineering
International  http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2047917)



It now appears that even Moody’s numbers may be underestimates. In
proceedings before the Florida Public Service Commission, Florida Power &
Light presented estimates for two new nukes at their aptly named Turkey
Point plant site. Nucleonics Week, another industry trade journal, reports
in their Feb. 21, 2008 issue that FP&L is estimating that two large, 1,560
MW plants could cost between $16.5 and $24.3 billion. This translates to
$5.29-7.79 per watt. And these numbers are coming from the utility that
wants to build the plants. (See: http://www.nukefree.org/node/154)



Wall St. wisely deems new nuclear plants as too risky an investment, so the
utilities are again pushing Congress to authorize taxpayer funded loan
guarantees to facilitate a new generation of nuclear dinosaurs. Last fall
$18.5 billion in such loan guarantees were authorized, but Dow Jones is
reporting that NRC Commissioner Gregory Jaczko is calling for an incredible
$500 billion in new loan guarantees, saying that the authorized loans would
only cover two or three new reactors. (See:
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200803101249DOWJONESDJON
LINE000493_FORTUNE5.htm)



It is essential that we in the safe, sustainable energy community do all we
can to make our neighbors aware of just how costly a new nuke in Callaway
County is likely to be. Moreover, we need to show people how much more
energy we can get, more quickly through efficiency and renewables. Time is
of the essence, so please join our efforts.



For more info, please see excellent nuclear cost analysis from Arjun
Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
at:

http://www.ieer.org/sdafiles/15-2.pdf





RENEW MISSOURI WORKS TO PUT RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD ON THE NOVEMBER
BALLOT:



In early March activists with Renew Missouri began collecting signatures on
an initiative petition aimed at establishing a Renewable Energy Standard
(RES) for Missouri’s investor owned electric utilities. The proposal,
similar to one Columbia voters embraced overwhelmingly (78 percent “yes”) in
November 2004, would require a phased-in increase in renewably sourced
electricity culminating in at least 15 percent coming from clean sources by
2021. The proposal safeguards consumers by requiring no more than a one
percent increase in rates to cover any incremental costs of renewably
sourced power.



As certified by the Secretary of State the ballot language for this
proposition reads: “Shall Missouri law be amended to require investor-owned
electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy
sources such as solar, wind, biomass and hydropower with the renewable
energy sources equaling at least 2% of retail sales by 2011 increasing
incrementally to at least 15% by 2021, including at least 2% from solar
energy; and restricting to no more than 1% any rate increase to consumers
for this renewable energy?”



Organizers have until May 4 to collect approximately 130,000 signatures.
They are currently seeking more volunteers to collect signatures. Signature
collection is being focused in the St. Louis and Kansas City metros,
Columbia and other parts of the 9th Congressional District and Springfield,
Joplin and other parts of the 7th Congressional District. If organizers meet
their goal, the issue would then be put before the voters on the November
2008 state ballot and would be voted on statewide.



More information at:  www.renewmo.org





GOOD NEWS—NORBORNE COAL PLANT ON HOLD; WHAT’S NEXT?



Environmentalists had reason to celebrate on March 3 when the surprising
news broke: Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI) was shelving plans
for their proposed 700 MW coal fired power plant near Norborne in west
central Missouri. The plant was an ill conceived venture that would have
locked in five decades of greenhouse gas production and air pollution.



The utility cited rising costs—the estimated price of the plant had risen
from $1 billion, to $1.7 billion—and regulatory uncertainties regarding CO2
emissions. It also appears that financing was a problem, as many big banks
are now unwilling to finance coal fired plants unless there is carbon
sequestration, a technology that is not yet fully developed.



Sustainable energy advocates, including MSE, had been urging AECI to invest
in efficiency and renewables instead of the Norborne plant. AECI is actually
a leader in wind investment and should be commended for moving forward on
this front.



What they will do now, however, is somewhat in question. While Sierra Club
in their news release applauding the AECI decision stated, “Associated
Electric will pursue wind, energy efficiency and clean-burning natural gas
instead,” the utility’s actual plans are not quite that clear. In fact Nancy
Southworth, a spokeswoman for AECI, told the Kansas City Star “We are
looking at gas, energy efficiency, renewables, and we will look at nuclear.
All of those are part of the mix.”



Rumor has it that AECI might be interested in buying a share of the power
from the new nuclear unit that AmerenUE is talking about building in
Callaway County. So, while we celebrate the demise of the Norborne plant, we
need to redouble efforts to convince AECI to pursue the truly clean,
sustainable path to a workable, affordable energy future.



For more info please see: www.mocleanenergy.org and

http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/515781.html





VERY AFFORDABLE SOLAR ENERGY:



Many people think that they’d love to use solar energy, but can’t afford the
cost of installing solar panels or collectors. Well, there’s one solar
appliance that virtually all of us can afford, and using it would save us a
bundle. Unfortunately, in some places it’s illegal.



Solar clothes dryers have been used for centuries, so no technological
breakthroughs are required. Clothesline and clothespins are cheap, and the
energy savings can be huge.



According to a recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, the average
household drying their clothes with an electric dryer will use 1,079
kilowatt hours of electricity annually. The Rocky Mountain Institute cites
the figure 970 kWh per year. U.S. Dept. of Energy figures indicate that the
average household uses 11,040 kWh per year. So clothes drying, for those
using electric dryers, amounts to approximately 9-10 percent of residential
electric use, a very significant slice of the pie. Those who use gas dryers
consume somewhat less energy, but still could reduce their costs and
environmental impact by switching to solar drying.



The yearly greenhouse gas emissions for a single household’s electric drying
are estimated to be 2,224 pounds of CO2. And the annual out of pocket cost
of this power to the consumer is nearly $100.



While many of the changes MSE advocates involve simple technical fixes—doing
the same thing more efficiently and thus using less energy—solar drying does
involve a modest lifestyle change. It takes a little longer to hang clothes
out to dry, and some planning and paying attention to the weather come into
play.  But getting outside, in nature to hang up the laundry is a healthy
activity and can be an enjoyable break from frantic pace of modern life.
Natural drying also extends the life of clothes and saves money this way
too.



Some who use outdoor clotheslines also use indoor drying racks that can be
set up in times of adverse weather. Indoor drying in the winter can add
needed moisture to dry indoor air.



One obstacle to the use of solar drying is the shortsighted aesthetic
objection that some have to seeing others’ clothes on the line. This has
been codified in legally binding neighborhood association covenants that are
estimated to restrict or eliminate the “right to dry” for upwards of 60
million Americans.



Fighting these restrictions and encouraging people to take advantage of the
benefits of solar drying are groups like Project Laundry List
(www.laundrylist.org). They do public education and help folks around the
country fighting drying restrictions. PLL is currently conducting a “Million
Solar Dryers” campaign urging folks to take a pledge to air dry their
clothes at least 80 percent of the time. They are asking for pledges by
April 15. See: http://www.laundrylist.org/advocacy/solardryers.htm.



Each year  the PLL sponsors a National Hanging Out Day on April 19 to raise
awareness about the benefits of natural clothes drying and protest
restrictions. More info available at:
http://www.laundrylist.org/education/NHOD.htm.



Anyone interested in organizing a local Hanging Out Day is encouraged to
contact MSE at mail at mosafeenergy.org or by calling us at 573-875-0539.



More info on the issue of solar drying bans at:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/03/13/clothesline_rul
e_creates_flap/

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/02clotheslinect.
html?_r=1&ref=nyregionspecial2&oref=slogin

More info on energy savings at:

https://www.rmi.org/images/other/HEBs/E04-16_HEB6_CleanApps.pdf





EVEN WAL-MART IS GETTING IN ON RENEWABLES:



As it becomes ever more obvious that renewables are the way to go, it is not
just forward thinking, politically liberal firms like Google that are taking
steps to green their act and reduce their environmental footprint. Even
companies like Wal-Mart, which generally has an anti-labor track record and
has in many ways adversely affected local economies, have taken steps in the
direction of going green.



Wal-Mart has announced a long range goal of going 100 percent renewable and
plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next eight
years.



Working with BP Solar, Wal-Mart is now installing solar photovoltaic systems
on some of their stores. In a recent news release BP announced:



“Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and BP Solar today announced the completion of a
591.6 kilowatt (kW) solar power system at the Sam’s Club in Palm Desert and
the plans for a 605.88 kW solar system at the Wal-Mart store in Palm
Springs. The systems will provide up to 30 percent of the power for each
store.



“These two stores are part of Wal-Mart’s major purchase of solar power from
BP Solar and other solar power providers for approximately 22 Wal-Mart
stores, Sam’s Clubs and distribution centers in Hawaii and California. The
stores included in the project are expected to achieve immediate savings
over their current utility rates upon day one of operation.”  See more at:
http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9019567&contentId=7040696



Wal-Mart summarizes their efforts to promote sustainability at:

http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=217



We still have problems with Wal-Mart and their business model. The volume of
their solar panel purchases, however, is part of what is needed to allow the
industry to scale up, bring costs down and make solar electricity an
affordable alternative for all. Lest we be seen as apologists for this
corporate behemoth, we would also suggest you check out:

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/facts/

www.walmartmovie.com

http://walmartwatch.com





DID YOU ANSWER OUR SURVEY?



Last month’s issue of Safe Energy News included a survey asking readers
about areas of energy activism they might wish to participate in or other
ways they might help in our work for a safe, sustainable energy future. If
you didn’t answer the survey then, it’s not too late. Just post us at
mail at mosafeenergy.org and put “Send Survey” in the subject line. We’ll send
you a copy you can post back to us. Many thanks to all who replied.



WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THIS NEWSLETTER? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE MSE TO
DO?



We really welcome the feedback and the participation of all who are reading
this. Please write us at mail at mosafeenergy.org to share your ideas. Your
active participation in our work is, of course, invited and encouraged, not
to mention needed.



FORWARD THIS INFO:



We also encourage you to share this e-newsletter with friends who you think
might be interested. Anyone can subscribe just by sending us an e-mail
asking to be added to the list and telling us where they live.





Missourians for Safe Energy
804-C E. Broadway
Columbia, MO 65201
573-875-0539

E-mail: mail at mosafeenergy.org
Web site: www.mosafeenergy.org


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