Rixmann lauded a coal-fired power plant in Colorado that was retrofitted recently, touting it as a model for Oklahoma. My research shows that Colorado Springs City Council members were vehemently opposed to spending an additional $121 million on top of tens of millions already invested in retrofits for the plant. The council was particularly opposed […]
energy
Don’t believe the rhetoric
As we draw near to a decision on a presidential permit to build the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the rhetoric by our opponents trying to make the project a referendum on oil sands development is becoming more shrill and even less factual. These activists would have you believe that a Keystone XL approval means game […]
No time for pipeline
A major concern is the huge contribution tar sands oil is projected to make to global warming and climate change. Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that the primary cause of atmospheric warming is the rising level of greenhouse gases, including CO2 methane and others. NASAs leading climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, has called the […]
No more stalling the Keystone XL
After almost 1,700 days, the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline remains in regulatory purgatory. Those of us who believe it will bring jobs and an economic boost have a new poster child: Cash Western Store. Mr. Berry echoed those sentiments when I visited his store a few weeks ago. The proposed pipeline, which […]
Still stealing land
However, this expansion project symbolizes that we are at a standstill, stuck in our habits and ways. Regarding jobs, it is debatable whether the KXL Pipeline will create any lasting jobs. Cornell University has reported that it could destroy more jobs than it creates in the long-term. Regarding energy independence, this pipeline serves to export […]
No comment
Chesapeake Energy campus Credit: Mark Hancock Despite being a vocal critic in 2005 of Chinas efforts to buy the American oil company Unocal, he has declined comment regarding Chesapeake Energys recent $1.02 billion joint venture with a Chinese oil company for part of Chesapeakes holdings in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas acreage in the […]
ASK and tell
The U ASK Initiative, set into motion by Temur Akhmedov, business development director at Engineered Systems & Energy Solutions, Inc., requires participants to attend one official meeting in their respective town, ask a pre-selected question and email the response to initiative organizers. The meeting in question could be the city council, school board, PTA or […]
Get off of coal
In addition to the many immediate public health risks associated with coal-fired energy plants, the immense scale of environmental damage caused by modern mining practices should be regarded in sheer horror. For the workers, exposure to coal dust and other hazards is the cause of numerous life-threatening and long-term health problems. The high volume of […]
Bashing coal
Colorado Springs, Colo., is a beautiful city. It has been declared one of the top 20 cleanest cities in the U.S. by various organizations, not the least of which is the American Lung Association. A city that is more susceptible/sensitive to said pollutants of coal because of its altitude burns coal for power. Wait … […]
Piping up
Stefan Warner Credit: Mark Hancock Before dawn on Feb. 11 in the Seminole County town of Schoolton, Stefan Warner, youth pastor at Church of the Open Arms in Oklahoma City, suspended himself high above the ground to construction machinery used to build the Keystone XL pipeline. I ascended a side boom and attached a platform […]
