In the wake of all that has happened today, what I am about to share with you may seem like a minor issue. However, there are so many far reaching implications to this information that it could seal the deal for a McCain Presidency.
According to Reuters New Service, Al Gore, in an interview today, urged young people to engage in civil disobedience to stop the construction of coal plants without the ability to store carbon. The only problem, there are no commercial scale projects that exist anywhere to demonstrate that type of technology.
According to the government, there are 28 coal plants under construction in the United States. Another 20 projects have permits and are nearly ready to begin building. This also does not include the plant which I blogged about yesterday in West Virginia. That plant will turn coal into liquid and ultimately into a gas substitute.
Why should Al Gore's statement have any relevance on the Presidential election? Well, if you add his "civil disobedience" statement to the statement made by Joe Biden yesterday saying he and Barack Obama do not support any coal plants here in American, there emerges a pattern.
On June 20, 2008 Harry Reid stated, ""The one thing we fail to talk about is those costs that you don't see on the bottom line. That is coal makes us sick, oil makes us sick; it's global warming. It's ruining our country, it’s ruining our world. We’ve got to stop using fossil fuel.” All while, Nancy Pelosi is "trying to save the planet."
Coal is a vital part of our energy future and redefining our independence from foreign oil. However, I do not wish to jump into the impact on our energy policy in this blog. What I do wish to look at is the coal industry and it's direct impact on this election.
Nearly one million jobs are directly and indirectly created by the coal industry. Most, but not all, of these jobs are found in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky. This industry is absolutely crucial to the economy of these states. In West Virginia, 99% of all electricity generated comes from coal and $214 billion is added to the state's economy.
For the Democrats, and specifically the Democrat Leadership, to take on the coal industry is to put this election in the hands of John McCain. Eastern Ohio, Western Pennsylvania will be the key to winning both of these states. If you directly challenge the blue-collar workers in these areas and their livelihoods, you will push this mostly democrat population into the hands of the Republicans.
Check mate.......the game will be over.
Posted by Stacy at 9:40 PM 5 comments
Labels: Al Gore, civil disobedience, coal industry, Harry Reid, Joe Biden, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi, no coal plants in America, Ohio, Pennsylvania
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