2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Portland General Electric’s Boardman plant should shut down before 2020. It’s time to transition from coal to clean energy technologies, which can provide Oregon citizens with good jobs.  Continuing to burn coal at Boardman contributes to global warming, with the plant responsible for about 8% of all Oregon greenhouse gas emissions alone.  The burning of coal at the plant emits mercury, among other pollutants.  Mercury, once in the environment, never disappears.  Instead, it becomes concentrated as it moves up the food chain.  Along with other states, Oregon has issued warnings against eating fish caught in our rivers and lakes.  Portland General Electric should do the right thing and close the Boardman plant by 2014.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
view in context