by Bryson Nitta
Hello! My name is Bryson Nitta, and I’m a new intern at Earth Ministry. Over the next few months, I’ll be working on EM’s Beyond Coal campaign.
It seems reasonable to ask, “why go beyond coal at all?” It’s true that coal is a marvelous resource: millions of years of sunlight and organic matter compressed and refined into dark, energy-rich stone. It’s cheap, efficient, and plentiful.
But as you may know, coal is also dangerous. When mined, it leaves behind dangerous waste; when refined, it produces toxic slurry; and when finally burned for energy, it sends tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, significantly contributing to global climate change.
As a person of faith, I oppose the use of coal because of its human, economic, and environmental costs. It is a misuse of our planet’s resources, especially when there are so many better and cleaner energy alternatives.
If you’re interested in learning more about coal, please join Earth Ministry/WA Interfaith Power and Light and our partner at our Beyond Coal Town Halls taking place this month:
Seattle, April 18th, 7pm
Olympic View Church of the Brethren
425 NE 95th St, Seattle, WA
Redmond, April 19, 7pm
The Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center
16600 NE 80th St, Redmond, WA
Bainbridge Island, April 20, 7pm
IslandWood
4450 Blakely Ave NE, Bainbridge Island, WA
Vancouver, April 21, 7pm
Water Resources Education Center
4600 SE Columbia Way, Vancouver, WA
1 comment:
I'm so pleased to see more organizations on the west coast taking notice of the horrible practice of mountain top removal mining, and coal in general. I can't attend the town meetings, but wish you large crowds with lots of interest in ending our dependence on coal. May we move to greener, sustainable energy!
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