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Zephyr Teachout on Energy & Oil
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Sun, solar and wind, not fracking
Downtown progressive Democratic club members were having a hard time finding reasons why they should support re-electing Governor Andrew Cuomo to another term. More to the point, there were too many reasons not to back him, they felt, such as his
indecision on hydrofracking, just to name a few.Zephyr Teachout hammered Cuomo on fracking, saying she hopes that during the campaign he will "feel pressure" to announce a ban on the hotly debated drilling technique.
The governor, she declared, should "commit to protecting our state from poison, and commit to sustainable energy--sun, solar and wind--that would not only create a sustainable state, but also create jobs.
"It is embarrassing that New York is not
leading on this," she said of sustainable energy. "It is the governor and his interest in himself and his big donors that is keeping us from doing that."
[A Democratic club member noted] we still don't know where Cuomo will come down on fracking.
Source: The Villager on 2014 New York Governor race
, Jul 10, 2014
Reduce carbon emissions& adopt clean sources of energy
The first challenge is to reduce carbon emissions. The cheapest, fastest, and most productive way to do this is to use less carbon. We can do this is on a large-scale by adopting a public works project to retrofit and reinsulate commercial & residential
buildings across the state. Some of the biggest emitters of carbon in New York City, for example, are old edifices like the Chrysler building, whose aged and leaky infrastructure means it uses far more energy than need be. The second task is to adopt
clean sources of energy. At the moment our system is rigged towards fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas. An intricate system of public subsidies keeps dirty sources of energy artificially cheap, which means that companies and individuals will keep
relying on them. We must revamp these incentives to promote renewable sources: solar, wind, and hydro. California, for example, has changed its policies so that it is now cheaper to buy solar energy in the state than it is to buy coal.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
, Jul 2, 2014
Ban fracking; it contaminates our groundwater
We should ban fracking, clear and simple. Officially known as "hydraulic fracturing," fracking is a method of drilling for natural gas that risks contaminating our groundwater and endangering our environment with chemicals and radioactive elements.
Governor Cuomo has embarked on a lengthy and much-delayed process to study whether fracking can be conducted safely. But the Governor's approach misses a key point: even if it were deemed safe, fracking would take us in the exact opposite direction
from where we need to go. It would dramatically lower the price of natural gas and ensure that companies keep opting for fossil fuels over clean sources of energy.There is no time for half-measures. We can promote clean energy and invigorate
the economy simultaneously. Arguments implying there is an intractable trade-off between the two are designed to favor the incumbent companies that benefit from an economy centered around fossil fuels. We must do far more.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
, Jul 2, 2014
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