Kudos to Tux Turkel for his fine, perceptive article, “Boomers Really Are OK” (MST Dec. 29, 2019). Turkel argues that today’s true enemies of climate action are not his own generation but the multi-national fossil fuel interests and their climate-destroying allies in business and our national government.

Case in point is Texas-based Calpine that admits it is bankrolling the fight against lower cost, cleaner electricity so it may keep generating higher cost, climate-destroying energy. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Calpine’s natural gas-fueled plant in Westbrook emits some 562,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide yearly, and even more if demand increases.

Among Maine’s biggest air polluters, Calpine opposes the New England Clean Energy Connect project because NECEC will drive down electricity prices, reducing Calpine’s profits.

Calpine has formed a political action committee to deliver dirty money to the campaign to defeat NECEC; and ecology-minded opponents are taking it! The only thing worse than failing to act today on climate change is to promote the long-term interests of carbon-emitting generators.

As Tux Turkel warns, today’s fossil fuel interests are applying what they learned from their anti-environment battles of the 1970s – avoid transparency, bankroll local opponents and spread lies and half-truths. Having killed the Northern Pass project in New Hampshire, they are now determined to defeat NECEC in Maine.

The facts could not be clearer. NECEC will benefit all who live and breath in Maine. Calpine and its like don’t want Mainers to know that.

Richard Barringer

Portland

Related Headlines


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: