Green Leaf Report

TXU has received more support in their desire to build 11 new coal plants in Texas from draft permits issued by the Texas environmental agency. When did our environmental agency become a rubber-stamp agency for big business?  Or was it ever anything else? I know Texas has always prided itself on being business friendly; we’re a strong republican state where people made fortunes in oil and our governers have presidential aspirations.  But at some point we need to start balancing our desire for big money with common sense and respect for our land and coasts.  Coal plants are very polluting, and we have better energy-producing technologies available.  It’s time to use it! 

It appears our next steps are legal challenges and, hopefully, some support from the US environmental agencies.  I’ve always been such a proponent of states’ rights, but in this case our state’s bad choices will affect the rest of the country.  These pollutants are impacting the global climate; it’s time to stop chasing profit now and letting someone else deal with the mess later.