The Venice Neighborhood Council to urge that all the power generated in our community be converted to green renewable sources by the year 2018.
But the real power in Venice is wielded by the Los Angeles City Council.
On Saturday, the City Council will hold a hearing on the LADWP's draft 20-year energy plan for the city. The plan keeps coal as a major source of our electrical power generation, and it doesn't do enough to promote renewable energy.
Most Venice residents don’t know that just about 40 percent of the city’s electricity is generated by burning coal, a major source of carbon dioxide emissions that produce climate change.
The coal is burned out of state, so Angelenos often don't think about it, but coal is the dirtiest form of fossil fuel, producing not only CO2, but also sulfur dioxide and the mercury that is .
If you are concerned about the hidden cost of coal and prefer that our city invests more in clean power generation, you should take the trip downtown to City Hall on Saturday. A rally for clean energy starts at 8:30 a.m. The hearing begins a half hour later and is scheduled to last a couple of hours.
Remember: LADWP is publicly owned. What we want matters, so make your voice heard.
Yes, I know it’s tough to leave Venice on a beautiful late spring weekend, but remember that the reason we can breathe in L.A. without having our eyes burn in the summer is due to anti-pollution steps taken with automobiles years ago.
It’s time to take another step forward and cut coal from our energy diet.
