Dan Olson and San Juan Citizens Alliance are right to be mad (Thinking Green, Herald, May 15). And while their voices might not yet have been heard on the issues surrounding the future of the Four Corners Power Plant complex, there is still hope for combatting the rampant pollution and environmental degradation that comes from power plants.
In June, the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to propose limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants. This is a huge deal – power plants are the largest source of carbon pollution in the county but face no federal limits on carbon as they do for soot, smog and other dangerous air pollutants.
When these rules go into effect, the FCPP will have no choice but to clean up its act and start emitting less carbon. Perhaps it might not be the victory the Olson and the SJCA originally wanted, but it moves us in the right direction and adds to the growing momentum for cleaner, more responsible energy.
This isn’t the only action we need to solve the climate crises. But it’s a big step that will mean we are closer to protecting the planet for both our current and future generations – and taking one step at a time is the only way to move forward.
Ben Kinzel
Denver
