Sierra Club, ACUA Gather For Renewable Energy
Dozens of cyclists made their way from Ocean City to Atlantic City to support renewable energy.
Across the bay from the B.L. England Generating Station, at a dock on Tennessee Avenue in Ocean City, members of the Sierra Club, concerned residents and represententatives from the Atlantic County Utilities Authority gathered on Saturday morning for a "Roll Beyond Coal" 15-mile bike ride.
The ride started across from the plant, and the bicyclists ended their ride by the wind turbines in Atlantic City, symbolically moving from the energy source the club considers outdated to a new energy source, windmills.
"Nature is just being decimated," said Sierra Club member Georgiana Shanley. "Why should we be a party to this?"
Shanley is also one of the founders of Citizens United For Renewable Energy, or CURE, a local grassroots organization.
Rick Dovey, the president of ACUA, spoke at the event.
"We can dramatically increase the portion of our energy that comes from renewables," he said. "This is about emissions. No one would go up and put their mouth on a tail pipe; we drive around and we take that for granted."
Dovey drove an ACUA-owned Nissan Leaf to event. The car runs completely on electricity, does not use any gas and does not even have a tailpipe.
Dovey said that not only should residents be concerned about renewable energy sources with regard to power plants, but also about their own forms of transportation. He said that 50 percent of energy use in New Jersey comes from transportation.
As for renewable energy, Dovey said that "New Jersey has a unique opportunity to be at the ground floor...to build new jobs, research and development...why not here? It's the ideal place."
According to a chart that Dovey was handing out at the event, Atlantic County has saved approximately two million dollars per year since 2008 by using landfill gas, solar energy and wind energy.
Sierra Club organizer Christine Guhl took the lead for the event and was pumping up the cyclists with some call and response chants before they took off for the ride.
"B.L. England is producing millions of tons of carbon pollution every year and making the people of South Jersey sick. Coal plants like this one are the energy source of the past. Now it's time for a clean energy future," she said in a release handed out before the ride.
Dovey said that ACUA's facilities in Egg Harbor Township are now running completely on renewable sources of energy, while in Atlantic City the figure stands around 70 percent.
"We have a bright future...we appreciate what you're doing today to support renewable energy," he said before the ride began.
On Thursday, the Ocean City Council unanimously approved a resolution which urges B.L. England to comply with federal pollution standards. The Sierra Club will be heading to Trenton on Tuesday to urge Governor Chris Christie to enforce the Clean Energy Act and not to allow B.L. England to be given an extension with regard to meeting federal standards.
For more information of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, see their Beyond Coal website.
Duffer
12:47 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Bwaaa HaHaHaHaHa!!!!!!!!!! This is the best they could draw. HaHa!!!!!
Al Czervik
11:14 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012
"Stockton student Stanley Baguchinsky said that reducing energy needs is vital for reducing pollution". Translation: We should all ride bicycles and use candles?
LOL at this bunch. If not for the ACUA employees, who are probably there fulfilling some corporate community service requirement, was there even 10 people there?
Duffer
8:57 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
The sad thing is that this bunch gets news coverage for this baloney.
Georgina Shanley
9:55 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Congratulations to the 30+ people who showed up for the Sierra Bike rally to advocate for renewable energy. NJ is 2nd int he nation for solar. Sad to see the comments by Ms/Mr Duffer. I count my blessings that he/she is not my spouse or my parent. You have got a very mean streak! Anyone can speak anonymously. It doesn't take any courage. It does take an effort to stand up for a principle and I admire all the good folk who rode from OC to AC for a better future for our children. I expect another nasty response from Ms. Duffer.
Duffer
7:21 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
I'm not mean at all. I'm not a communist, socialist or tree hugger either. If I didn't like this great country, I'd go back to where I came from.
Eric Sauder
10:25 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Where exactly is that Duffer?
Eleanor
7:32 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
I don't care how many people showed up. You can have a good gathering with 10 people and a waste of time with 100. And i don't really care if people advocate for renewable energy, higher taxes, etc etc but the problem is what they really mean is that they want ME to do what they want. They never seem to lead by example by shutting of their computers, biking everywhere and volunteering to send in an additional check to the feds at tax time.
Heard a guy call in to a radio show a few months ago about the 'solar scam'. He said he got talked into putting in solar panels and that they were inefficient in our area, that the solar batteries use power, and that they have to be replaced every 8 years or so - and this was after he invested about 30,000 dollars. If you want people off the coal powered grid, get something that is as efficient so that people are free to do what they want and need. Don't ask people to do with less and like it because that is not gonna happen.
Eric Sauder
10:29 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Actually Eleanor I know the Fenichels and the good doctor does in fact ride a bike wherever he can. Maybe we could all benefit from the example?
Duffer
9:04 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
What's worse Elenore is that they want the government to take away your freedom on behalf of their pet agendas no matter how silly they be.
Eric Sauder
10:36 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Do you feel any more free depending on the foreign countries that supply our energy?
Duffer
9:31 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
So then Eric, you are 100% in favor of drilling and mining our own resources like I am???
steve fenichel
12:52 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Ah Ms. Duffer, there you go again.
Such a bold, self promoting freedom fighter!
As of 2015 Congressman Lobiondo along with 53 other Lobbyists for the Drone industry serving on the Drone Caucus have legislation sure to please you.
Militarized (can kill you dead without any fingerprints) and surveillance drones will have unlimited access to American air space.
You'll be as free as a goldfish in her bowl!
So, if you are happy with this you don't have to go back to "where I (you) come from". God only knows where that might be but I have a hunch of your ultimate
destination and according to Dante you'll fit right in.
Al Czervik
8:20 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
You should bring your ideas to city council. Wait, I remember, the voters overwhelmingly rejected your baloney last time. Get ready for more of the same.
Eric Sauder
10:40 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
Actually that's not true. The efforts of the Fenichels resulted in an ordinance to not renew the extensions of the BL England plant to further pollute our environment. You might want to thank them.
Duffer
7:15 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Thank them. How about they pay the difference in the higher electric bills we get because of this nonsense. How about they reimburse the taxpayers of Ocean City for the money they cost us over the wood for the boardwalk. Thank them...now there is a joke.
Eric Sauder
10:30 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
If you want lower electric bills Duffer we need to do something to break up (or at the very least reign in) those monopolies. Our governemnt should be doing that, but they're too busy with their own agenda.
Mr. Man
2:01 pm on Monday, April 30, 2012
NO SUCH THING AS GLOBAL WARMING. I FEEL BAD FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW THAT
Al Czervik
9:45 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Hey Sauder, maybe we can get council to pass an ordinance banning whales from washing up on the beach. That would sure solve that problem. Ridiculous.
And perhaps council passed that resolution just to get this bunch to shut up.