Anti-Peabody Rally
Peabody is attempting to build a coal power plant in Washington County Illinois that will be the largest new source of global warming emissions built in America in 20 years. Most of the power will be sent to other states while Illinoisans will be stuck with higher asthma rates for children, mercury poisoning our lakes and rivers, and other harmful pollutants.
The legal battles over this plant have been ongoing for years and coal industry leaders show their bitter disappointment when they speak about the cost of delays. Most of the legal appeals have been exhausted so opposition to the plant is taking a new direction.
This Saturday, November 17, there will be a rally across from Peabody headquarters in St. Louis to oppose their proposed coal power plant. It's happening at Kiener Park, 700 Market St, St. Louis, 1:00pm. Groups from at least four states are going to participate.
I know what many people will immediately think. What's the point of a rally? Is this going to accomplish anything other than getting a bunch of tree-huggers together? Well, there's a purposeful strategy behind it.
Environmental groups have had success getting potential investors and users to back out of the project because of its impact on the environment and financial risks due to impending regulation of global warming emissions. More negative publicity about the harmful impacts of the project could cause more buyers, including co-ops and municipalities, to abandon the project and make it financially unfeasible for Peabody. This rally can actually accomplish something.
You can read the flier for more information. No acts of civil disobedience or other actions likely to result in arrest are planned.
Just for fun, here's a YouTube video of John Prine's song Paradise, sometimes called Muhlenberg County or "The Peabody Song."