Where there's a Will, there's a way

One reason why it's so important to speak out against John Shimkus' crusade for the fossil fuel industry is that he sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They're expected to vote this week on the Waxman-Markey "American Clean Energy and Security Act" which is a comprehensive bill to reduce global warming emissions and create green jobs.

As one of the leaders of the flat-earther crowd, Shimkus is already giving us more gems. After a career of representing fossil fuel and telecom industry CEO's, he's suddenly shedding crocodile tears for the rural poor.

If Southern Illinois is still dependent on coal it's largely thanks to politicians like Shimkus who spent the last decade pandering with empty promises about reviving the coal industry instead of diversifying our energy economy with renewables and energy efficiency projects.

Given a choice, most people would rather have a job that doesn't give them black lung, destroy acres of farmland, or cause their neighbors' children to have more asthma attacks. Shimkus is doing his best to ensure that Southern Illinoisans don't have that choice by keeping them solely dependent on king coal.

Coal companies propose new plants in poor rural areas instead of rich suburbs because they know rural areas are desperate enough for jobs to tolerate the damaging environmental and public health consequences. It's spectacularly cynical for Shimkus to claim concern for the rural poor while he helps the coal industry use them as a dumping ground.

Anyway, environmental groups are encouraging people to contact Congress in support of passing the bill, keeping out weak amendments, and making it stronger.