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Protesters arrested at Governor's Mansion

Sunday, October 25, 2009

(Updated 8:03 am)

RALEIGH (MCT) — Six environmental activists were arrested Saturday in a display of civil disobedience at the Governor's Mansion. They were protesting Duke Energy's controversial plan to build the coal-fired Cliffside power unit in Rutherford County.

State Capitol Police charged each of the six with trespass, said Pete MacDowell, one of the event's organizers.

MacDowell identified those arrested as: Dick Paddock of Chapel Hill; Bruce Avram Friedman of Sylva; Jean Larson of Asheville, Keval Kaur Khalsa of Durham; John Allen, a UNC-Chapel Hill student from Winston-Salem, and Jim Warren of Efland.

Warren is the executive director of the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network and was another organizer of the protest.

The six were released on their promise to appear in court Dec. 9.

The protesters sought to block construction of the new, 825-megawatt boiler, which is scheduled to come online in 2012. Opponents say it will be environmentally damaging, but Duke Energy says it would allow the company to retire other, older energy units.

Jason Walls, a Duke Energy spokesman, called the Cliffside project the "linchpin" to the company's modernization plans. "The Cliffside project is absolutely imperative to our ability to bridge to a low-carbon world," he said.

What do you think?

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countryboy

October 25, 2009 - 9:03 am EDT

I wonder how they got to Raleigh? Did they walk...or did they drive a car that could not be manufactored w/o electricity? Do they study by candlelight at night? Perhaps their houses run on solar or wind power (not a bad idea). It is truly great to see that we have a least six NC residents who use no power from the electric grid...burn no fossil or nuclear fuels to develop energy, or support any insitutions that do so needlessly. Six cheers for the Duke Power Six.

Get Real

October 25, 2009 - 1:27 pm EDT

You are just TOO witty.

Beachwalk

October 25, 2009 - 11:54 am EDT

I think their punishment should be: Put them working on an oil rig off the coast of N.C.

Grandfather

October 25, 2009 - 12:00 pm EDT

I don’t think the activists are against using electricity, but are fighting for cleaner alternatives. The new Cliffside plant will emit 6 million tons of carbon dioxide into OUR atmosphere annually and an expected 312 million tons over the lifespan of the plant which is equivalent to about a million extra carbon burning cars a year on the road. Hence I feel two cars or a van driving to Raleigh is a small sacrifice.

http://www.thedirtylie.com/

http://www.ilovemountains.org/

charkie

October 25, 2009 - 9:23 pm EDT

if the new plant emits 6 million tons or carbon dioxide, how much does the old plant(s) produce annually?
you seem to know all of the facts except for this. What a convienant(truth).

GreensboroNC

October 25, 2009 - 10:27 pm EDT

The total emissions are contingent on hours operated, and a more useful comparision would be average emissions per some time period, but here is a link for the output of other Duke Energy plants. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Duke_Energy#Existing_coal-fir...

Doug Johnson

October 25, 2009 - 8:45 pm EDT

Wonder why folks post websites, for everyone you can get to put out BS. I can find one to put out the other side of BS. They are for the most part one opinion.
Like I say, if New Orleans is going to be underwater, why do we spend so much money to rebuild it?
The very same people who say it going to be a lake, are the same one raising hell, about not rebuilding it quick enough!

GBO_Yoda

October 26, 2009 - 12:12 am EDT

These 6 would have spent better time helping families in need in the area(s) they live in , there are a lot of other issues out there that need attention from people with a " so called " passion.They all need to get some traction on something other than this governors mansion location.Try helping out at goodwill or a homeless shelter or mentor
( really try to" DO" something instead of show your behinds !!!! )