Reader comments
Coal and Mother Earth: Proposed coal plant pits economy against Navajo beliefs

Think | 6:11 a.m. May 21, 2008

Only half of the Indians are working
Half do nothing
Does this sound right to you in 2008?

Anonymous | 7:16 a.m. May 21, 2008

Nice photo. Do we now consider water vapor a pollutant?

Mike | 7:27 a.m. May 21, 2008

These have been issues for at least 50 years, but the root has been even longer. The businesses come on to the reservations, telling the people that the industries they bring will bring prosperity and jobs, when in reality they only end up lining the pockets of the Nation leaders in the process of destroying the Navajo's most important resource...their sense of pride in themselves and responsibility to care the Mother Earth and Father Sky. It is a completely different way of seeing things than the dominant culture in this country

Comments continue below

STOP THE INSANITY | 8:20 a.m. May 21, 2008

My lungs to fatten coal plant people's wallets. We are fighting the same fight in Sevier County. Coal is the dirtiest fuel there is. There is no future with coal and to build so called "clean technology" plants is to sign a death warrant for generations to come. My heart breaks for the Navajo people and for us all. Our water and air cannot be bought!

Ken Baguley | 8:33 a.m. May 21, 2008

Are we mistaking steam for smoke? Some do. The last I read coal fired plants minimally effect the environment with water vapor.

Re.: Anon. @ 7:16am | 8:42 a.m. May 21, 2008

Since we consider the evil global warmer, carbon dioxide a pollutant, then yes, dihydrogen monoxide must be with that list.
You must look real close to what dihydrogen monoxide does in damage to the enviroment, along with how many people it kills & pets left homeless -- well just look at Myanmar & New Orleans & Thistle & the four poor polar bears in the global warming movie.
It's an evil thing, in fact I'm not going to stand for it anymore, I'm going to make a sign & protest the evils of it.

CITIZEN | 8:49 a.m. May 21, 2008

Profit.profit.profit.we must make a profit!!to hades with the enviorment,clean air,acid rain."if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen".at least that is basically what the politicians/investors tell us.

Rose | 8:54 a.m. May 21, 2008

To the Navajo people the run for miles for a handful of maze, we need to coal so we can drive for miles. It is called power/fuel. Live with it.

Hippie Hater | 9:18 a.m. May 21, 2008

Don't listen to the hippies, build more coal plants!

Energy | 9:40 a.m. May 21, 2008

We need energy. Clean coal is a part of the solution. Along with nuclear, solar, wind, and obtaining access to our domestic oil supplies. The US Dept of the Interior estimates there is approximately 1.5 trillion barrels of oil in oil shale in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. That is by far the largest oil find in history. We have considerable domestic supply the government controled by environmentalist special interests will not allow it. I'm not advocating that we just mow down the environment. I want it done responsably. The bottom line is if we want resonably priced energy we've all got to start being resonable. Let's invest in new technologies (NOT Enthanol) but in the mean time our current technologies are great. Will they last forever? No. Are we running out any time soon? No. I would just like reason to prevail!

Anonymous | 10:24 a.m. May 21, 2008

Phase out the older heavier polluting four corners plant and build more efficient substantially less polluting newer plants. I know this would take cooperation from other utilities, but in the long run the amount of power produced per emissions would be incredibly less.

The Rock | 10:30 a.m. May 21, 2008

Dihydrogen monoxide is truly a dangerous compound, especially as a gas. It spreads out and contaminating everything. Rain now contains a high percentage of this chemical and it is a major component of cancer cells.
Building more coal fired generating plants will certainly lead to more dihydrogen monoxide being vaporized and injected directly into the environment. This substance is the only cost effective material for cooling such systems.

Anonymous | 1:35 p.m. May 21, 2008

Ban coal and nuclear. Solar, wind, and water are unavailable or too weak. Oil and wood aren't sustainable. I forgot why we cant do hydrogen. Do we have anything left or will we be heading back to pre-electric society?

mad monk | 6:37 p.m. May 21, 2008

Big "liberal" cities outsourcing their pollution to indian reservations. Maybe they could purchase carbon offsets...paying to plant trees that would have been planted anyway!
Nuclear is the way to go.

Don't be ungrateful | 10:57 p.m. May 21, 2008

Think of it this way, God gave mankind the coal. If we refuse his gift, its like saying to God, I don't care about your gift, just give me electric power instead.

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