Ted Strickland's Dirty Resume

Ted Strickland likes to telll people he is a "Green Governor." Ted Strickland likes to tell it so much that he must be trying to convince himself that he is a "Green Governor."

Fact is, Ted Strickland has a dirty resume when it comes to cleaning up Ohio's environment. Ted doesn't want to clean up Ohio, but in fact, make Ohio a dirtier state.

Actions, or inactions speak louder than words.Ted Strickland can go to all the energy conferences and talk about how he wants to bring renewable energy to Ohio, but in reality, his actions as Governor show he is in the pockets of Nuke and Coal Lobbyists here in the Buckeye State.

Let's look at Ted Strickland's resume:

 1. He did not oppose the proposed nuke reactor at Piketon.

 2. He did not oppose the AMP Coal Plant in Meigs County,but promoted it.

 3. His energy plan for Ohio calls for more Nukes and "Clean" Coal. Ohio does not need more troublesome nuke plants like Davis-Bessie in the state and is there no such thing as "clean coal."

Ted Strickland has a dirty resume he is hiding from the people of this great state who want a cleaner Ohio. The Governor is just blowing smoke when he says he is a "Green Governor."

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Ontario Becoming A Renewable Energy Giant

Ontario signalled its intention of becoming a world leader in renewable energy a year ago when it launched a Feed-in Tariff program.

Green Party Progressive Directions

The Green Party of Ohio wants to move the Buckeye State in the following progressive directions in 2010:

The economy: Centered on innovation that creates good-paying jobs and provides every Ohioan a fair opportunity to prosper.

Health: Every Ohioan should have access to a state-of-the art, affordable health care system.

Education: A vibrant, well-funded, and expanding public education system with the highest standards for every child and school. We also support early childhood education.

Environment: A clean, healthy, and safe enviroment for ourselves and our children: water you can drink and air you can breathe. Polluters pay for the damage they cause.

Energy: We need to make a major investment in renewable energy for the jobs it will create, independence from Middle Eastern oil, improvements in public health, preservation of the environment, and the effort to halt global warming.

Equal Rights: We support equal rights in every area involving race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

Protections: We support keeping and extending protections for consumers, workers, retirees, and investors.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more information, contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio? No More Pollution from Coal Plants Into The Ohio River

Every year 31 million pounds of toxic waste is dumped into the Ohio River, making it the most polluted river in America. Now, there is a proposal coming before the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission to allow coal-fired power plants to dump even more pollution into the water. We deserve safe, healthy communities to swim, fish and live.The proposed changes to water quality standards for the Ohio River would permit more mercury and other toxins to be discharged into the river. Already, over 30 million pounds of toxic pollution is dumped in the Ohio River every year - more than any other river in the United States. This pollution includes over 67,000 pounds of developmental and reproductive toxins such as PCBs, lead, mercury, and dioxin.As Governor, I would oppose any further dumping of toxins into the Ohio River. It's time we elect a Governor who will protect the environment, and not just the big dirty coal companies like Ted Strickland and John Kasich will continue to do.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/ 

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Renewable Energy Can Bring Jobs To Ohio

Renewable energy can provide, on average, four to six times the number of jobs as equivalent investments in fossil fuels manufacturing, installations, operations, and maintenance are all accounted for, according the the Blue-green Alliance Report.

The Current U.S. demand for renewable energy technologies exceeds domestic manufacturing capability, and we are dependant on European and Chinese manufacturers to meet these demands.

So forget about tax breaks and slashing income taxes to bring companies to Ohio. The most direct way to put Ohioans back to work is a 100 percent commitment to renewable energy.

We can have a Governor who still cheers for dirty coal and nuke power like Ted Strickland to champion this cause.

We need a truely Green Governor to lead the charge for renewable energy in this state as well as jobs.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Feed-In Tariffs Can Boost Local Communities

Reg Platt, a researcher with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), says renewable energy could not only help people reduce their emissions but also provide a much needed cash boost to local communities.

Feed-In Tariffs  means 'households and organisations can get paid for generating electricity' via renewable technology, such as wind turbines and solar panels.

Platt argues 'solar panels on bars, village halls , community centers  churches and other religious buildings , schools and swimming pools could generate millions of dollars through the Feed-In Tariff. In addition the buildings will be able to use the electricity for free and sell anything they don't use back to the grid.

Up until now, renewable technology has been seen as too expensive for homeowners and organisations, some having to wait 20 years to reap the rewards via reduced electricity bills. However, with the Feed-In Tariff it appears 'renewables have suddenly become an attractive financial proposition'.

We need an Ohio governor who supports Feed-In Tariffs. Ted Strickland does not. To really jump-start solar and wind power in Ohio, I support a feed-in tariff. Why won't Ted Strickland entertain this idea and sell it to the house and senate? Is it because Ted Strickland is in the back pockets of coal-fired energy producing PACS? Say it ain't so, Ted....

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio Needs To Turn To Green Jobs

 

 

The green-collar jobs movement  got another major boost: a groundbreaking  report underscores how the growing green economy can provide high quality jobs for those who need them most. The author, Professor Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University, is a leading national expert on green-collar jobs.

This report deepens our understanding of how to harness green business growth to build pathways out of poverty. Prof. Pinderhughes' research provides us with critical guidance as we develop the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, the nation's first attempt to carry out the model that Professor Pinderhughes describes in her report.

Some highlights:

Green businesses need workers, offer training, and pay well.  Of the Berkeley green businesses surveyed by Professor Pinderhughes:

• 86 percent hire workers without previous direct experience or training for green-collar jobs.
• 94 percent provide on-the-job training for workers in entry level positions.
• 90 percent pay the full cost of insuring their workers.
• 73 percent of businesses stated that there was a shortage of qualified green-collar workers for their sector, with the greatest needs in energy, green building, mechanics and bike repair.
• The average hourly wage for green-collar work in Berkeley is $15.80 plus benefits. This is $4.00 higher an hour than Berkeley's current minimum "living wage," which is the highest in the nation.

To bring jobs back to Ohio, Ohio needs a Green Party Governor committed 100% to Green Energy, and not committed to dirty coal and nuke power like Ted Strickland  is.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Will Ted Strickland Finally Stop Murray Energy From Polluting Ohio?

It happened again. Murray Energy's coal pipeline carrying toxic coal slurry through southeast Ohio burst open last Friday, flooding a pristine creek and surrounding areas with thick, black sludge.

This is at least the seventh time since 1999 that coal slurry has poured into the creek, killing fish and putting the future of the already endangered eastern hellbender salamander at risk.

Even after seven spills, Murray Energy is applying for permission to build another sludge impoundment that would bury a whole stream and put entire communities at risk of contaminated water and a catastrophic breach.

Murray "Slurry" Energy has proven that coal slurry is toxic and that they can't be trusted to handle it. Just look at the tragically polluted gully that once was Captina Creek.

Will Ted Strickland finally oppose Murray Energy from building another sludge impoundment? Or will Dirty Coal Ted Strickland continue tom support such practices to take place in Ohio.

As the Green Party candidate for Governor, I oppose Murray Energy from building anymore sludge impoundments in the Buckeye State.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www,dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Feed-In Tariffs Would Bring Green Energy Jobs To The State

Paul Gipe wrote last week on how feed-in tariffs would boost renewable energy in the states as well as bring new green jobs:

Something is up when both liberal and conservative think tanks find something to like in the same obscure energy policy with an odd name: feed-in tariffs.

Politicians take notice when the conservative Hoover Institution joins the liberal Center for American Progress in saying that it's time for the United States to consider a policy that pays farmers, homeowners and businesses for the electricity produced by their wind turbines and solar panels.

It's not surprising that Americans from right to left find feed-in tariffs appealing. After all, it's an American idea born three decades ago when the United States last faced an energy crisis. What's more American than unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit to provide a needed product such as electricity?

A feed-in tariff is a premium paid by a utility for power generated by solar or wind power to encourage the development of renewable energy sources.

Unfortunately, the principle languished here when oil prices collapsed in the early 1980s. In the meantime, other nations picked it up, refined it and now are using it to drive industrial development and create new jobs.

"Feed-in tariffs are the most widely used renewable energy policy in the world," says a massive report by a team of researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. According to its study, feed-in tariffs are responsible for 75 percent of all solar photovoltaic and 45 percent of all wind development worldwide.

Germany has become a renewable energy powerhouse through feed-in tariffs, creating 300,000 new jobs since the program was launched a decade ago. In the first three months of 2010 alone, German homeowners, farmers and small businesses installed 30,000 new solar photovoltaic systems. By July 2010, German homeowners alone installed more solar systems than all the projected 2010 solar photovoltaic installations in the United States. German farmers will have installed even more. In the first six months of this year, Germany installed twice the total solar photovoltaic systems installed in the United States during the last 20 years.

Ohio needs a Governor to push feed-in tariffs through the statehouse.

We need a Green Governor to help truely start the ball rolling on converting solar and wind power to good use here in the Buckeye state. We need a Green Governor who will use this new green energy to bring jobs back to Ohio.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Ontario's Feed In Tariff Program Is Working

The Hamilton, Ontario Star newspaper recently reported that Ontario's feed-in-tariff program is one year old on Oct. 1 and most would call it a success, judged strictly by the number of green-power projects it has attracted.

 Since the launch of the "FIT" program a whopping 23,000 applications have been submitted to the Ontario Power Authority. Of those, 86 per cent are for small rooftop solar systems being put up by homeowners, schools, churches and farmers across the province.

In the area of solar alone, about 10 manufacturers - both domestic and foreign - that have committed to setting up solar module assembly plants in Ontario to meet local content requirements. A number of solar inverter companies have announced similar plans. Taken together, this represents at least a couple of thousand jobs.

The same is happening with wind, which makes up about two-thirds of total megawatts approved so far. Developers are putting local metalwork shops to work, hiring local electricians, engineers and others across the province.

"The whole purpose of the program is to build expertise and industrial capacity," says Gord Miller, Ontario's environmental commissioner. "It's on the right track."

Why Not Ohio? As Governor, I would propose to the members of the state house that a Feed-In Tariff program be started here in Ohio. This is the type of program that can put people back to work.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Protect The Environment At The Ballot Box-Vote Green!

The Plain Dealer report says it all about problems at Davis-Bessie Nuke Plant:

As many as 16 critical parts in the Davis-Besse reactor lid are cracked or flawed, and the problem could get worse.

Engineers expect to find additional problems when they conduct a third round of high-tech inspections in the coming weeks.

The cracks can lead to radioactive coolant seeping into reactor lid, corroding it and ultimately leaking into the heavy-walled building containing the reactor. That's what happened to Davis-Besse in 2002.

The reactor has been shut down since Feb. 28 for what owner FirstEnergy Corp. initially thought would be a fairly routine refueling and safety inspection. There is no re-start date at this point because of the time-consuming repairs that have barely begun and the planned additional inspections..

And Ted Strickland, our "Green" Governor wants to build a new nuke plant in Piketon or in your backyard someday?

As Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor, I say no more nukes for Ohio. Ted Strickland will say "Come on down, let's GLOW BABY GLOW!"

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

October 1, 2010...
Water contaminated with coal dust has spilled for the fourth time since 2000 into a Belmont County creek that is home to an endangered salamander, state agencies reported this morning.

The coal slurry, water used to wash newly mined coal, spilled from a pipeline that runs from Murray Energy's American Century Mine across Captina Creek to the companys Ohio Valley coal slurry impoundment, said Mike Shelton, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

The break occurred in a joint in the pipeline about 250 feet north of the creek in a hayfield, Shelton said, spilling slurry into the field and the creek.

Communities near the approximately 2,000 coal ash sites scattered across the country face a heightened risk of cancer, learning disabilities, birth defects and other illnesses due to the hazardous materials -- including arsenic, lead and mercury -- that seep into our drinking water.

Yet the industry and Ted Strickland would have us believe coal ash is as safe as regular dirt!

As the Green Party Nominee for Governor, we need strong EPA safeguards to protect our health and environment.

The EPA is taking a stand against King Coal by proposing the first ever federally enforceable regulations for coal ash, but coal companies and Ted Strickland are fighting back, pushing for weaker safeguards and winning support from key legislators.

In January, the National Governors Association sent an inaccurate and misleading letter -- based on outdated studies that don't reflect the latest science -- to the EPA and members of Congress denying the hazards of coal ash and urging the EPA to maintain the current system, an inadequate patchwork of state level protections.

The next Ohio Governor should protect communities, not the coal industry, by supporting strong, federally enforceable coal ash regulations. Ted Strickland is NOT THAT GOVERNOR!

If the BP oil disaster and the Tennessee coal ash tragedy taught us anything, it's that we can't just take the polluter's word for it anymore.

It's time to stand up to the coal industry's lies and break free of the last century's dirty, dangerous, and deadly energy technology.

Don't let Ted Strickland stand in the way of critical protections against coal ash -- send a message today ! Vote for the Green Party of Ohio this November!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Thank Ted Strickland: Ohio Has 3 Of The Dirtiest Coal Plants in Nation For Mercury Pollution

In a story from the Columbus Dispatch:

Three Ohio power plants are among the top 50 "dirtiest" in the U.S. for the mercury they emit from their smokestacks, according to a report released today.

American Electric Power's Gavin plant along the Ohio River in Gallia County more than doubled its output, emitting 937 pounds of mercury in 2008 compared to 435 pounds it released in 2007.

That was enough to rank Gavin 12 on the Environmental Integrity Project's list.

The Washington D.C.-based advocacy group used pollution data on 467 coal fired power plants that utilities report each year to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's toxic release inventory to compile its rankings. AEP's Conesville plant in Coshocton County, pictured above, was No. 14 on the list with 898 pounds of mercury emitted.

FirstEnergy's Sammis plant, along the Ohio River in Jefferson County ranked No. 44 with 498 pounds of mercury in 2008. Mercury is linked to nerve and kidney damage in children and is linked to brain damage and mental retardation in fetuses.

The U.S. EPA considers coal fired power plants "the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States."

It's one of the most common pollutants found in Ohio's lakes, streams and fish. That's prompted a statewide Ohio EPA advisory that residents should eat no more than one meal of locally caught fish per week.

And Ted Strickland is a "Green" Governor? Thanks to Ted Strickland being in bed with the dirty coal lobbyists Ohio continues to pollute the air and streams of this great state with mercury. And it will only get worse with Ted Strickland as Governor, Ted propses to keep 75% of Ohio's power sources to remain coal fired plants. It's time we elect a Green Party Governor to Ohio to help clean our state's natural resources.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor

Ted Strickland: The Dirty Coal Supporting Governor

While Ted Strickland like to portray himself as the "Green Renewable Power" Governor, He is in reality the number one supporter of dirty coal and nuke power plants in Ohio.

His campaign contributions are heavy in pro dirty coal and nuke power backers, the UMW, Duke Energy, and Dayton Power and Light.

Plus, Ted Strickland comes right out and tell the press he supports dirty coal. When the AMP Plant fell through in Meigs County, TEd Strickland released the following press statement to the Pomeroy newspaper:

"Gov. Ted Strickland, a supporter of the project, released the following statement through spokesperson Allison Kolodziaj, "Creating jobs and producing homegrown energy was a hallmark of this project. While we're very disappointed to learn of this news, we respect the decision of the member communities to look at other options for the site in Meigs County. The Strickland administration continues to work with AMP through these next steps."

Ohio needs clean,renewable, and alternative energy in the 21st Century.

That's why Ohio needs Green Party Candidate Dennis Spisak as Governor in 2010!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Ted Strickland, Nuclear subsidies put taxpayers at risk

An article earlier this year in the Boston Globe reports:

President Obama's plan to kick-start the construction of nuclear power plants in the United States comes with a big catch: Because private banks won't lend to an industry viewed as financially risky, taxpayers would be accountable for billions in government-guaranteed loans if plant developers default.

``There is a huge potential risk for taxpayers,'' said Autumn Hanna, who analyzes federal loan guarantees at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonparti san group. She said the risk could be in the tens of billions of dollars and said the public shouldn't be asked to assume responsibility banks are unwilling to take.

Banks have been reluctant to lend money for new nuclear projects due to a combination of concerns about cost overruns, past defaults, and the uncertain regulatory climate and political hostility that have shadowed the industry since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.

But there are significant uncertainties. The Washington Public Power Supply System, which sought to build nuclear reactors financed with municipal bonds, defaulted on those bonds in 1983 in a case that still hangs over the financing of such projects. In addition, the problem of where to put spent fuel, which remains highly radioactive, has not been resolved.

The Nuclear Energy Institute estimates that there are 28 proposed nuclear projects around the country that might seek the guaranteed loans. None of the proposals is for New England, where opposition to nuclear power has been stronger than in other regions such as the South. Among companies that are interested in new nuclear power plants are Entergy Corp. (NYSE:ETR) , Exelon Corp. (NYSE:EXC) , and Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK PRA) (NYSE:DUK)

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Duke Energy has been very active contributing to Ted Strickland's re-election campaign for the last year. Ted Strickland wants to put more nuke plants in Ohio based on his energy plan for the future. It seems Strickland will do this despite what it may end up costing Ohio taxpayers.

As the Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor, I will see to it that no new nuke plants will go on-line here in the state of Ohio in the future.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Ask vote a Green Party Ballot and vote in the Green Party primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info contact 330-503-1407

My Vision For A New, Better, Ohio

With unemployment so high, it's time for a Green New Deal to tackle economic and ecological problems at the same time.

We should put Americans back to work with living-wage green jobs: retrofitting homes for energy efficiency, building modern mass transit systems, installing renewable energy technology, and conserving our irreplaceable ecosystems.

As the father of two sons with autism, and since my wife teaches pre-school multihandicapped children, I am well aware of the financial problems facing social services. Funding of social services would be for me a priority in funding, right up their with public education. Neither of these programs can stand anymore budget cutting. By returning Ohio to the Pre-Bob taft tax cuts, we could raise enough revenue to fund both social services and public education at the proper levels.

How to Create Green Energy Jobs for Ohio
From the Apollo Alliance:

Amid growing concerns about the U.S. losing clean energy manufacturing jobs to other countries, a new report released  by Policy Matters Ohio, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and the Apollo Alliance documents how one clean energy investment proposal, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown's Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, would help create and retain clean energy manufacturing jobs in Ohio.

The Impact of IMPACT: Creating Jobs in Ohio finds that the IMPACT Act, which is contained in the proposed Senate clean energy and climate bill, would create between 41,063 and 52,214 new jobs across Ohio.

The IMPACT Act would establish a two-year $30 billion revolving loan fund to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers retool to produce clean energy component parts and become more energy efficient. It would also increase long-term funding for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to help manufacturers access clean energy markets and adopt innovative, energy-efficient manufacturing technologies. Provisions that are nearly identical to those in IMPACT were included in the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009.

"PERI's analysis finds that investing in the retooling and conversion of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Ohio would create a robust engine of job growth for the state," said Heidi Garrett-Peltier, the economist who conducted the analysis. "We find that the investments from IMPACT would not only retain current jobs, but they would also create new jobs that utilize the skills of the workers of Ohio. These investments are a potentially powerful way to revitalize the manufacturing sector in the state."

The findings of the report are relevant to other manufacturing states and to anyone who wants to ensure that comprehensive federal clean energy and climate measures create the economic benefits that American workers are expecting. To read the report, visit the Policy Matters Ohio website.

I will work to see that Green Jobs are the number one priority in my administration, not coal and nuke plants like Ted Strickland supports!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for mroe info: contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland and Jean Schmidt: Kissing Cousins when it comes to Nuclear Power Plants

Last June, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati reported on the story of state and federal officials gathering in Piketon, Ohio to support a nuclear plant site there. Ted Strickland was holding hands with GOP queen Jean Schmidt praising nuclear power:

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Officials made a step forward Thursday concerning the future of energy production in the Buckeye state.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Congresswoman Jean Schmidt were among the leaders who gathered in Piketon, Ohio to announce plans to explore the option of a nuclear power plant there.

Piketon is about 100 miles east of Cincinnati.
 
The announcement took place at 10 a.m. at the former uranium enrichment plant which is the site possibly intended for the new energy plant. It has the necessary infrastructure for a nuclear plant.
 
The plant would take 10 years to build. It would employ about 4,000 people during construction and about 800 people when the plant is complete.

Duke Energy would reportedly be a partner in the plant along with a French firm. As of now, officials have not decided to move forward with the nuclear plant.  They have only announced a group to explore the possibility of a plant in Piketon.

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Now we know why Duke Energy is a huge contributor in financial donations to the Strickland Campaign: They have a Nuke Plant puppet in Ted Strickland!

Is this the type of Governor you want running Ohio for your children's safety? Do you want a glowing Nuke plant in your backyard? You may get one if Ted Strickland is re-elected Governor of Ohio! How progressive is Ted Strickland if he cuddles up to Mean Jean Schmidt when it comes to Nuke Plants?

Dennis Spisak_Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

ttp://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ohio's Wind Power Potential Far Greater Than Strickland's 25% Proposal

While Ted Strickland touts his 25% clean energy bill by year 2025 Green Party candidate Dennis Spisak says Ohio could do so much more. According to Ohio wind Working Group, Ohio has the potential to generate 60,000 megawatts of wind energy, TWICE what is needed to power the state. In addition, Ohio is also ranked second in the nation in its capacity to manufacture parts for wind turbines.

But Ted Strickland only believes in 25% clean energy for Ohio because he is bought by the dirty coal and nuke lobbyists in Columbus.

As Green Party candidate for Governor, I would call for 100% potential in wind, solar,biomass, and hydro power as possible.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Governor Would Support the OEC

As Governor of Ohio, I would work with the Ohio Environmental Council and put a stop to dumping of construction material into Ohio's groundwater.

From the OEC: 

Waste from construction and demolition sites are routinely dumped into Ohio's landfills. The construction and demolition debris (CDD) industry has long contended that this waste is inert and poses no risk to groundwater or the environment.

Yet last year, Ohio EPA released study results on Ohio's CDD landfills, concluding that liquid waste from CDD landfills "poses a threat to public health and the environment if released to groundwater or surface water." 

New reports released by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) have resulted in a combined effort across the state involving many environmental organizations and Ohio citizens to urge Governor Strickland to issue a moratorium regarding Construction & Demolition Debris (C&DD) landfill facilities.  The moratorium would halt additional construction and expansion of C&DD facilities until the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Rules can be altered in order to provide protection from the reported dangers of C&DD landfill toxins to underground bodies of water.

Many other states require the same safety regulations for C&DD facilities as for Solid Municipal Waste (SMW) facilities.  Ohio's requirements for C&DD are vastly inferior to SMW requirements resulting in hazard to Ohio's environment and to the health of Ohio's citizens.  The OEPA reports document the need for more protection in Ohio.

=================================================== 

I urge Ted Strickland  to issue a statewide moratorium on dumping construction and demolition waste in Ohio's CDD landfills.Our health, and the health of my community, depend on it!

Ted Strickland won't because he is not a "green Governor", but I will!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Let's Make Things In Ohio With Green Jobs

It's time in Ohio for the Governor, business, labor, bipartisan lawmakers and communities work hard to build a clean energy future. It's time we turn away from Ted Strickland's plans for more dirty coal plants and nuke plants for true green renewable energy power.

Throughout this campaign I have spoken to people who want America to "make things again."  By providing the training that will turn 20th century blue-collar jobs into secure 21st century green-collar jobs, we'll not only reduce our dependence on foreign energy, but also reenergize the American manufacturing sector. 

It's time we have an Ohio Governor committed to ensuring that we emerge as the country's and world leader in clean energy technology and jobs.

 As we try and recover from this recession, the transition to clean energy has the potential to grow our economy and create thousands of jobs for Ohioans as we enter a new energy frontier.

It's time for Ohio's to reject Ted Strickland's plans for more dirty coal and nuke plants.

It's time we begin to make things again in Ohio and America. it's time we begin building green energy manufacturing jobs.

It's time we elect a Governor 100 percent committed to green energy and manufacturing.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio? Tell Ted Strickland No Nukes For Duke Energy

As you know, Ohio utilities rely too heavily on dirty and expensive fossil fuels. Ohio's new energy law requires utilities to invest in efficiency and renewables - creating jobs, protecting public health, and cleaning our air.

However, Ted Strickland supports folks like Duke Energy, who wants to be let off the hook for its efficiency responsibilities and has proposed to build an expensive new nuclear plant instead. If Duke gets away with gutting Ohio's new efficiency and renewable standard, other utilities may try to follow suit!

Wind power and energy efficiency are far cheaper, cleaner and safer than building a new nuclear plant. Ted Strickland knows this, but because Duke Energy PACS have put big money into Ted's re-election campaign this fall, Ted will back Duke's plan for more Nukes in Ohio!

Duke Energy should shield customers from rising energy costs through efficiency and by building more renewables - not a nuclear plant. Duke's plans are bad for Ohio's economy and for the environment!

It's time Ohioans tell folks like Ted Strickland and Duke Energy that we want more renewable energy, not more dirty NUKE PLANTS!

Ohio now receives only 1 percent of it's energy from renewable energy sources. The national average is 9 percent. We need more green energy, not more NUKES!!!

It's time for Ohio to elect a true, Green Governor for Ohio. It's time for Ohio to say NO to Ted Strickland and his dirty NUKE PLANS!!!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Here's a report on how dirty-coal loving Governor Ted Strickland and his call for more coal plants for Ohio is harming Ohio citizens:

Report: Pollution from coal-fired power plants will kill more than 133 people in Columbus area this year
Environmental groups call for stricter regulations
Thursday, September 9, 2010 10:16 AM
By Spencer Hunt

The Columbus Dispatch
Pollution created by coal-fired power plants this year will trigger as many as 219 heart attacks and kill 133 people living in and around Columbus, according to a report that environmental groups released this morning.

Those estimates are in a study that ranks the Columbus metropolitan area 13th in the nation for health risks triggered by power plant pollution. The list also includes the Cleveland area at No. 8 and the Cincinnati area at No. 10.

The Boston-based Clean Air Task Force and the Ohio Environmental Council say more must be done to reduce the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that power plants emit.

The pollutants are key ingredients in smog, which worsens breathing problems like asthma, and also help create microscopic particles called soot that can help trigger heart attacks.


It's time to clean up Ohio's air by removing a pro dirty coal burning plant like Ted Strickland.

As long as Ted Strickland remains in office, his calls for more and more dirty coal plants in Ohio will continue.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Samsung Signs $6.6 Billion Solar and Wind Power Deal with Ontario, Canada


I read a Green Options report which states the Ontario will be giving the green light to receive 16,000 jobs thanks to their energy legistlation which is allowing a 6.6 billion dollar wind and solar power deal to fall their way:

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In one of the biggest renewable energy deals in the history of the world, a Korean consortium led by Samsung has agreed to build 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Samsung C&T and the Ontario government signed the deal on Thursday, January 21st. The agreement will bring thousands of jobs and clean energy for more than half a million homes to Ontario.

Building off of this new deal, Korean trade officials plan to make Ontario their base of operations for all of North American.

Samsung first proposed the deal about a year ago, but Ontario's Green Energy Act is what seems to have actually moved the proposal to a reality -- another reason for clean energy activists in the US to look with puppy dog eyes at the rest of the world as they speed ahead with clean energy (and clean energy jobs) and Americans remain tied to the old bone of dirty technology.

As The New York Times reports, "Under the terms of the agreement, officials said, Samsung must build four manufacturing plants in Ontario, promising 16,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next five years. The energy generated will be enough for 580,000 homes."

The first phase of the project is scheduled to be built near an old coal plant that is supposed to be decommissioned by 2014 (near Windsor). Out with the old, in with the new.

Samsungs new manufacturing facilities under this deal (4 manufacturing plants in Ontario) will be producing wind turbine towers, wind blades, solar inverters and solar assembly by 2015.

Now, as Ontario's premier, Dalton McGuinty, says, "This means Ontario is officially the place to be for green energy manufacturing in North America." With generous subsidies for clean energy production under its new Green Energy Act, many more clean energy developers probably have their eye on Ontario as well.

With a project so big and so close to home, the US may start to take the clean energy and climate change legislation that is currently in the Senate a little more seriously. We will see.

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Why not Ohio? Is it because we have a fossil fuel Governor in the likes of Ted Strickland? A Governor who never met a nuke or coal plant he didn't like?

Blue-green jobs are out there, except their going to Canada, while Ohio gets no jobs and only more and more dirty pollution from Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407.

Republican candidates have grabbed double-digit leads in the races for governor and the U.S. Senate, and the swelling red tide could lead to a GOP sweep of statewide offices, the first Dispatch Poll of the 2010 campaign shows.

With voter enthusiasm running nearly three times higher among Republicans than Democrats, GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich leads by 12 points over Gov. Ted Strickland while GOP Senate hopeful Rob Portman tops Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher by 13 points.

"I am enthusiastic about the upcoming election because it will kick out many of the incumbents," said survey participant Aivars Vimba, 70, a retired technician from suburban Cincinnati and a Republican. "My wife, who hasn't voted in years, will vote this time."

It's time for Progressive Democrats to jump ship and support the Green
Party this November!

Ted Strickland can not win....his 4 year Turn Around Ohio Plan has failed. The little boy from Duck Run has run out of ideas to turn Ohio around.

We need new leadership for Ohio. New Progressive Ideas and Thoughts to lead Ohio back to the national stage.

We need more Blue-Green Jobs......A Single-Payer Health Plan to protect Ohioans....A realistic approach to balancing the state budget...A better way to fund public education, and a Governor who will truely help clean up Ohio's environment.

We need a Governor who will not cater to special interest groups, PACS, and corporations. We need a governor for the people, a Governor looking out for the prosperity of the people and offering them an opportunity as well.

It's time to steer clear of the Democrats......come back to your liberal roots and vote with your heart for the programs we need to help Turn Ohio Forward.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Time To Clean Up Ohio's Lakes Is Now, Not Two Years From Now

This summer blue-green algae that has turned many of Ohio's lakes into toxic cesspools. The situation is so bad that state officials have issued "no contact" advisories for several lakes across the state - including Grand Lake St. Mary's, the state's largest inland lake. How did things get this way? In large part, because of runoff from the state's factory farms.
The toxic blue-green algae is thriving in part becuase of incredibly lax regulation that dictates when factory farmers can spread manure. Right now, the state allows manure spreading even in the winter when the ground is frozen. Because frozen soil can't absorb the manure, virtually all that waste ends up in Ohio's lakes and streams. Incredibly, the state recognizes this problem but is proposing to let these industrial livestock producers continue to spread manure on snow and frozen ground for two more years.

Ohio's lakes are already toxic. We don't have two years to wait while this problem gets worse. Tell Ted Strickland and the Department of Natural Resources to stop this destructive practice immediately so we can enjoy Ohio's lakes now!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

A Green Progressive Direction For Ohio In 2010
The Green Party of Ohio wants to move the Buckeye State in the following progressive directions in 2010:The economy: Centered on innovation that creates good-paying jobs and provides every Ohioan a fair opportunity to prosper.Health: Every Ohioan should have access to a state-of-the art, affordable health care system.Education: A vibrant, well-funded, and expanding public education system with the highest standards for every child and school. We also support early childhood education.Environment: A clean, healthy, and safe enviroment for ourselves and our children: water you can drink and air you can breathe. Polluters pay for the damage they cause.Energy: We need to make a major investment in renewable energy for the jobs it will create, independence from Middle Eastern oil, improvements in public health, preservation of the environment, and the effort to halt global warming.Equal Rights: We support equal rights in every area involving race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

Protections: We support keeping and extending protections for consumers, workers, retirees, and investors.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Government Will Do What Democrats Won't Do
A Green Party Government does what Ohio's future requires and what the public sector cannot do-or is not doing-effectively, ethically, or not at all. It is the job of the government to promote, and, if possible, provide protection, greater democracy, more freedom, a cleaner environment, broader prosperity, better health, and the building and maintaining of public infrastructure.We picture an Ohio where people care about each other, not just themselves, and act responsibly with strength and effectiveness for each other.We want to protect Ohioans, we want them to prosper, and we want them to be treated fairly.There is no fulfillment without freedom, no freedom without opportunity, and no opportunity without prosperity.This is the principle that the Green Party of Ohio is running on in this year's election.The difference between the Green party of Ohio and the Democrats this election year is the straight fact that the Green Party of Ohio believes in equal protection and equal opportunity for all Ohioans, principles the Democrats have long abandoned.For the most vulnerable in Ohio, The Green Party has a duty to do two things: minimize their pain and maximize their gain. On good days, we do not leave anyone out. On bad days, we do not leave anyone behind.

The Green Party of Ohio does not accept a state where people of color and low-income people are always first in line for everything bad and then left to benefit last and least when it comes to anything good.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Michigan Governor Calls for Feed-in Tariffs

In an address to a progressive think tank, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm called for feed-in tariffs to develop the American renewable energy industry and the attendant jobs this would create.

Granholm has often spoken publicly about feed-in tariffs in her campaign to bring new industry and jobs to the distressed state. However, in her presentation to Center for American Progress, Granholm was clearer in her policy proscriptions and why they were necessary.

The reason, she said simply, "is that every other country is eating us for lunch".

"We have to send a message to employers across the world that we're serious. . ." about renewable energy, she went on. "Bottom line is we need feed-in tariffs for solar and wind . . . All these other countries are doing this," Granholm added.

The Governor warned the audience that while the US dawdles, others are moving ahead.

"Ontario now has a feed-in tariff. We have been trying to lure a number of solar companies to Michigan . . . and they are all saying, 'Oh my, are you kidding? I can go across to Ontario and have a feed-in tariff like they have in Germany'.

"We are missing out if we don't use these smart policies," here too, she said.

Why Not Ohio? Again, we see another Midwestern Governor calling for more Feed-In tariffs while Ohio Governor Ted Strickland remains silent.

Must be Ted's dirty coal and nuke PAC Backers got Ted's tongue.

I support Feed-In Tariffs for Ohio. Ted Strickland doesn't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Michigan Poised As the Midwest Green Energy Giant

Under Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a Democrat now concluding her second term, Michigan studied various industrial sectors around which to build a new economic strategy. State economic specialists focused on clean energy, and especially battery production for the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles. She helped persuade the Legislature to approve $1 billion in tax credits for companies involved in developing advanced energy storage systems for electric vehicles.

The federal and state spending on advanced batteries has encouraged construction in other sectors of the recovering auto industry. State unemployment dropped to 13.1 percent in June from a peak of 14.9 percent in March, according to federal data.

Lenawee Stamping, a producer of metal stamping and welded fabrications, is expanding a plant in Tecumseh, Mich., to accommodate more production of G.M. electric vehicles, adding some 140 jobs. Magna Holdings of America, a designer and maker of auto components and systems, plans to invest $49.2 million to expand its operations in four Michigan cities to produce electric car systems, creating 500 more jobs, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

“What’s absolutely critical is that we manufacture the components of a clean energy economy — the batteries, the wind turbines, the solar panels — right here in the United States,” Ms. Granholm told a conference of engineers and battery developers in Detroit on July 27. “Michigan intends to lead the way in clean energy manufacturing.”

Why not Ohio? Again, is it because Ted Strickland is so focused on bringing more dirty coal and nuke technology to Ohio that he is missing the brighter picture of clean energy manufacturing?

Say it ain't so, Ted.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

www.votespisak.org/governor/

www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Colorado Towns Explore Renewable Energy Options
Already, 75 percent of the electricity distributed by the municipal utility department in Aspen comes from renewable sources, mostly wind. The city hopes to push that to 83 percent with installation of a small hydroelectric plant on a local creek.

Could something called a feed-in tariff push Aspen toward its goal of 100 percent renewable energy?

Feed-in tariffs provide generators of small to intermediate amounts of renewable energy fixed prices and long-term guarantees from their utility. The guarantee gives entrepreneurs easier access to financing.

“We are certainly going to look at it intensely to see if it has merit,” says Dave Hornbacher, the city’s deputy director of utilities and renewable energy. “It appears to have the potential to facilitate additional photovoltaic installations,” he added.

In the wonkish world of energy policy, feed-in tariffs occupy a particularly esoteric niche. But speakers at a workshop last week in Boulder said they will be crucial in accelerating the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“We’re not thinking grandly enough, boldly enough,” said Randy Udall, an energy analyst and activist from the Aspen area. Feed-in tariffs, he said, are the only way to achieve the giant steps that are needed.

Jim Woolsey, a former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, said they would also provide environmental benefits by reducing atmospheric pollution from mercury, nitrous oxide and other toxin byproducts of burning coal.

Woolsey said feed-in tariffs could also make the United States less vulnerable to terrorists by making our energy supplies less centralized. An ordinary squirrel in Ohio was able to put New York as well as other states and parts of Canada into the dark in 2003. He suggested a few people with far more malevolent intentions could do far worse.

The effect of the tariffs would be to substantially change the nature of our electrical supply. That existing system is centralized around large coal-fired plants. But feed-in tariffs would create more diverse and dispersed energy sources.

Why Not Ohio? Why does Governor Strickland not push for Feed-in tariffs?

Is it because we know Ted Strickland is tied too closely to dirty coal and nuke PACS who tell Ted how to supply power to the state?

I am afraid it is so.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green party of Ohio Nominee fior Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland Wants To Make Ohio's Air Even Dirtier
Ted Strickland believes in burning for Biomass. Industry groups are pushing hard to get large-scale tree and garbage incineration into a mix as “renewable biomass” energy. Think that sounds too bad to be true? Ohio’s renewable energy standards already count trees as “renewable biomass.” Several Ohio utilities are seeking permits under these regulations to cut and burn millions of tree's for energy. It's time we elect a Green Party governor to keep garbage and trees out of any proposed federal definition of renewable biomass.

Burning biomass is not “carbon neutral” in any time frame that is meaningful to climate change. Our nation’s forests are natural “carbon sinks” and our best defense against the climate crisis. When forests are cut for biomass incinerators, they will not re-store the amount of carbon released for decades,, if at all. Groundbreaking scientific reports issued in June 2010 by the Manomet Center for Conservation Science and Environmental Working Group conclusively show that biomass incineration using forests as fuel will undermine efforts to curb carbon emissions. The destructive impacts on forest diversity have been documented from Oregon to Massachusetts. Burning garbage and wood for electricity is terribly inefficient; biomass incinerators are about 25% efficient – that is, for every 100 trees burned, only 25 are converted into energy. Finally, available data shows biomass burning smokestacks emit more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than coal, oil and natural gas, and in some cases up to 50% more carbon dioxide than coal, per unit of energy.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info contact 330-503-1407

Green Collar Jobs Will Make Ohio Stronger

Green collar jobs arewhat's needed in turning Ohio's faltering economy around. John Kasich can talk about his tax cuts plans and Ted Strickland can talk about being from Duck Run, but in the end we will need a Governor who believes and promotes green jobs in the state of Ohio.

Green-collar jobs are good jobs. Like blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs pay family wages and provide opportunities for advancement along a career track of increasing skills and wages. A job that does something for the planet, and little to nothing for the people or the economy, is not a green-collar job. The green economy cannot be built with solar sweat shops and Wal-Mart wind farms.

Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs requiring more education than high school, but less than a four-year degree -- and are well within reach for lower-skilled and low-income workers as long as they have access to effective training programs and appropriate supports. We must ensure that all green-collar jobs strategies provide opportunities for low-income people to take the first step on a pathway from poverty to economic self-sufficiency.

The green economy demands workers with new skill sets. Some green collar jobs -- say renewable energy technicians -- are brand new. But even more are existing jobs that are being transformed as industries transition to a clean energy economy: computer control operators who can cut steel for wind towers as well as for submarines; or mechanics who can fix an electric engine as well as an internal combustion engine. We need identify the specific skills the green economy demands. Then we need to invest in creating new training programs and retooling existing training programs to meet the demand.

Much of the work we have to do to green our economy involves transforming the places that we live and work and the way we get around. These jobs are difficult or impossible to offshore. For instance, you can't pick up a house, send it to China to have solar panels installed, and have it shipped back. In addition, one of the major sources of manufacturing jobs -- a sector that has been extensively off-shored -- are components parts for wind towers and turbines. Because of their size and related high transportation costs, they are most cost-effectively produced as near as possible to wind-farm sites. Cities and communities should begin thinking now about ways their green strategies can also create local jobs.

Urban and rural America have both been negatively impacted over the past decades by a failure to invest in their growth -- green-collar jobs provide an opportunity to reclaim these areas for the benefit of local residents. From new transit spending and energy audits in inner cities to windmills and biomass in our nation's heartland, green jobs mean a reinvestment in the communities hardest hit in recent decades.

This may be obvious. The "green" in green-collar is about preserving and enhancing environmental quality. Green-collar jobs are in the growing industries that are helping us kick the oil habit, curb greenhouse-gas emissions, eliminate toxins, and protect natural systems.

Green-collar workers are installing solar panels, retrofitting buildings to make them more efficient, constructing transit lines, refining waste oil into biodiesel, erecting wind farms, repairing hybrid cars, building green rooftops, planting trees, and so much more. And they are doing it today. There are already many green-collar jobs in America. But there could be so many more if we focus our economic strategies on growing a green economy.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland in Dayton on Friday now blames John Kasich for the recession and the economic downturn in Ohio's economy.

Funny, I didn't know John Kasich was Governor these past 4 years....
I thought it was Ted.

Hey Ted, QUIT THE BLAME GAME! Tell us how you have fixed the problem over the past 4 years! What, you can't??????

Ok, tell us how you will fix the problem over the next 4 years?????

What, you can't???????

And thus is the sad reality facing Ohio's voters this fall. Ted Strickland wants people to believe he is a better alternative to John Kasich.....yet the governor has no record or plan in terms of fixing Ohio's problems.

No plan for improving health care, bringing better paying jobs to Ohio, fixing school funding, and cleaning up the environment.

It's time Ohio removes Ted Strickland from Ohio. The boy from Duck Run is not up to the task of running Ohio.

I am.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Last week Ted Strickland went to Celina to tell of his grand plan to fix Grand Lake St. Marys. Well, word is out today that his major effort to fix the lake won't start until 2012!

Say what? Ted Strickland, the environmental green governor, is not going to implement his plan to fix the lake until 2012? Yup that's right.

From Today's Dayton Daily News:

By William Hershey, Columbus Bureau
Updated 1:43 AM Friday, August 6, 2010
COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed cleanup plan won’t prohibit farmers in the Grand Lake St. Marys’ watershed from putting manure on fields this winter or next winter, a factor in the environmental crisis that has basically shut down the state’s largest inland lake.

Farmers knew restrictions were coming but need time to develop manure storage space, said Jill Smith of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. “I think it will be a struggle,” she said.

However, Dan Manning, owner of The Outdoorsman, one of the struggling business on the lake, said in unveiling Strickland’s plan last Friday state officials gave the impression that the ban on winter manure spreading would be immediate.

“They could do a lot better job of telling what their plan is,” said Manning.

Among the rules being developed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is one to ban spreading manure between Dec. 15 and March 1. Like other nutrient management efforts in the works, the ban is intended to reduce the phosphorus runoff feeding the bacteria outbreaks in the 13,500-acre lake.

But the ban won’t be phased in until March 1, 2012. Farmers can apply manure this winter and next winter as long as they follow federal standards aimed at preventing environmental damage.


Yup, Ted Strickland has dropped the ball again. So the major cause of polluting the lake will now go on for another 20 MONTHS!!!

What is the Governor drinking? Grand Lake St. Mary's water???

This ban should take effect immediately! Not 2012!!! Once again, Ted Strickland shows he is no environmental Governor!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Got Mercury? Got Smog? Got Soot? Thank Ted Strickland

While some "progressive" blogs are hailing Governor Ted Strickland as the Green Power Governor because of his commiyment to 25% of renewable energy sources powering Ohio by 2025, Ted is still a friend and lover of DIRTY COAL.

Ted Strickland's energy policy thus calls for the remaining 75% of energy needs to come form nuke plants or building bigger and dirtier coal plants. Environment Ohio executive director Erin Bower notes that 87 percent of the state’s electricity comes from burning coal, compared with a national average of 53 percent. Ohio is ranked fourth nationally in its contributions to the country’s carbon dioxide emissions problem, Ohio ranks second nationally in the amount of those emissions coming from coal-fired power plants.Bower has also commented that “The important thing is that the Legislature and our governor really listen to Ohioans across the state who are clamoring for alternatives to being so dependent on fossil fuels, which are putting Ohio at the top of the list for mercury pollution and smog and soot pollution,” she said.

The facts are Ted Strickland will never move fast enough or massive enough on clean renewable energies. He is powered and manipulated by nuke and coal lobbyists and will continue to be if elected to a second term as Governor.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? No More Coal On Ohio College Campuses

It's time to get dirty coal off of all Ohio college and university campuses.

Ohio needs more Geothermal Systems on Ohio Campuses

An AP story from last December pointed out that while solar and wind power get most of the headlines, geothermal power is quietly being placed on college campuses where energy costs can take millions of dolalrs each year from the school budgets."

The article points out that 46 colleges and universities across the country are divvying up millions in federal stimulus dollars to advance technology that uses the temperature of the Earth, rather than coal-fired power plants, to heat and cool buildings. So far this year, the Department of Energy has announced $400 million in grants to advance these geothermal projects.

By going to geothermal power, colleges rely less on coal fired plants to heat their campuses. This cuts down on dirty emissions as well as costs to the schools. Thus, colleges switching to geothermal heating can eventually keep tuition costs down as well as clean up their enivronments at the same time. Ohio should become a leader in this type of program and require all college campuses to follow this lead and make Ohio college campuses air friendly while passing the savings on to students through lower tuition rates.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland's Dirty Resume

Ted Strickland likes to telll people he is a "Green Governor." Ted Strickland likes to tell it so much that he must be trying to convince himself that he is a "Green Governor."

Fact is, Ted Strickland has a dirty resume when it comes to cleaning up Ohio's environment. Ted doesn't want to clean up Ohio, but in fact, make Ohio a dirtier state.

Actions, or inactions speak louder than words.Ted Strickland can go to all the energy conferences and talk about how he wants to bring renewable energy to Ohio, but in reality, his actions as Governor show he is in the pockets of Nuke and Coal Lobbyists here in the Buckeye State.

Let's look at Ted Strickland's resume:

1. He did not oppose the proposed nuke reactor at Piketon.

2. He did not oppose the AMP Coal Plant in Meigs County,but promoted it.

3. His energy plan for Ohio calls for more Nukes and "Clean" Coal. Ohio does not need more troublesome nuke plants like Davis-Bessie in the state and is there no such thing as "clean coal."

Ted Strickland has a dirty resume he is hiding from the people of this great state who want a cleaner Ohio. The Governor is just blowing smoke when he says he is a "Green Governor."

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

It's Time To Come Clean Ohio:Time To Remove Dirty King Coal Ted Strickland

Ohio ranks almost dead last in the current use of renewable energy across the country.

Ohio is currently only producing 1 percent of it's energy from renewable energy sources, while the national average is at 9 percent.

Ohio that far behind? Yup, because we have a dirty coal governor in the likes of Ted Strickland who refuses to clean up Ohio while at the same time promote more renewable energy.

Ohio needs to come clean.This is a great moment for the state of Ohio to move forward in creating renewable energy jobs, companies, and industry.

If we elect a Green Party Governor of Ohio, no longer will Ohioans have to live with mercury in our air and water from dirty coal plants. We can move forward in building solar, wind turbines, and geothermal plants while showing dirty coal lobbyists the exit doors at the statehouse.

It's time to come clean Ohio. It's time to remove Ted Strickland as Governor.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Could You Run On Ted Strickland's Record?

Ask the average Ohioan on the street this simple question and you are guarenteed a blank stare back from the person whom you've posed the question to:

"What has Ted Strickland done for the state of Ohio?"

Ask the man on the street, Joe Bagofdonuts, that question and you get an immediate "deer in the headlights" reaction and stare. Any maybe one word..."duh?"

Yes, from Columbus to Cleveland to even Duck Run, when average Ohioans are asked that question, not one has been able to come up with a single answer.

What has Ted Strickland done for the state of Ohio?

Fixed Ohio's economy? No. Fixed Ohio's broken financial education system?No. Cleaned up the environment? No. Help bring affordable single-payer health-care to Ohio? No. Help the poor, sick, and aged? No. No. No.

Since Ted Strickland won the Democratic Nomination back in May, no one has been able to answer that question.

Even Ted Strickland can't answer that question. The only thing we have heard from Ted's mouth since May is that he once lived in a chicken coop in Duck Run.

And unless he turns around Ohio in terms of committing himself to a Green New Deal, Fixing Public School Funding, Cleanig Up The Enviroment, and Approving Single-Payer Health Care, we might all one day end up living in a chicken coop in Duck Run.

Could you run on Ted Strickland's record? I don't think so.

We know Ted Strickland certainly can't, and he proves it everyday.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland came to Celina Friday, a month late to announce his plan on cleaning up the toxic lake. His plan can be summed up in five words: Don't go near the water.

It took the Strickland Administration almost a month to come to Celina with some type of plan to fix Grand Lake St. Mary, a plan that Ohio EPA director Chris Korleski said "is no silver bullet, no magic wand. It’s not going to be quick, it’s not going to be easy.”

ODNR will adopt rules to restrict land application of manure in the winter and require farms that are not now operating under permits to adopt approved nutrient management plans to control manure runoff. The plans are now voluntary.

This is the problem with Ted Strickland's response. People for years have known that farm manure run-off into GLSM was the root of the contanmination problem, yet Ted Strickland's administration called for only voluntary reactions all these years.

This sums up Ted Strickland's approach to keeping Ohio's environment clean. He knows what makes Ohio dirty, but only after a crisis arises will he take the necessary steps to correct the measure.

Ted Strickland knows his dirty coal plants that he likes to see erected across the state cause mercury, soot, and smog pollution, yet he wants to continue building them until a crisis tells him to shut em down.

Ted Strickland's enviromental approach to Ohio is like the old FRAM oil filter commericals....you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.

To clean up Grand Lake St. Mary's now will cost millions, millions of dollars that Ohio doesn't have, and doesn't know where it will come from.

Yes, Grand Lake St. Mary's is the poster child of Ted Strickland's environment record in Ohio. We knew it was going to happen, we knew it was going to be bad, and the best advice the Governor can give us is "don't go near the water."

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Feed-In Tariffs Can Spur Green Energy Growth

The feed-in tariff (FIT) has exploded renewable growth every place it has been implemented and a new study from UC Berkeley says it will do the same in California.

A FIT is an above-retail rate ("tariff") paid for renewable energy-generated electricity that producers "feed" into the grid. It was first used in California in the late 1970s and early 1980s but failed at that time due to design flaws and lack of support. Revived in Germany with stunning success in the early 2000s, the FIT concept has subsequently been used successfully, according to Professor Dan Kammen, the lead author of the UC Berkeley study and one of the foremost U.S. renewable energy authorities, in at least fifteen countries. Dozens more are considering implementation.

The proposed California FIT has been carefully designed to drive the growth of projects in the one-to-twenty-megawatt range. This spectrum encompasses both small solar systems driven by the state's "million solar roofs" initiative and utility-scale projects driven by its Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) that requires regulated utilities to obtain twenty percent of their power from renewable sources by the end of this year and 33 percent from renewable sources by 2020.

According to the study Economic Benefits of a Comprehensive Feed-In Tariff: An Analysis of the REESA in California, from Kammen and Max Wei of the University of California, Berkeley's Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory Energy and Resources Group, a well-designed feed-in tariff like the one used by the newest version of REESA, will bring California $2 billion in additional tax revenues and $50 billion in new investment, add an average of 50,000 new jobs each year for a decade and provide the mega-growth in renewables that California will need to meet its newly mandated standard of 33% renewable electricity by 2020.

Why Not Ohio? Why isn't Ted Strickland pushing for feed-in tariffs? Is it because once again we see that Ted Strickland can not think outside the box when it comes to promoting Green Energy in Ohio? Is it because Ted Strickland is so committed to dirty coal and nuke energy he lacks the drive and passon for feed-in tariffs? I believe so.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

It comes to no suprise to this candidate that Ted Strickland has been caught with his hand in the PAC contribution grab-bag taking huge campaign donations from Lehman Brothers and Wall Street firms PACs.

Ted Strickland is as much Wall Street as John Kasich. In fact, Ted is more-so, because Ted lets PAC money dictate his public policy for the state.

AK Steel and Sun Oil want a new coke plant with bad EPA violations built in Middletown? Give Ted $20,500 in PAC money and he will support the project.

Want to keep insurance companies stable in Ohio? Have Aetna and Medical Mutual give Ted $28,000 and he will support the status quo in health care policiies, and not support single-payer health care.

Want to keep building more and more dirty coal plants in Ohio? Have First Energy, Duke Power, Dayton Power and Light give Ted over $20,000 plus and he will be dirty coal's biggest cheerleader.

Heck, Ted Strickland even took campaign money from BP...anyone for an oil spill in Lake Erie? Ted may give you one....

Ted Strickland....as Wall Street as John Kasich. Yup, looks like the little boy from Duck Run has been caught with his hand in the chicken coop.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Use A Green Agenda To Turn Ohio Foward

It's time we use a Green Agenda to fix Ohio after 2010. Ted Strickland's Turn Around Ohio plan has failed. John Kasich's plan to will Turn Ohio Backwards. Let's Turn Ohio Forward using a state-wide Green Agenda.

To Fix Ohio's 8 billion dollar budget shortfall, I call for an income tax increase and business tax increase. I believe we should pairs these tax proposals with plans for an audit of the state budget to identify and cut wasteful programs, practices and positions – and ending pork-barrel spending. We must take these actions first before we commit to cutting another 10% in the state budget that would hurt
Human Services and Public Education.

I believe in raising the minimum wage to a “living wage,” making college free for qualified residents and expanding public sector employment with more, higher-paying social service jobs.

I believe in a state-run bank – similar to one created by North Dakota – which would collect all state revenues to invest both surplus funds and private deposits in projects that would benefit the state.

I also want to promote green energy by implementing a “fee and dividend” system, which would collect fees from greenhouse gas producers and nuclear power companies. Part of the proceeds would be used to pay the state’s bills, while the rest would be redistributed to among Ohio residents, with low-income residents receiving the largest shares.

This Green Agenda will help Turn Ohio forward. Ted Strickland and John Kasich's plans won't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more information, contact 330-503-1407

Posted by moderator on July 21st, 2010 The Drexel East, 2254 E. Main St. in Bexley

Floods, drought, climate change, even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt.

DIRT! The Movie–directed and produced by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow–takes you inside the wonders of the soil. It tells the story of Earth’s most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility–from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation.

The opening scenes of the film dive into the wonderment of the soil. Made from the same elements as the stars, plants and animals, and us, “dirt is very much alive.” In modern industrial pursuits and clamor for both profit and natural resources, our human connection to and respect for soil has been disrupted.

DIRT! the Movie–narrated by Jaime Lee Curtis–brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that the soil has. It shares the stories of experts from all over the world who study and are able to harness the beauty and power of a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with soil. The real change lies in our notion of what dirt is. When humans arrived 2 million years ago, everything changed for dirt. And from that moment on, the fate of dirt and humans has been intimately linked.

But more than the film and the lessons that it teaches,

Mr. Hallett's column in today's Columbus Dispatch poised a serious question: Will Ohioans be willing to keep Ted Strickland in office because he is the devil we know as compared to replacing him with "devil" candidates we don't know.

And such a question offers a real sad commentary on Ohio politics today: That Ohioans are willing to weigh-in on Ted Strickland's unimpressive first term as governor and grant him another 4 year renewal because at least we know him.

Please! Spare me. What happened to all that hope and change that Democrats were going to bring about two years ago? We now have had 4 years of Democratic leadership(or lack of) in the Governor's mansion
and the Democrats main selling point this year is "Life is Hell, but we know the Devil?"

Are we to believe that Ohioans are going to accept the fact that life is hell and we just learn to like it? Are we to believe that Ohioans are so down on their luck and in a state of depression that hell is a good place to be just because we know the devil once lived in a chicken coop from Duck Run?

Sorry, Democrats, and sorry Ted Strickland. But your dog don't hunt and people deserve better then living in hell with a sitting Governor.

We desire change and progress. We deserve a robust economy, A Green New Energy Deal, single-payer health care, a cleaner environment, a well-funded public education system, and a Governor who will talk specifics before the electiona bout fixing Ohio's looming 8 billion dollar budget shortfall.

Sorry, Ted Strickland. I have lived in hell these past 4 years with you as the devil. Living in a chicken coop in Duck Run would be heaven.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for mroe info, contact 330-503-1407

Time For A New Green Deal For Ohio
It's time for a Green New Deal for Ohio.

Here are the eight policies endorsed by the Green New Deal Coalition:

• Create millions of green union jobs through massive public investment in renewable energy, mass transit and conservation;

• Set ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and enact a revenue-neutral carbon tax to meet them;

• Establish single-payer “Medicare for all” health care;

• Provide tuition-free public higher education;

• Change trade agreements to improve labor, environmental, consumer, health and safety standards;

• Enact tough limits on credit interest and lending rates, progressive tax reform and strict financial regulation;

• Amend the U.S. Constitution to abolish corporate personhood; and

• Pass sweeping electoral, campaign finance and anti-corruption reforms.

Let's Turn Ohio Green! Let's remove Red and Blue Politicians from Ohio!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor



Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Colorado Passes 16 Green Energy Bills

Green Energy: It was a big year for Gov. Ritter's "New Energy Economy" - in a year when renewable energy legislation was stagnating at the federal level, both houses passed 16 bills to promote clean energy within the state. Highlights include:

HB 1001 raises the standard from 20% to 30% for the amount of electricity that large utility companies must derive from renewable sources by 2020. The new Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is one of the most aggressive renewable-energy goals in the country.
HB 1365, The Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act, places new standards on coal-fired power requiring Xcel Energy to cut its nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80% by the end of 2017. Toward this end, Xcel is converting three of its coal-burning power plants to natural gas, an effort that will involve retiring or retrofitting 900 megawatts of coal-fired capacity. This is the first legislation of its kind in the country.
Under SB 100, counties and municipalities can join together to finance renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.
The Smart Grid Task Force, created by S 180, will study the state's infrastructure and develop policy recommendations to make the transition to Smart Grid.
New special districts can borrow money to fund renewable energy or energy efficiency projects for residents under HB 1328.
HB 1333 creates the Green Jobs Colorado Training Pilot Program, a two-year pilot program that expands job training programs by offering grants to community colleges and other training providers to develop programs for jobs in wind, solar, energy efficiency, and other renewable energy industries.
HB 1342 allows apartment dwellers and others who can't utilize solar technology on their own roofs to join together to purchase shared panels in community locations.
Colorado state parks must increase the use of solar and other renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2020 under HB 1349.
Why Not Ohio? Because Ohio is led by Old King Dirty Coal Ted Strickland who would rather fire up new dirty coal and nuke plants in Ohio instead of leading the charge to pass massive Green Energy Bills.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Get Ohio University Truely Green and White, Not Brown And Black

As the Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor, I support the efforts of the Ohio University Beyond Coal student group and their effort to get Ohio University on the fast track to cleaner energy sources.

As a 1981 graduate of Ohio University. I support Beyond Coal's efforts to create an OU Athens campus that is at least 50 percent carbon neutral by 2025.

The Lausche Power Plant on campus received 31,164 tons of coal which produced around 1.4 million tons of Sulfer Dioxide in 2007. Sulfer Dioxide is dangerous to breathe in and over long periods of time and can be harmful to health and the environment.

Ted Strickland sees nothing wrong with the continued burning of coal in Ohio. In fact, Ted Strickland lobbied for an additional coal plant to be built in Meigs County.

It's time for Ohio students and residents to have a truely Green governor who supports the efforts to reduce coal use in the Buckeye State. We need to improve the health and environment of our state. I will do that.

Ted Strickland won't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Let's Bring Jobs To Ohio Using Solar Power

Ohio may not be first state that comes to mind when people think about solar power. But solar panels utilize the sunlight that allows us to see, not necessarily the sunlight that makes us hot. Therefore, Ohio’s weather is more than adequate to make solar power viable.

The world’s largest solar markets are in Germany and Japan—neither nearly as sunny as Ohio. Within the U.S., states with the largest amount of solar installations are also not known for their sunny weather. New Jersey has the second-largest amount of solar installations, and New York and Connecticut also rank in the top ten. The primary driver of these solar markets is the policies enacted in these states and countries, not their solar energy potential.

Why Not Ohio? Solar power has the potential to be a significant part of Ohio’s energy future, and Ohio is already home to more than 115 companies and research institutions involved in the solar energy industry.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry has proven to be a bright spot in the global economy. For the past 15 years, the industry has experienced annual growth rates of 30 to 40 percent. Global solar PV installations grew from 125 MW in 1999 to 4,500 MW in 2008, resulting in a compound annual growth rate of 47 percent for the last 10 years. Looking ahead, most industry observers expect continued 20+% annual growth in the PV markets for many years to come.

Employment sectors that would increase in demand with an investment in solar power include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Carpenters
• Materials suppliers including glass, plastic, metal, chemicals, sealants, etc.
• Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
• Electricians
• HVAC mechanics and installers
• Inspectors, testers, and sorters
• Machinists
• Sheet metal workers
• Business operations specialists
• Chemical technicians
• Civil engineers
• Computer and IT managers
• Computer programmers
• Environmental engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Payroll and timekeeping clerks
• Purchasing agents
• Sales representatives
• Surveyors
• Training and development specialists
• Tool and die makers
• Shipping and receiving clerk

If we have a truely Green Governor who commits to solar power instead of Ted Strickland who is committed to bringing more and more dirty coal power to Ohio, we will bring more jobs to Ohio. We will Move Ohio Forward.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Ontario To Use Wind Power To Boost Manufacturing

A $1.1-billion wind farm development slated for Southwestern Ontario would be the largest of its type in the province and cement the region’s reputation as a wind energy centre.

Next Era Energy, North America’s largest energy company, is proposing to build three wind farm projects in Lambton and Huron counties. Combined, they’d dwarf other farms — adding up to 300 wind turbines to the landscape and generating 490 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 144,000 homes.

The developments would also bring manufacturing jobs, since Next Era will buy either General Electric or Siemens turbines and has made it clear it wants to buy local — pressing the manufacturers to open plants here.

Over the next six years about 1,000 MW of wind power are expected to be added to the power grid each year.

Murray Stewart, president of the Energy Council of Canada, agreed, saying Next Era’s “is a big development and there are a lot more on the horizon.”

He also credited Ontario’s Green Energy Act and its feed-in tariff program — it pays a fixed amount to businesses providing energy to the grid, and the rates for sustainable energy ensure a profit — with spurring development.

“There is no question the FIT makes it easier for suppliers and developers to come here — they get a good, long-term contract and a good market,” he said.

What a difference government can make. In Ontario you have a government pushing Feed-In Tariffs and wind energy, while Ted Strickland pushes dirty coal and nuke power for Ohio. How many new manufacturing jobs are your new dirty coal plants bringing into Ohio, Ted? Zilch, Zero, None.

Ohio is already at the bottom of the list of states currently using renewable energy at producing only 1% of renewable energy. Do we really see this number going any higher with Ted Strickland remaining in office for another 4 years? I don't think so.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not America? Germany Kicks Butt When It Comes To Renewable Energy

Germany installed more solar photovoltaics (PV) in the first quarter of 2010 than the US installed in all of 2009.

30,000 new solar PV systems were installed in the first three months of 2010 for a total of 714.7 MW.

In a draft study, the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) reports that only 435 MW of solar PV were installed in the entire US in 2009.

Renewable energy journalist Craig Morris was the first to report the story in English at his blog, Notes from the Otherside.

Germany installed more solar PV in the first month of 2010, about 240 MW, than the state of California installed in all of 2009, 212 MW, according to preliminary data from IREC. Germany has twice the population of California but a much smaller land area.

While attention has focused on Germany's solar PV development, the country continues to install wind and biogas plants as well. In 2009 Germany installed nearly 2,000 MW of new wind generating capacity--roughly equivalent to 1,000 wind turbines--and about 1,000 MW of new biogas plants.

Italy was also expected to surpass the US in total solar PV capacity during the first quarter.

America, Losing the World Cup in Renewable Energy as well. What do you expect from leaders like Preesident Obama and Ted Strickland who are addicted to dirty oil, dirty coal, and nuke power?

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

How Green Is Ted Strickland? Ohio Ranks Near The Bottom In Renewable Energy
Ted Strickland likes to claim that he is the "Green" Governor. Ted Strickland lieks to claim that he is turning Ohio into a renewable energy giant. Fact is, Ohio is near the bottom of the list of states when it comes to having renewable energy.
The League of Womern Voters May 2010 Ohio Renewable Energy Database states the following:
Ohio continues to lag other states in renewable energy. Ohio still gets only a bit more than one percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Since the national average is about nine percent, we rank close to the bottom of the states by several criteria.
Thus, Ted Strickland is not as green as he makes himself and Ohio out to be.
Ohio ranks close to the bottom of all states in renewable energy.
And we want Ted Strickland to lead Ohio's green energy crusade for another 4 years.
I think not.
Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor
Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com
for more information, contact 330-503-1407

Well, it's only July, but the so-called liberal progressive Democrats at the Plunderbund Blog have decided to pull out the Ralph Nader-George Bush 2000 Election card to try and discourage Greens from running and voting in the 2010 Governor's race.

The Plunderbund boys write on July 14, 2010....

"You don’t help move your own agenda forward by vigorously attacking the guy who supports 90% of the same stuff as you and comparing him to the guy who supports 10% of the same stuff as you.

It’s a bad strategy for your party and for your agenda. It’s the kind of strategy that gets guys like G.W. Bush elected. The kind of strategy that causes a whole generation of lefty voters to become disillusioned with third party candidates.

It sucks that third party candidates in the US don’t have any serious chance of being elected right now. It really, really sucks. But that is the current state of politics in our country. Accept it and move on.

The best thing to Green party can do right now is to NOT behave like the Tea Party. My advice to the Green party: stop acting crazy and start making friends with the people who are almost aways on your side."

Sorry Plunderpund boys, but Ted Strickland and Democrats today are not always on our side. They are more on the side of Republicans these days.

Ted Strickland is not nearly as aggressive as other Governor's in having Green Energy technology and jobs already up and running in Ohio compared to other states.

Ted Strickland supports keeping private insurance companies in business and keeping the status quo in health care coverage and does not support single-payer health care.

Ted Strickland does not support a clean environment in Ohio because he continues to support more and more dirty coal and nuke plants to be built in state, but he also supports the continued dumping of out of state waste in the Buckeye State.

Ted Strickland refuses to adequately fund public education. Plus,Ted Strickland fails to come out and denounce Duke Energy for their attempt to pay less taxes in Ohio to some 700 school districts. Of course, when you are Ted Strickland and take $16,000 from Duke Energy in campaign contributions, how can you bite the hand that feeds you.

Sorry Plunderbund boys, Ted Strickland is every much as bad for Ohio as John Kasich. And we will continue to make Ohioans aware of this fact between now and Novermber 2nd.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Illinois Poised To Be Major U.S. Solar Player
At a former industrial site on Chicago's South Side, more than 32,000 solar panels slowly tilt every few minutes, following the sun as it moves across the sky.

Operated by Exelon Corp. (NYSE:EXC) , the 40 acres of panels in West Pullman is the nation's largest urban solar plant, generating 10 megawatts of clean power and hope for an Illinois industry that has long waited for its moment in the sun.

"We have been frustrated over the years that solar has not become more mainstream," said Kevin Lynch, who trains electricians to install solar panels for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "We understand it's still a relatively expensive technology, but the cost is much less than it was a few years ago."

Indeed, the biggest obstacle to the growth of solar energy -- its cost -- has started to decline. The price of photovoltaic solar panels dropped more than 40 percent last year due to a glut in global supply, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The drop in price is driving renewed interest in solar energy, said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

Last month, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that will double the state's solar power supply each year and create an estimated 5,000 "green" jobs by 2014. Meanwhile, at least three solar developers have plans to build solar projects of 10 to 20 megawatts in Illinois, Learner said.

To be sure, Illinois is not quite the solar-powered mecca of California or Florida. But the potential is there: The sun in Illinois is more intense than in Japan or Germany, the world's two largest solar markets.

"Illinois has the opportunity to be a very significant solar energy leader between the two coasts," Learner said.

Why Not Ohio? Because Ted Strickland still pushes for more and more dirty coal power plants and nuke plants for Ohio.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

If Ohio Needs Jobs, Ohio Needs To Go Green

Between 1998 and 2007, the growth in green jobs was 9.1 percent, far outpacing growth in all jobs at 3.7 percent. This pace is expected to continue across the country. Green Energy expeditures are more labor-intensive than fossil-fuel based expenditures producing three to four jobs as compared to one job from the same amount expended on fossil fuels.

While there is a need for specialized skills in some green jobs, workers still need the basics. Green skills are an overlay of new skills and knowledge; and learners cannot access the new knowledge without the foundation.

For Ohio to gain jobs, you must have a Governor committed to going 100% green, and not just 25% green by 2025 like Ted Strickland.

You need a Green Governor willing to commit 100% to green economic investments such as building retrofitting, mass transit/freight rail, smart grid, wind pwoer, solar power, and advanced biofuels.

Ohio needs to go green for more jobs in the future.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Green Jobs Are Important For Ohio

A clean green energy economy generates jobs, businesses and reinvestments while expanding clean energy production, increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution, and conserving water and other natural resources.

Can Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants and nuke plants say the same?

A clean green economy is clearly related to the development of new technologies that advance the production and use of clean energy, and conserve the earth's natural resources.

Can Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants and nuke plants say the same?

New Green Jobs in Ohio represent a new demand for labor that results from investments in transitioning our state economy away from carbon-intensive energy, minimizing degradation of our natural resources, and protecting Ohioans from pollution and waste.

Can Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants and nuke plants say the same?

Green Jobs make the enviornment better.

Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants and nuke plants can't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Bring Green Mass Transit To Ohio
Greens support expanding mass transit, and the use of bicycles and other alternatives to cars.
Our transportation policy encourages the growth of mass transit and alternatives to cars and trucks. We call for major public investment in mass transportation, so that such systems are cheap or free to the public and are safe, accessible, and easily understandable to first-time users. We embrace the “complete streets” concept that calls for streets to be redesigned to better and more safely accommodate all users including cyclists, pedestrians, children, and the elderly.

Green Solutions

MORE SAFE SPACE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS

1. Make streets, neighborhoods and commercial districts more friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists.

2. Increase the amount appropriate (native/drought tolerant/etc.) greenery in street design.

3. Utilize traffic-calming methods, where the design of streets promotes safer speeds and safer interaction with pedestrians. Create auto-free zones in urban cores.

4. Develop extensive networks of bikeways, bicycle lanes and paths. Include bike racks on all public transit.

5. Maintain free community bicycle fleets, and provide necessary support for cyclists.

6. Develop affordable mass transit systems that are more economical to use than private vehicles.

MASS TRANSPORTATION

6. Encourage employer subsidies of transit commuter tickets for employees, funded by government congestion management grants.

7. Use existing auto infrastructure for transit expansion where possible. Light rail should be established in expressway medians through metropolitan high-density corridors.

8. Expand our state's network of rail lines, including high-speed regional passenger service.

9. Build rail lines for the exclusive use of passenger trains.

REDUCE ENERGY-INTENSIVE TRANSPORTATION

10. Place a moratorium on highway widening then use the money for mass transit and facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

11. Mandate HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes on freeways, and lower toll fees for carpools.

12. Discourage unnecessary auto use by eliminating free parking in non-residential areas well served by mass transit, and establish preferential parking rates for HOV.

13. Develop and market the conversion of existing, used cars and trucks to electric vehicles, so that such conversions are cheaper than purchasing new vehicles.

14. Support government procurement of high efficiency motor vehicles.

15. Encourage carpooling programs, telecommuting, and other creative solutions to reduce commuter traffic congestion. We advocate fair buy-backs of the most polluting and least efficient vehicles to remove them from the road.

16. We call for incentives to get long-distance truck hauling off of our highways and on to railways. Governments on all levels must take the initiative in eliminating administrative and logistical obstacles to efficient rail freight transportation.

17. Make airports accessible by local transit systems.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://wwww.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Right now communities across the country are exposed to heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury when hazardous materials from coal ash disposal sites seep into our drinking water. The result -- increased risk of cancer, learning disabilities, birth defects and other illnesses.

The EPA is holding a public comment period on new, federally enforceable standards to protect Americans, but the coal industry is fighting back, trying to put their profits before our health.

What will dirty coal king Ted Strickland do? Will Ted stand up for communities or will Ted stand up for the more and more dirty coal plants he has planned for Ohio?

Will Ted Strickland protect babies or his power producing friends and campaign donors First Energy, Duke Power, and Dayton Power and Light?

Ohio waits and watches...

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

While his supporters might have chanted "Mighty Mighty Strickland" today during his 2nd major campaign speech...(is this major speech thing like a movies series such as Porky's 6?)Ted Strickland may have defined John Kasich but he again failed to define himself or tell voters how he has destroyed Ohio.

Ted Strickland is bad for public education. About 60 percent of Ohio school districts are getting funding cuts for daily operations in this two-year budget cycle, and overall state aid to school districts will decrease by 0.25 percent in both years of the current budget.

Ted Strickland is bad for the environment. Ted has no idea or plans to fix Grand Lake St. Mary's. Ted also has no plans to fix Ohio's environment except to bring in more smog, soot, and pollution from dirty coal plants.

Ted Strickland is bad for health care. Ted believes in keeping insurance companies in business. He fails to support single-payer health care.

Ted Strickland is bad for Ohio's budget. Ted has no clue or plan on how to fix the 6-8 billion dollar shortfall facing Ohio next March.
TEd will tell you he has cut state employees, except political appointments are up during his tenure over 11 percent.

Yes, Might Mighty Strickland is the one who needs to go if Ohio is to move forward again. Ted's Turnaround Ohio Plan has failed.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Green Party And Improving Ohio's Agriculture
Greens support a shift towards organic farming, and ending the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.

Our current food system is dominated by agribusiness and unsustainable practices that threaten our health, food security, degrade the environment, destroy communities, and squeeze out family farmers. Our so-called cheap food comes at the expense of the exploitation of our farmers and farmworkers along with the oppression of developing countries, inhumane treatment of animals, pollution of air and water, and degradation of our land.

There must be a paradigm shift and a reorganization of our agricultural system with a sense of real sustainability, where culture and ecology redefine the economics and where we create new opportunities by granting local access to safe and nutritious food, as well as farming methods that do not degrade the quality of water, soil, and air.

Green Solutions

Expanding organic farming

1. Establish the highest organic standards and reject the routine use of hormones and antibiotics in animal feed.

2. Shift price supports and government subsidies to organic food products so that they will be competitive with chemically-produced food.

3. Phase out man-made pesticides and artificial fertilizers, as well as a ban on sewage sludge and hazardous wastes as fertilizers. We promote locally or regionally produced, organic composting systems.

4. Educate farmers about best practices and support their transition to organic farming.

Safe, local and organic food for all

1. Localize our food system and decentralize agriculture lands, production, and distribution. We support the creation of land trusts for much of our farmland and encourage public support for producer and consumer cooperatives, community kitchens, Community Supported Agriculture, urban agriculture, and community farms and gardens.

2. In the interests of ecological sustainability, public health, non-violence and alleviating hunger, we promote the initiation of public education to encourage people to reduce their consumption of animal foods, including information on healthy vegetarian diets.

Democratic oversight and consumer power

1. Phase out all public subsidies to large agribusiness conglomerates and redirect the subsidies to small and medium-sized farms that promote local organic production and sustainable agricultural practices.

2. Ensure that food prices reflect the true cost of food production, including the health effects of eating processed foods, antibiotic resistance, pesticide effects on growers and consumers, soil erosion, water pollution, pesticide drift, air pollution and the vast inefficiency and ecological footprint involved in the production of animal foods.

3. Require mandatory, full-disclosure of food and fiber labeling, including products stamped “inspected” by the USDA. Consumers have the right to know the contents of their food and fiber, how they were produced, and where they originated. Labels should address the presence of GMOs, use of irradiation, pesticide application (in production, transport, storage, and retail), and the country of origin.

Biodiversity and the Environment

1. Promote the restoration of formerly traditional food crops, as well as innovative farm production methods, such as permaculture, polyculture and terra preta.

2. Enact a moratorium on irradiated food and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) until safety can be conclusively demonstrated by independent (non-corporate funded), long-term tests for food safety, genetic drift, resistance, soil health, effects on non-target organisms, and cumulative interactions. We support the growing international demand to eliminate patent rights for genetic material, lifeforms, gene-splicing techniques, and biochemicals derived from them.

3. According to the United Nations’ Livestock’s Long Shadow report, the livestock sector is one of the most significant contributors to our most serious environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Thus, we support a rapid phase out of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) not only because of their adverse impact on the environment, but also on food safety (e.g. disease epidemics), public health, and animal protection.

4. We support the elimination of public subsidies to finance livestock grazing permits on public lands.

5. Promote the widespread growth and use of hemp for industrial purposes. Properly grown, hemp has virtually no psychoactive effects when consumed. With a relatively short growth cycle, hemp is an efficient and economically sustainable crop. Hemp seeds are extremely nutritious, one of the best vegetable proteins and hemp fiber has a wide range of uses including paper, wood alternatives, and textiles.

Denis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Green Party and Cleaning Up Ohio's Environment

THE GREEN PARTY SOLUTION

The obvious answer to fossil fuel depletion and climate change is to simply substitute alternative energy sources for oil, natural gas, and coal.

However, this solution quickly bogs down on two fronts. First, there are no alternative energy sources (renewable or otherwise) capable of supplying energy as cheaply and in such abundance as fossil fuels currently yield in the time that we need them to come online. Second, we have designed and built the infrastructure of our transport, electricity, and food systems – as well as our national building stock – to suit the unique characteristics of oil, natural gas, and coal. Changing to different energy sources will require the redesign of many aspects of those systems.

The energy transition cannot be accomplished with a minor retrofit of existing energy infrastructure. Just as the fossil fuel economy of today systemically and comprehensively differs from the agrarian economy of 1800, the post-fossil fuel economy of 2050 will profoundly differ from all that we are familiar with now. This difference will be reflected in urban design and land use patterns, food systems, manufacturing and distribution networks, the job market, transportation systems, health care, tourism, and more.

It could be argued that these changes will occur in some fashion whether we plan for them or not, that it is only necessary to wait for the market price of fossil fuels to reflect scarcity, with higher costs forcing society to adapt. However, lack of government planning will result in a transition that is chaotic, painful, destructive, and possibly (if the worst climate forecasts are realized), unsurvivable. A passive approach to the fossil fuel depletion problem would lead to social, economic, and political costs of unprecedented scope. Bold action is required.

We need to reduce our overall energy consumption, and restructure our economy to run primarily on renewable energy – and the federal government must lead the way.

The Green Party calls on the United States to take the following actions, including Requirements for Energy Transition.

1. Move decisively to an energy system based on wind, solar and geo- thermal power.

The development of earth-gentle, alternative energy sources must be a cornerstone of any plan to reduce our national reliance on conventional fossil fuels and build a sustainable future. Many alternatives being pushed by policy-makers currently – including nuclear power, coal, industrial-scale biofuels, and low-grade fossil fuels such as oil shale and tar sands – suffer from serious drawbacks, including low energy profit ratios, high environmental impacts, or a limited resource base.

Greens advocate renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and advanced geothermal as the long-term solution to the nation’s and the world’s energy problems. However, further research is needed into new energy storage technologies, as well as new photovoltaic materials and processes, and new geothermal and tidal power technologies. While much of this could be accomplished by the private sector, the economic crisis is likely to delay or undercut needed funding, increasing the need for government support.

2. Electrify the transportation system

America’s existing investment in highways, airports, cars, buses, trucks, and aircraft is enormous. This system is almost completely dependent on oil, and it will be significantly handicapped by higher fuel prices, and devastated by actual fuel shortages. The electrification of road-based vehicles will help; however, this strategy will require at least two decades to fully deploy. Meanwhile, road repair and tire manufacturing will continue to depend upon petroleum products, unless alternative materials can be found.

Even if it is electrified, a ground transport system consisting of trucks and private automobiles is inherently energy intensive compared to public transit alternatives and non-motorized alternatives. The building and widening of highways must therefore come to a halt, and the bulk of federal transportation funding must be transferred to support electrified and non-motorized infrastructure and services. Meanwhile, the existing fleet of private automobiles must be put to use more efficiently through carpooling, car-sharing, and ride-sharing networks.

3. Begin the phase-out of nuclear and coal power plants.

All of the processes associated with nuclear power are dangerous, from the mining of uranium to the transportation and disposal of the radioactive waste. Radioactive waste produced by nuclear power plants will remain toxic to humans for more than 100,000 years, and there is no way to store this waste safely.

The plain fact is, there are no technological quick fixes that can effectively isolate nuclear waste from the biosphere for the durations of its hazardous life. Therefore, rather than producing more of this waste, it is essential that the generation of nuclear wastes be halted. The enormous and long-lasting health and environmental dangers alone make nuclear power unfeasible. Cost in dollars is another huge factor, with each new nuclear power plant expected to cost at least nine billion dollars.

Rather than building more nuclear power plants, the Green Party of the United States calls for a moratorium on new nuclear power plants, the early retirement of nuclear power reactors, and the phase-out of technologies that use or produce nuclear waste, such as nuclear waste incinerators, food irradiators, and all commercial and military uses of depleted uranium.

Coal is particularly damaging to the environment. In the absence of commercially viable “clean coal” carbon capture and sequestration technology, coal is not environmentally sustainable.

4. Plan for decentralized, bio-regional electricity generation and distribution.

Regional utility companies are already beginning to invest in renewables and “smart grid” upgrades, but the work is going much too slowly to avert looming power supply problems. Moreover, the credit crunch will likely slow the work that is currently under way.

Therefore the federal government must step in to set goals and standards and to provide public investment capital. This effort must not favor commercial utilities over municipal power districts; indeed, the devolution of control over power systems to the community level should be encouraged, as decentralized power systems are likely to be more resilient in the face of now-inevitable power disruptions.

Keeping electricity production close to areas of greatest consumption demand will cut down on losses due to transportation, assure citizens greater control of their power grids, and prevent the massive ecological and social destruction that accompanies production of electricity in distant, mega-scale projects.

Dennis S. Spisak=Green Party of Ohio nominee for Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Put an End to Ted Strickland's Dirty Coal And Nuke Plants

U.S. dependence on and overuse of dirty and dangerous energy sources has generated an unparalleled assault on the global environment and human rights in many nations. In the U.S., low income communities and communities of color bear the greatest burden of health impacts due to exposure to emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants. Native American communities have been devastated by uranium mining, and the poor of Appalachia witness helplessly as their ancient mountains are destroyed for a few years’ worth of coal-fired electricity.

The regional and global peaks in supply of oil, gas, coal and uranium production are driving up costs of conventional fuels, threatening continued wars and social chaos. To avert this we must move beyond the dirty and dangerous energy sources immediately and invest in only the cleanest, most sustainable energy strategies. We can and must strengthen our conservation and energy efficiency standards. Of highest importance is to use less, then to use wisely, and to have clean production of what is used.

GREEN SOLUTIONS

CLEAN RENEWABLES

1. Support public subsidies for clean renewable energy technologies – technologies that do not create pollution in the course of generating electricity. These can include wind, solar (including solar thermal and concentrating solar), ocean power, geothermal, and small-scale hydro. Since even clean renewable energy can have negative environmental impacts, care must be taken to minimize such impacts. Clean renewable energy does not include nuclear power, any sort of combustion or process in which by-products are ultimately combusted, or hydroelectric dams that block entire rivers.

2. Federal commitment to the mass-production of cheap, non-toxic solar photovoltaic technology to enable widespread deployment of solar power. To make solar more cost-competitive, we support large-scale government purchases of solar cells for installation on government facilities.

3. We support efforts of individuals and institutions to voluntarily purchase wind and solar power products through tradable renewable energy certificates. However, there are limits to the volunteer, market-based approach to promoting clean energy. Just as we cannot expect that individual purchases of organic food will cause all food production to become organic, we cannot expect that voluntary approaches will be sufficient to fully replace current energy supplies with clean energy. We support net-metering to make decentralized energy production economically viable.

4. We support further research to identify more safe, clean renewables and safe energy storage strategies.

END THE USE OF DIRTY AND DANGEROUS ENERGY SOURCES

1. Oppose further coal, oil and gas drilling or exploration.

2. Ban the construction of hydroelectric dams.

3. Ban mountaintop removal mining.

4. Stop the development of fuels produced with polluting, energy-intensive processes or from unsustainable or toxic feedstocks, such as genetically-engineered crops, coal and waste streams contaminated with persistent toxics.

5. Support small and community-scale renewable and biofuels fuel production operations or programs that recover otherwise wasted biomass or utilize clean primary energy sources such as wind and solar.

NO NUCLEAR POWER

1. Ban any new construction of nuclear fission power plants

2. Decommission all existing U.S. nuclear power plants expeditiously

3. Phase out technologies that use or produce nuclear waste, including non-commercial nuclear reactors, reprocessing facilities, nuclear waste incinerators, food irradiators, and all commercial and military uses of depleted uranium.

4. Ban plutonium (MOX) fuel, nuclear fuel reprocessing, uranium enrichment, and the manufacturing of new plutonium pits for a new generation of nuclear weapons.

5. No public subsidies or bailouts for the nuclear power industry.

CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY

1. Create extensive energy conservation efforts, with a goal of reducing energy consumption by 50% by 2030. (Review amount and time goal)

2. Decentralize electric grids.

3. Authorize tax-exempt bonds to finance public ownership of utilities and to allow publicly owned utilities to finance conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects.

4. Enact smart energy utility regulation for generation, transmission and distribution, not deregulation.

5. Support building codes for new construction that incorporate the best available energy conservation designs. For existing homes and buildings, we support programs to aid in their weatherization and increased energy efficiency.

6. Support research into advanced fuels when the purpose of the research is to develop a fuel that in its full cycle does not create more problems than it solves.

PUBLIC CONTROL AND TRANSPARENCY

1. Support municipal, county-level, and state efforts to regain control over electricity by establishing democratic, public utility systems, to locally coordinate supply and demand and to eliminate energy trading.

2. Provide ratepayers deserve full disclosure of the specific electric generating facilities used to produce their electricity.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Green Party And A Safe Environment For All Ohioans
Greens believe that no one — including people of color and the poor — should be poisoned nor subjected to harmful levels of toxic chemicals and that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.

Low-income citizens and minorities suffer disproportionately from environmental hazards in the workplace, at home, and in their communities. Inadequate laws, lax enforcement of existing environmental regulations, and weak penalties for infractions undermine environmental protection and civil rights. Environmental justice is the crossroads of environmental activism and the civil rights movement, founded on two fundamental beliefs:

All people have the right to live, work, learn, and play in safe and healthful environments.

People have the right to have a say in decisions that affect environmental quality in their communities.

Greens believe that government must ensure the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Green Solutions

1. Ensure that all people have the right to a clean and healthful environment;

2. Make pollution prevention (i.e., the elimination of threats before they occur) the preferred strategy for dealing with environmental justice issues; always consider cumulative environmental impacts when evaluating risk

3. Base decision-making upon the precautionary principle, such that polluters bear the burden of proof in demonstrating the safety of their practices.

4. Expand the application of the precautionary principle from chemicals-and-health to land-use, waste, energy, food-policy and local economic development. Continue to develop the precautionary approach into an overarching philosophy for community decision-making, combined with the public trust doctrine (which states government’s role is to protect the commons), and the commons (where we must give the benefit of the doubt to public health and the natural environment).

5. Actively support programs, policies, and activities that build the capacity to identify disproportionate sitings of facilities, discriminatory land use and zoning laws, and to assure nondiscriminatory compliance with all environmental, health and safety laws in order to assure equal protection of the public health.

6. Ensure procedural justice, ensuring the public right-to-know to make rules and regulations transparent in order for communities to access and participate in the decision-making process

7. Ensure corrective justice, ensuring the right of communities and agencies to seek redress. Communities and agencies must not be required to show or prove “intent” to discriminate to achieve redress for problems of disproportionate environmental impacts.

8. Target precautionary and corrective justice actions and resources in communities with the highest concentrations of environmental hazards.


Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www,dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

What Will Dirty Coal King Ted Strickland Do?

This July, Green For All is calling for a Dirty Energy Independence Week of Action. As the President pointed out, America is addicted to oil and fossil fuels. It is only fitting that, as we celebrate our nation's freeing itself from Britain, we also move boldly on the next frontier of American independence: independence from dirty, deadly fossil fuels that are polluting our country, compromising our security, and costing Americans their livelihoods.

What will Dirty Coal Boss Ted Strickland do? Will he join the movement to end our addiction to dirty coal or will he continue to hawk for more and more dirty coal plants to be built in Ohio?

Considering Ted Strickland is backed through political contributions from dirty coal energy producers such as Duke Energy, First Energy, and Dayton Power and Light, Ted will continue to promote " Burn Coal Baby, Burn!"

As the Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor, I stand with Green For All.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Virginia Seeks To Lead Drive For Electric Cars

Virginia seeks to lead drive for electric cars

The state of Virginia announced last week they want to become a leader in the use of electric cars in the country.

With new electric models set to hit the market this year and next, now is the time to prepare for a time when they are commonplace, said Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton.

"The states that prepare for them are going to be the states that benefit the most from their availability."

"We take for granted the infrastructure that's in place to service our gasoline-powered vehicles," Connaughton continued. "But we don't have that type of infrastructure for electric cars."

Among the numerous factors to be considered are the future availability of charging stations and repair shops and how law enforcement responds to a wreck involving those vehicles, he explained.

The state of Virginia is positioning itself to be a test market on whether electric cars can be viable outside of large cities like San Francisco and New York that are equipped to support them.

Why Not Ohio?

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contcat 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Let's Block Dirty New Coal Plants

No new coal plants should be built in Ohio unless and until they can safely capture 100 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

Ohio should not build new power plants based on old, dangerous, carbon-spewing technologies. If coal is to play any part of our future energy mix, dramatic breakthroughs in carbon-capturing technology must take place.

Also, mountaintop removal should be banned. No coal company should be allowed to blow up mountains-destroying America's beauty, poisoning its rivers, and destroying rural communities.

It's time we break our addiction to dirty coal, before our addiction breaks Ohio.

Ted Strickland is addiction to dirty coal money from coal supplies and electric companies. Thus, Ted Strickland is addicted to continuing keeping dirty coal in business or Ohio.

To keep your air safe, to keep your rivers clean, to keep your local communities intact, it's time we elect a truely Green Governor in Ohio.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Let's Invest In Low-Carbon Mass Transportation

In an era of increasing oil prices, traffic gridlock, and hazardous air quality, it's time Ohio invests in local mass-transit systems, regional and interstate high speed rail, and low carbon means of transportation of both passengers and freight.

Expanding mass transit and rail infrastructure promises to create thousands of good constrcution jobs for Ohio while expanding transportation choices and strengthening communities across the Buckeye State.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Let's Increase Production Of Renewable Electricity

Ohio needs to deploy it's abundant renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal . We must grow the market for renewables. We should have an Ohio Governor whose's objective is to drive the price of renewable energy cheaper than traditional fossil-fuel based energy in the market, thus allowing an ending to finanical incentives.

Ted Strickland won't agree to this. He is backed too much by the dirty coal and nuke industry.

Renewable electricity creates more than twice as many jobs per unit of energy and per dollar invested than traditional fossil fuel-based electricity.

And electricity and heat account for more than 30 percent of all U.S. carbon emissions, a figure that can be drastically reduced by turning to low-carbon renewable energy.

Ted Strickland believes in a future of adding more dirty coal to Ohio's landscape. Ted Strickland thus does not believe in reducing carbon emissions, and thus does not believe you deserve a cleaner Ohio.

Ted Strickland does not deserve to be Governor after 2010.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio? Ted Strickland Protects Coal Industry And Not Communities

Coal ash is toxic.

Communities near the approximately 2,000 coal ash sites scattered across the country face a heightened risk of cancer, learning disabilities, birth defects and other illnesses due to the hazardous materials -- including arsenic, lead and mercury -- that seep into our drinking water.

Yet the industry and Ted Strickland would have us believe coal ash is as safe as regular dirt!

As the Green Party Nominee for Governor, we need strong EPA safeguards to protect our health and environment.

The EPA is taking a stand against King Coal by proposing the first ever federally enforceable regulations for coal ash, but coal companies and Ted Strickland are fighting back, pushing for weaker safeguards and winning support from key legislators.

In January, the National Governors Association sent an inaccurate and misleading letter -- based on outdated studies that don't reflect the latest science -- to the EPA and members of Congress denying the hazards of coal ash and urging the EPA to maintain the current system, an inadequate patchwork of state level protections.

The next Ohio Governor should protect communities, not the coal industry, by supporting strong, federally enforceable coal ash regulations. Ted Strickland is NOT THAT GOVERNOR!

If the BP oil disaster and the Tennessee coal ash tragedy taught us anything, it's that we can't just take the polluter's word for it anymore.

It's time to stand up to the coal industry's lies and break free of the last century's dirty, dangerous, and deadly energy technology.

Don't let Ted Strickland stand in the way of critical protections against coal ash -- send a message today ! Vote for the Green Party of Ohio this November!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Governor Will Clean Up Ohio's Environment, Ted Strickland Won't

It's time we realize we cannot afford to continue to poison our Ohio waterways and air.

Ted Strickland never talks about cleaning up Ohio. He continues to talk about adding more dirty coal plants to Ohio, adding more dirty nuke plants to Ohio, and adding more construction junkyards to Ohio.

Ted Strickland won't clean up Ohio because corporate lobbyists have bought and control Ted Strickland. Yet Ted Strickland will stand up and tell you that these dirty coal and nuke industries are deserving of support and by supporting them is a positive political vrtue.

It's time that a Green party Governor for Ohio and the people of Ohio take back the commons of our air and water, and the first step is to reject corporate participation in politics.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Thanks to Dirty Coal and Ted Strickland, EPA Puts Ohio On Notice To Reduce Sulfur Dioxide
Thanks to Ted Strickland and his love of dirty coal, five Ohio counties have too much sulfur-dioxide pollution, according to a new federal health standard that will force the state to look for ways to reduce the amount of toxin.

The standard, among new rules announced last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also calls for a new strategy to detect the pollutant in urban areas.

The compound, emitted by coal-burning power plants along with cars, trucks and factories that use large furnaces, can irritate lung tissue and trigger asthma attacks. It's also a key ingredient in smog, soot and acid rain.

The U.S. EPA estimates the air in Belmont, Columbiana, Jefferson, Meigs and Morgan counties fails the new standard, which calls for no more than 75 parts of sulfur dioxide per billion parts of air.

Ohio EPA officials said it's too soon to say what must be done to clear the air in those counties. They have until 2014 to come up with a plan, which could call for tougher air-pollution limits at power plants and factories.

The Ohio counties either have coal-burning power plants or steel mills or are close to them. Morgan County, for example is downwind of American Electric Power's Muskingum plant.

And Ted Strickland wants to build a coal to liquid fuel plant in Columbiana County. And Ted Strickland also backed the building of another coal plant in Meigs County last year. Does Ted Strickland really care about your health and your family's health?

Yup, Ted Strickland is one Green Governor.....

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

From Daily Kos......

How dirty is Ted Strickland's Ohio? Plenty!

The Bay Shore coal-fired power plant in Oregon, Ohio, causes nearly $30 million in damages to the state's economy every year.

The report, produced by Genter Consulting and co-released by the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association, Ohio Citizen Action, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Ohio Environmental Council, the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association, and the Ohio Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, shows that this massive economic damage is caused by the plant's antiquated cooling system.

The Bay Shore facility lacks cooling towers, which means that every day it has to draw over 650 million gallons of fresh water. In the summertime, that requires the plant to suck in the entire Maumee River! The water is then spit back into Lake Erie, 5-12 degrees Fahrenheit warmer, and with 126,000 fewer fish every day. This destroys fish populations in Lake Erie that would otherwise be used by Ohioans for recreation or commercial sale.

The conservative $29.7 million estimate was for damage to fish only, and did not include estimates of damage from other uses such as hunting or bird-watching, both of which contribute to the state's economy as well. The study used FirstEnergy's (operator of the Bay Shore plant) own numbers for how many fish are killed.

The report methodically demonstrates a central necessity: the installation of cooling towers at the Bay Shore plant, which would reduce fish kills by 95 percent.

"We now know that the estimated $100 million cost of installing cooling towers is economically justified by the annual $29.7 million economic loss from the fish kills," said Sandy Bihn, a member of the Oregon City Council and Executive Director of the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association.

"Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to require Bay Shore to install cooling towers to reduce the millions of fish - and billions of larval fish - killed each year."

This report also comes as the Ohio EPA reviews its draft of a wastewater discharge renewal permit for the Bay Shore facility - which we are urging them to reject.

Yup. Ted Loves Dirty Coal. And Dirty Coal is sucking money out of Ohio's economy.

Dirty Coal Ted Strickland: Ohio's Answer to BP!

So keep voting for Ted, the Grim Reaper of Ohio's
environment!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Green Party Progressive Directions

The Green Party of Ohio wants to move the Buckeye State in the following progressive directions in 2010:

The economy: Centered on innovation that creates good-paying jobs and provides every Ohioan a fair opportunity to prosper.

Health: Every Ohioan should have access to a state-of-the art, affordable health care system.

Education: A vibrant, well-funded, and expanding public education system with the highest standards for every child and school. We also support early childhood education.

Environment: A clean, healthy, and safe enviroment for ourselves and our children: water you can drink and air you can breathe. Polluters pay for the damage they cause.

Energy: We need to make a major investment in renewable energy for the jobs it will create, independence from Middle Eastern oil, improvements in public health, preservation of the environment, and the effort to halt global warming.

Equal Rights: We support equal rights in every area involving race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

Protections: We support keeping and extending protections for consumers, workers, retirees, and investors.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more information, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Massachusetts Goes More Solar

The roof of National Grid's distribution center in Northbridge, Massachusetts is covered with about 4,700 solar panels, making it the largest solar-generating facility in the state and the first such project to be owned by a utility.The rooftop array - capable of producing about a megawatt of electricity, or enough to power 200 homes - was built mostly with Massachusetts technology and expertise.``It's all good work for all the right reasons,'' said Michael Monahan, business manager for Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, whose members worked on the project. The Cambridge consulting firm Zapotec Energy Inc. (NYSE:EGAS) was also involved, as was the renewable-energy developer Nexamp Inc. of North And over. The panels were made by Marlborough-based Evergreen Solar Inc. (NASDAQ:ESLR) ``These are projects that a utility is in a good position to take ownership of and build,'' said Dan Leary, Nexamp's president. "They own the electrical infrastructure.''This week, the panels will begin converting sunlight into power, said Ed White, a National Grid vice president. The company also is moving forward with solar projects in Dorchester, Everett, Haverhill, and Revere that will provide an additional 4 megawatts of electricity-generating capacity, possibly by the end of the year.

Western Massachusetts Electric Co. is also looking to build solar projects, according to documents filed with the state Department of Public Utilities, and has received approval. Having more renewable energy available to customers - especially electricity generated locally - is a goal of Governor Deval Patrick, who wants Massachusetts to have 250 megawatts of solar power generating capacity by 2017. Currently, it has 28.1 megawatts, with more than 30 megawatts in the pipeline.The electricity from National Grid's project is expected to eliminate about 1.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of removing 400 cars from the roads.The project is expected to cost less than the $6.5 million originally estimated, White said. Since 2008, when National Grid filed plans to build solar facilities, panel prices have dropped. Customers will pay about a penny a month more for the facility over two decades.

Why not Ohio? Is It because Ted Strickland and his energy companies still like to import dirty coal into Ohio which pollutes our rivers and air?

I believe so. Ohio will never be truely green with Dirty Coal Ted Strickland in charge of the state.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more information, contact 330-503-1407

A Green State Government For A Better Future

A Green Party Government does what Ohio's future requires and what the public sector cannot do-or is not doing-effectively, ethically, or not at all. It is the job of the government to promote, and, if possible, provide protection, greater democracy, more freedom, a cleaner enviroment, broader prosperity, better health, and the building and maintaining of public infrastructure.

This is the principle that the Green Party of Ohio is running on in this year's election.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Green Party of Ohio's Progressive Vision

We picture an Ohio where people care about each other, not just themselves, and act responsibly with strength and effectiveness for each other.

We want to protect Ohioans, we want them to propser, and we want them to be treated fairly.

There is no fulfillment without freedom, no freedom without opportunity, and no opprtunity without prosperity.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Clean Energy Solutions Can Boost Ohio's Energy Independence

Ohio relies on coal to produce 85% of it's electricity it generates, Ohio spent the fifth most on net coal imports at 1.49 billion a year and imported the 6th most coal in the U.S. at 32.7 million tons. Investing in energy efficiency is one of the quickest and most affordable ways to replace coal-fired power while boosting the local economy. Yet Ohio spent just $2.51 per person on ratepayer-funded electricity effiency programs in 2007- about 51 times less than it spent to import coal.

Ohio has the technical potential to generate 1.3 times its electricity demand from renewable energy, led primarily by wind, solar, and bioenergy.

It's time Ohio has a governor who will make the firm choice to become energy independent from coal-fired plants, sometime Ted Strickland and his dirty coal lobbyists will not do.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio nominee for governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

"Act now, we're told, if we want to save the planet from a climate catastrophe. Trouble is, it might be too late. The science is settled, and the damage has already begun. The only question now is whether we will stop playing political games and embrace the few imperfect options we have left."  (Bill McKibben)

McKibben made this dire forecast more than a year ago and now in his new book, Eaarth, he pulls the plug on what was once our home planet, concluding that having waited too long to confront global warming, we must now adjust - if we can - to life on a new and different orb he calls Eaarth. http://us.macmillan.com/eaarth

And that was all before the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico began hemorrhaging oil in what is now being called by some the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

So, on the eve of Memorial Day -- with BP still trying to find a fix that sticks and global warming relentlessly on the rise -- should we expand our remembrances to include the passing of our planet as we knew it?

Should we plant flowers in old earth's memory, form parades to salute our globe's glorious past, share stories with our children and grandchildren so they'll never forget their ecological ancestry?

Now it's true that earth has proven to be remarkably resilient and adaptable in the past, absorbing not only countless meteor and comet strikes but man-made insults too numerous to catalog.  In the last century alone, man and nature have survived the Dust bowl, a pesticide-driven Silent Spring, the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, the sinking (and spilling) of the Exxon Valdez in Alaska and the ravages of modern plagues such as the 1918 flu epidemic and AIDS. We survived a Cold War between two states with enough nuclear firepower to incinerate the world.

Hummingbird is convinced, however, that Mother Nature is getting fed up with mankind and may be looking for a way to evict us all and bring in a new caretaker species. In this I disagree with my mate.  Mothers, after all, are famously and endlessly forgiving so maybe our kind will be given the chance to grow up and grow smarter before we make a total wreck of the place.

Such growth, however, depends on mankind being able to evolve beyond its infantile hunger for unchecked consumption and its fascination with techno-toys that inevitably break, making a mess for Mother Nature to clean up.  Let's hope, anyway.

So this weekend, as we honor those who came before us, can we also spare a few tears and memories for the great but possibly late planet earth?

Ohio's Dependence on Imported Coal

The Union of Concerned Scientists reported last week that the
cost of importing coal is a major drain on the
economies of many states that rely heavily on coalfired
power. Thirty-eight states were net importers of
coal in 2008, from other states and, increasingly, other nations.

Burning Coal, Burning Cash ranks the states that are the
most dependent on imported coal. This fact sheet shows the
scale of this annual drain on Ohio ratepayers, and discusses
ways to keep more of that money in-state through investments
in energy efficiency and homegrown renewable energy.
Ohio imported nearly three-quarters of the coal its power
plants used in 2008—some from as far away as Montana and
Wyoming. To pay for those imports, Ohio sent $1.87 billion
out of state. In-state mines supplied the rest of Ohio’s coal
and also exported coal worth $381 million to other states.

The state spent a net $1.49 billion on imported coal.
First Energy Generation, Ohio’s second-largest provider
of electricity services, purchased $570 million in coal imports—
30 percent of the state’s gross total, and more than
any other power producer in the state. First Energy’s W.H.
Sammis plant, in Stratton, spent $291 million on coal imports—
more than any other power plant in Ohio. The plant
is the twenty-first-largest source of carbon dioxide emissions
(the main cause of global warming) among hundreds of coal
plants nationwide.

As the Green Party of Ohio nominee for Governor, I say the cost of importing coal is a drain on Ohio's economy. Investments in renewable energy can help stimulate the economy by redirecting funds into local economic development-funds that would otherwise leave the state.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more information, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Because Ted Strickland Is Committed To A Dirty Environment

As long as Ted Strickland backs dirty coal and nuke power for Ohio, our families will have dirty water, dirty air, and no real means of gaining progressive employment in the ever-growing clean green energy world.

As long as Ted Strickland supports dirty coal and nukes, we will not see jobs created.

We will not see less air pollution and less childhood asthma.

We will not have clean environments and homes.

We will still be dependent on Middle Eastern oil.

Clean, green energy is not just about energy. it's about jobs, health, clean air and water, global warming, and foreign policy. Issues that all Ohioans care about. Issues that Ted Strickland will not try and solve as long as he is a slave to dirty coal and nuke lobbyists.

Ohioans deserve a Governor who will champion their fight for a cleaner world and a world of more jobs and economic growth, not a slave or puppet to dirty coal and nukes.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Green Collar Jobs And Job Growth

Green Collar Jobs can grow an inclusive sustainable economy by developing education and job-training programs that improve social equity and provides pathways out of poverty for Ohioans while strengthening the middle class by equipping workers for high-demand jobs in the green economy.

This will also strengthen and make further progress on our stated commitment to improving Ohio's environment in ways that grow both the green economy and gree-collar jobs locally.

We can build on climate and environmental commitments to create market demand for green products, services, skilled workers, and create more propserous local economies.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Ohio will never truely be an alternative energy state as long as pro-nuke Governor Ted Strickland remains in office.

Ted will take his photo-op trip to Dallas on Monday to promote off-shore wind power, but in his heart Ted is a Pro-Nuke Governor. His actions speak louder than his words:

Last June, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati reported on the story of state and federal officials gathering in Piketon, Ohio to support a nuclear plant site there. Ted Strickland was holding hands with GOP queen Jean Schmidt praising nuclear power:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Officials made a step forward Thursday concerning the future of energy production in the Buckeye state.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Congresswoman Jean Schmidt were among the leaders who gathered in Piketon, Ohio to announce plans to explore the option of a nuclear power plant there.

Piketon is about 100 miles east of Cincinnati.

The announcement took place at 10 a.m. at the former uranium enrichment plant which is the site possibly intended for the new energy plant. It has the necessary infrastructure for a nuclear plant.

The plant would take 10 years to build. It would employ about 4,000 people during construction and about 800 people when the plant is complete.

Duke Energy would reportedly be a partner in the plant along with a French firm. As of now, officials have not decided to move forward with the nuclear plant. They have only announced a group to explore the possibility of a plant in Piketon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now we know why Duke Energy is a huge contributor in financial donations to the Strickland Campaign: They have a Nuke Plant puppet in Ted Strickland!

Is this the type of Governor you want running Ohio for your children's safety? Do you want a glowing Nuke plant in your backyard? You may get one if Ted Strickland is re-elected Governor of Ohio! How progressive is Ted Strickland if he cuddles up to Mean Jean Schmidt when it comes to Nuke Plants?


Dennis Spisak_Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor


Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info: contact 330-503-1407

Green Collars Jobs As A Central Stategy

We in Ohio must see that green collar jobs are a central strategy for advancing environmental, economic, and climate protection goals.

Green collar jobs will provide pathways to prosperity for all workers and offer comptetive salaries while leading to a lasting career track. This will help strengthen our middle class.

Green Jobs will also emphasize community-based investments that cannot be outsourced and contribute directly to preserving and enhancing environmental quality.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

We Need Green Technology To Power Ohio In The Future

By electing a Green Party Governor to Ohio, Ohioans would be sending a message that we want a clean-technology revolution in Ohio and a transformation of our aging energy infrastructure to become the next great engines for green energy innovation, productivity, job growth, and social-equity gains.

Our nation has always prospered when we invested in innovative technology in the past: from rural electification, the transcontinential railroad and interstate highway systems, telecommunications, and the Internet.

Bold Green Public Leadership will provide incentives for scientific inquiry, new technology, and an infrastructure that will allow the private sector to flourish while building up the middle class.

Building a green clean energy economy will generate hundreads of billions of dollars of productive new investments.

This is a vision Ted Strickland can't seem to comprehend. This is why Ted Strickland remains fixed to dirty coal and nukes as his "green energy plan."

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Burning Coal Is Dirty Business, Ted

Clean Coal is an oxymoron, the technology for it does not exist. Burning and mining coal are the two dirtiest activities happening in Ohio, both back wholeheartedly by Ted Strickland.

Ted Strickland believes we can pump all of carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants into big holes in the ground. It's not an option. No earth-born container is guaranteed forever.

Ted Strickland believes we can have clean coal by turning it into liquid fuel. However, with this process you have double the carbon dioxide emissions:first during production, and again from the tailpipe of cars or jets.

The bottom line is, there is no clean way to burn coal. This is of no concern to Ted Strickland, who believes Ohio should continue to burn coal, and tons of it.

When will Ted Strickland wake up and smell the clean air? Can't say. Since Ted Strickland is controlled by dirty coal-firing electric power companies who pour thousands of dollars into his campaign, Ted will continue to embrace burning dirty coal in Ohio. And for Ohio, our environment, and our children, this is a sad state of affairs.

As a Green Party Governor, I would call for an immediate turn to clean green energy. I would call for a start to a massive build-up of clean green energy technology for Ohio, a "New Green Deal". We need to push far greater then we currently are for solar and wind power development in Ohio. This will be my goal, and my plan.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Michael Collins

There is no viable solution insight for the out of control oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico.  The stunning failure of British Petroleum (BP) raises the question - are these oil giants too big to exist?  Are they too dangerous to function in our presence?  BP has four permanent deep water  structures and 28 boreholes operating at a water depth of greater than 5000 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.  What's next?

British Petroleum (BP) had the resources to drill the well but lacked the planning and ability to deal with its failure.  The oil giant's performance inspired ridicule by Jon Stewart in a recent Daily Show comment ("There will be blame").  The White House was not amused, however.  Nobel Prize winning physicist and Secretary of the Energy, Steven Chu, is now in Houston with a team of cutting edge scientists tasked with mentoring BP and devising a viable solution as the oil giant continues to falter.

Why Not Ohio? Brownfields for Solar and Wind Power Sites

As the Green Party Nominee for Governor, I propose using Ohio's many industrial brownfields as sites fior new solar and wind farms for the Buckeye State.

Brownfields have become an attractive option for renewable-energy projects like solar and wind. Among about 15 million acres of polluted land in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency has identified 11,000 sites as ripe for renewables. These include brownfields, abandoned mines, federal facilities and Superfund sites, which are properties the government has designated as some of the most contaminated in the U.S.

The EPA has pegged the sites for potential uses like wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and landfill-produced methane, and is working with other agencies, local governments, developers and utilities to promote projects.

Among the advantages: Brownfield land is cheap, often abandoned, close to such necessary infrastructure as power lines, roads and water, and is often properly zoned. Population centers, and hence available labor, also tend to be nearby.

When zoning and infrastructure are already in place, it speeds up the permitting process, which is often the largest risk in project development. With renewables, it makes sense to avoid undeveloped land. Wind turbines, for example, which some consider eyesores, tend to meet less opposition when the proposed site has been polluted. The EPA also helps with cleanup costs.

While the overall cost of each cleanup depends on the site, the combination of EPA subsidies and discounted land prices often make it worthwhile for the projects to proceed. But there can still be drawbacks. Performing required assessments takes time. Renewable companies also need to be careful they don't penetrate the cap that often sits under 18 inches of soil and protects the outside world from the contamination underneath.

We have the Brownfields, so let's use them now!

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Obama administration should be applauded for not giving Baard Energy a cent of taxpayer money for their Wellsville,Ohio plant. Public funds should be spent on safe, reliable, clean energy, not risky technology that doubles down on dirty ways of the past.

In the aftermath of last month's coal mining tragedy in West Virginia, and the ongoing and disastrous BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it should be clearer than ever that we desperately need to transition off of dangerous, expensive fossil fuels. We must invest only in forms of energy that are part of the solution, not part of the problem. We need to begin investing in clean green energy like solar and wind power.

Liquid coal is a risky financial gamble that even Wall Street has definitively rejected. The federal government should not prop up polluting industries that have failed to attract any investment from the private sector.

The Baard liquid coal plant would add enormous amounts of carbon pollution at the very time we need to start drastically reducing our emissions. Federal support for Baard would take Ohio and our country in the absolute wrong direction.

Then why does Ted Strickland continue to support this plant? Ted Strickland is not the Green Governor he leads you to believe he is.

I guess supporting dirty coal plants is a value Ted Strickland learned on Duck Run.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Way of Improving Ohio

New Conditions impose new requirements upon government and those who conduct government. The Democrats and Ted Strickland will continue to operate in their fail ways of the past four years if re-elected this November. That is why we need a Green Party Governor and leadership to move Ohio forward.

We need a green government that owes to every man an avenue to work, a right to own property, and a right to health care.

We must see that purchasing power is well distributed throughout every group int his state. We need to see wages restored and unemployment aided, and farmers brought back to their level of prosperity. We need to create opportunity once more in this great state.

We must have government leadership that believes in change and progress. We must have a state government for the benefit of the many, not the benefit of the few.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Mississippi Governor, Haley Barbour is still in political containment mode with such quotes as, "We're going to fight it every step of the way, and we do not take for granted that this is going to be catastrophic" while millions of gallons of oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico, and the full cataclysmic nature of the recent BP drilling rig explosion will be taken for granted as a crude reality.

Although the AP (American Propaganda) prefers to discuss the economic ramifications, the greater aftermath will be felt in the natural world. Innumerable living creatures will die or be irreparably harmed from the suffocating, poisoning and starvation effects of the petrol-chemicals now in and around the Gulf, but it is the landfall damage caused by the fast approaching hurricane season which may outweigh even that devil's brew.

Just three weeks from now, hurricane season will officially begin, and while I am by no means a weather expert, isn't it common knowledge that when a hurricane passes through an area, it sucks up the water from one place and dumps it out everywhere else?

Of course, there are a number of unknown factors at play and even the experts don't know how oil, seawater and hurricanes will interact.

So, what could happen if a hurricane passed through the Gulf and deposited polluted water across the eastern seaboard? Is it possible that this would pollute the soil and ground water over a vast swath of America?

If past hurricane routes are any indication, then the above map is an apt illustration of those areas that may become polluted, and the black trails carry a particularly ominous foreshadowing of what may lie ahead.

Will Ted Strickland Continue To Pollute Ohio's Water?

Last year, The Ohio EPA released study results on Ohio's CCD landfills, concluding that liquid watse from these landfills DO pose serious threats to groundwater, the environment, and public health. Arsenic, lead, and other toxins are poisoning our groundwater.

This past February, Governor Strickland was asked and urged to issue a statewide moratorium on dumping any potentially contaminated waste into our landfills.

Ted Strickland has yet to act!

Waste from construction and demolition sites continue to be dumped into Ohio's landfills.

Ted Strickland has been told we expect safe groundwater for our communities. Yet Ted Strickland refuses to act.

Is Ted Strickland the Green Governor we are led to believe? I think not.

Is Ted Strickland the Governor controlled by dirty polluters? It seems so.

As Governor, I would call for a halt to dumping immediately. Ted Strickland

says "Dump, Baby, Dump". Can we really afford 4 more years of Ted

Strickland protecting our environment?



Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Just Say No to Liquid Coal and Ted Strickland

Ted Strickland backs the dirty coal to liquid fuel plant in Wellsville, Ohio.

I believe our public officials should support clean energy, not dirty coal. Because we want the robust economy and environment that investing in clean energy jobs will bring. Not dirty coal, like Ted Strickland believes in.

The proposed Baard Energy liquid coal plant would take 20,000 tons of coal per day and process it into liquid transportation fuel. Baard's allies have been writing to the Department of Energy to say the only way the project can move forward is with federal assistance.

The fact is, even Wall Street doesn't want to invest in liquid coal. That's why Baard has failed to raise enough money from the private sector.Our tax money shouldn’t be a lifeline for failing, dirty energy projects

I believe this is a project that is not worthy of the Department of Energy's (DOE) support.

Baard officials have repeatedly made grandiose public claims that don't stand up to scrutiny. They have made no legally binding commitment to control carbon emissions, and indeed the lifecycle emissions of the facility as permitted could reach 26 million tons of CO2 every year. In addition, Baard is now being sued in federal court for failure to pay its contractors' fees. Baard even claimed to have received a $2 billion DOE loan guarantee -- before subsequently withdrawing empty-handed from the loan guarantee program.

The private sector seems to be wholly unconvinced of the wisdom of investing in liquid coal, pending a future carbon regime and other regulatory costs associated with coal. Why should taxpayers take on risk that even Wall St. is avoiding? Make no mistake: we in Ohio want investment in clean energy technology that will stimulate our economy, create jobs and help prevent the worst of global warming. We are grateful for the Obama administration's strong leadership on clean energy. But the Baard project will instead pollute our air and lock Ohio into the past.

Ted Strickland supports the Baard Plant. Ted Strickland wants to pollute our air and lock Ohio in the dirty coal past. Can we afford to keep Ted Strickland around for another four years?

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Americans Want Clean Green Energy From Wind Power

In a national survey administered in March by Public Opinion Strategies and Bennett, Petts & Normington, results showed that an overwhelming bipartisan majority -- 89% -- of American voters (including 84% of Republicans, 88% of Independents and 93% of Democrats) believe increasing the amount of energy the nation gets from wind is a good idea. Furthermore, a majority of Americans -- 56% -- disapprove of the job Congress is doing on renewable energy and 67% believe Congress is not doing enough to increase renewable energy sources such as wind.

But Governor Ted Strickland still considers building more and more coal plants as the answer for Ohio's energy problems. Ted Strickland is out of touch with Ohioans and Americans. Ted Strickland supports those energy policies put forth by dirty coal and nuke lobbyists.

It's time Ohio truely elects a Green Governor for the Buckeye State.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Ole King Coal: Ted Strickland Loves Dirty Coal Campaign Money

Ole King Coal, AKA Ted Strickland, is a merry ole soul, and a merry ole soul is he. He dances for his dirty coal contributions into his re-election campaign this year.

Early this year, Ted Strickland backed the ill-fated Duke Energy plan for another dirty coal plant in Meigs County. Also earlier this year, Duke Energy poured $16,000 into Ted Strickland's re-election campaign coffers.

But one energy company who profits from dirty coal is not enough for Ted Strickland. Ted has also reaped huge campaign contributions from Dayton Power and Light as well as First Energy Ohio.

Why is Ted Strickland passive on bringing solar and wind power to Ohio compared to his continued huge push for dirty coal plants? Could it be Duke Energy has Ted Strickland right where they want him? Pushing a pro-coal agenda?

I think so. As Green Party Governor of Ohio, I will take no PAC money from dirty coal and power companies. I stress more green energy for Ohio, let's make Ohio the Green Power Giant of America in solar and wind power research, development, and manufacturing.

Ted Strickland won't. Duke Energy told him so.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Middletown, Ohio: Ted Strickland is selling you down the river for $20,500 dollars

SunCoke Energy, a subsidiary of Sunoco Inc., wants to build a $340 million dollar coke production and electrical facility in South Middletown on the border of Monroe. The plant would produce metallurgical-grade coke to be supplied solely to AK Steel Inc. in Middletown via a conveyor system.

However, last month it was learned that, the SunCoke Haverhill North Coke Company’s P901 and P902 plants — similar to the $360 million plant to be built in Middletown — “violated and continues to violate” its bypass venting permit requirements. Since Jan. 1, 2009, SunCoke has failed to comply with its permit in at least 116 instances, emitting 594 percent tons more of particulate matter and 134 percent tons more sulfur dioxide through its bypass stacks than allowed, said Gina Harrison, an environmental scientist with the U.S. EPA’s Region 5 office.

Where does Ted Strickland stand on the building of the Suncoke Middletown plant? He supports it.

Gov. Ted Strickland, whose office has openly supported the project, said he has been “in frequent contact” with SunCoke and AK Steel, a partner in the project.

“Just let me emphasize if I can, this facility will be the cleanest coke plant in America. It is using the most advance technology available. It will be constructed with all of those concerns in mind and so that the environment will be protected and it will be a major boost I hope for the Middletown community,” Strickland said in a phone interview Tuesday, Feb. 9.

While Strickland said he was aware of the objections posed by the city of Monroe and several residents there regarding the potential health hazards, he said he believes the Middletown plant will be state-of-the-art and pose no threat to human health.

AK STEEL DONATED $7,500 DOLLARS TO STRICKLAND'S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. SUN PAC, THE PAC FOR SUNOCO, DONATED $13,000 DOLLARS TO TED STRICKLAND'S CAMPAIGN. FOR THIS AMOUNT, TED STRICKLAND IS BACKING AK STEEL AND SUNCOKE'S DIRTY VOLATION PRONE COKE PLANT!

Does this sound like a "Green" Governor to you? Does Ted Strickland really care about the citizens of Middletown and their health? Or is Ted Strickland once again demonstrating that he is in the pockets of dirty coal, nukes, and energy plants? And Steel plants who drop $7,500 dollars in Strickland's back pocket?

As the Green Party of Ohio's candidate for Governor, I stand with the vast majority of Middletown residents who do not want a dirty coke plant in their backyard.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Why Not Ohio? Solar Power Heats Up As Costs Drop

Earlier this year in a Toledo Blade article, Ted Strickland admitted that Ohio has been passive in pursuing more solar energy in Ohio. Now, a story out of Kansas City points out how other states continue to build a growing solar power industry in their area while Ohio stands still....

Solar power heats up as costs drop, electric rates rise
Apr 26, 2010 The Kansas City Star
Steve Everly

The Midwest gets plenty of sunshine -- more than Germany, which uses more solar power than any other country. Kansas City has the same percentage of annual sunshine as San Antonio, for example, and Dodge City, Kan., has as much as Miami.

And the big cost considerations that for years have held back solar power in the region have changed. The price of solar panels has dropped substantially, and the Midwest's traditionally low electricity prices are on the rise.

Those factors came together recently for Tom Lawler, a Commerce Bank vice president. As coordinator of the bank's sustainability efforts, he has crunched the numbers on solar power for years. But this time he got a big surprise. They made economic sense.

The payback time for a solar panel project had plummeted from 25 years to just 10 years. As a result, Commerce this month is installing photovoltaic panels at its branch at 135th Street and State Line Road in Kansas City.

Solar power has become a viable investment.

A Kansas City greeting card company that later this year will install the largest solar installation in Missouri. Kansas City Power and Light plans to have its first solar power installation up and running next year.

Overall, solar capacity for the first time moved above 2,000 megawatts, enough to power 350,000 homes, convincing many in the industry that solar is at a turning point.

Last year was the best ever for the U.S. solar industry, and 2010 is expected to be even better.



Solar has always been a tough sell in the Midwest, but several trends are helping make it more competitive:
--The cost of photovoltaic panels, which account for just over half of a solar installation, have plummeted 40 percent in the last year, thanks to cheaper prices for silicon and ample manufacturing capacity.

--Available incentives have never been more generous. Federal tax credits or grants are cutting the cost of commercial and residential solar installations by 30 percent. Businesses also can accelerate depreciation of their investment, helping recover their costs faster. Other incentives include the KCP&L rebate for its Missouri customers, which can lower a system's cost an additional 25 percent or so.

--The Midwest's low prices for conventionally generated electricity are going up. KCP&L, for example, will have raised rates about 40 percent in just a few years if its most recent rate request is granted.

--Several states, including Kansas and Missouri, are encouraging use of renewable energy, including requiring utilities to use more. Missouri's law specifically requires some solar use, and both states require utilities to buy excess renewable energy produced by households and businesses.

Why Not Ohio? Why do we continue to let "Passive" Ted Strickland be the leader of solar power and energy in Ohio. Ted Strickland is a dirty coal and dirty nuclear loving governor. He will never commit to improving solar power on a grand scale. I will.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Hey Ted Strickland: "Clean coal" won't work, new research says

Someone in the Democratic Party needs to tell Ted Strickland, our dirty-coal loving governor to sit down and read the following report released last week:

"Clean coal" won't work, new research says


US research paper questions viability of carbon capture and storage
A new research paper from American academics is threatening to blow a hole in growing political support for carbon capture and storage as a weapon in the fight against global warming.

The document from Houston University claims that governments wanting to use CCS have overestimated its value and says it would take a reservoir the size of a small US state to hold the CO2 produced by one power station.

Previous modelling has hugely underestimated the space needed to store CO2 because it was based on the "totally erroneous" premise that the pressure feeding the carbon into the rock structures would be constant, argues Michael Economides, professor of chemical engineering at Houston, and his co-author Christene Ehlig-Economides, professor of energy engineering at Texas A&M University

"It is like putting a bicycle pump up against a wall. It would be hard to inject CO2 into a closed system without eventually producing so much pressure that it fractured the rock and allowed the carbon to migrate to other zones and possibly escape to the surface," Economides said.

The paper concludes that CCS "is not a practical means to provide any substantive reduction in CO2 emissions, although it has been repeatedly presented as such by others."


Ted Strickland supports CCS at the new Wellsville, Ohio Baard plant that he backs. Ted Strickland wants to continue to pollute the Ohio environment by backing such broken processes such as CCS.

I spoke out against the Baard plant based on unuseable CCS procedures,Ted Strickland still supports the project.

It's time to dump Ted Strickland from office.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Nova Scotia To Introduce Feed-In Tariffs

Paul Gipe reported last week that as part of Nova Scotia's Renewable Electricity Plan, the province in Eastern Canada will implement a series of feed-in tariffs for locally-owned projects.

Nova Scotia, one of Canada's Maritime Provinces, announced the Community-Based Feed-in Tariffs or COMFIT program to "encourage the development of local renewable energy projects by municipalities, First Nations, co-operatives, and non-profit groups."

If implemented as proposed, Nova Scotia will be the third province to use feed-in tariffs to develop renewable energy. Prince Edward Island, also a Maritime Province, has had a simple feed-in tariff for several years, and Ontario, Canada's most populous province launched its successful program last fall.

The government's Renewable Electricity Plan proposes building 300 MW of new renewable capacity by 2015 in three equal tranches: one for the provincial utility, one for independent power producers, and one for community-owned projects. Significantly, the plan proposes reducing coal-fired generation from 75% of supply to 40% of supply by 2020.

Why not Ohio? Why are more and more Canadian Providences and States here in the USA going to feed-in tariffs to lower use of coal-fired energy plants? Is it because Ted Strickland supports building more and more coal plants in the Buckeye State? Considering his support for building a coal to fossil fuel plant in Wellsville, one has to believe Ted Strickland is controlled by dirty coal lobbyists in Columbus.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Sorry Ted, Proposed air pollution rules would restrict toxic emissions

Ted Strickland and his dirty coal and power companies got some bad news in today's Columbus Dispatch:

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WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration proposed new air pollution rules today that would sharply restrict toxic emissions such as mercury from the boilers that provide power for many Ohio factories and universities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said its proposed regulations would reduce mercury emissions by more than 50 percent from 200,000 industrial boilers and solid waste incinerators across the country. Mercury can cause damage to the developing brains and nervous systems of children before they are born.

The new rules, if put into effect, will have a major impact on virtually every part of the United States, particularly the industrial Midwest. They would cover boilers that burn natural gas, coal and oil to produce heat and electricity for factories, universities, hotels and commercial buildings.

In addition, the rules would require sharp reductions in toxic emissions from incinerators that burn solid waste at commercial and industrial sites.

Environmentalists hailed the news. Frank O'Donnell, president of the Clean Air Watch, a nonprofit environmental organization in Washington, called them "a huge step towards protecting children from toxic mercury and other hazards from smokestack pollution.''

"This is one of the most significant steps taken by the Obama EPA to protect public health,'' O'Donnell said. "Literally thousands of dirty-air deaths would be prevented each year.''

The EPA said the new rules, if fully put in place, would save as much as $44 billion every year in health costs and prevent as many as 5,200 premature deaths.

"Strong cuts to mercury and other harmful emissions will have real benefits for our health and our environment, spur clean technology innovations and save American communities billions of dollars in avoided health costs,'' said Lisa Jackson, administrator of the EPA, in a statement.

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Poor Ted Strickland. Such a ruling who be a blow to his plans to put more dirty coal power plants in Ohio. It would stop possible construction of Strickland's coal to liquid fuel plant in Wellsville. It would stop Ted's backed Suncoke Plant in Middletown.

Mercury harms children. Ted Strickland doesn't support this claim. Ted loves dirty coal plants that produce Mercury. Ted Strickland doesn't mind harming your children.

I support this proposed ruling and turning Ohio's future to clean wind and solar power producing resources. Ted Strickland will fight it.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th! Just say no to the Democrats and Republicans who do not care about your children's health!

Shift Green

Green America's corporate responsibility director, Todd Larsen, crunched the numbers published by the US Department of Labor for the average American household's 2009 purchases, and came away with an inspiring conclusion. If all American households shift just 10 percent of their current spending to green purchases, we could steer $300 billion toward green jobs and the green economy.

Think about it. That's $300 billion toward businesses that build community… $300 billion toward recycling, composting, and reuse… $300 billion toward reduced energy use… $300 billion toward fair supply chains that protect workers and stop sweatshop abuses.

Equally powerful, the reverse of the equation is true. Shifting 10 percent to green means pulling $300 billion worth of support out of the business-as-usual economy. That's $300 diverted from supporting fossil-fuel expansion… $300 billion pulled from irresponsible, exploitative banks… $300 billion of support denied to big-box stores with questionable sourcing standards and disastrous carbon footprints.

It's time to say goodbye to corporate controlled Democrats and Republicans like Ted Strickland and John Kasich!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

1. Keep pushing for more dirty coal plants o be built in Ohio.

2. Keep puhing for a nuke site in Piketon, Ohio

3. Keep polluting Ohio's environment with more coal slurry ponds in the work....

Keep it up, Ted! Your such a "Green" Governor!

Happy Earth Day!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Low Income Folks Want Green Collar Jobs



The green-collar jobs movement got another major boost: a groundbreaking report underscores how the growing green economy can provide high quality jobs for those who need them most. The author, Professor Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University, is a leading national expert on green-collar jobs.

Some highlights:

.

Workers with barriers to employment want green-collar jobs. Analysis of men and women in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco with barriers to employment revealed that:

•89 percent wanted to learn more about green-collar jobs.
•61 percent expressed interest in being contacted in the future so they could receive training to work in a green-collar job.
Prof. Pinderhughes summarizes the report:

Poverty, unemployment and racial inequality are significant problems in the United States, and there is an urgent need for a new source of living wage jobs for low income residents with barriers to employment. Where can these jobs come from? This research project shows that an important part of the answer is the deliberate cultivation of "green-collar" jobs.



Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio Needs To Turn To Green Jobs




The green-collar jobs movement got another major boost: a groundbreaking report underscores how the growing green economy can provide high quality jobs for those who need them most. The author, Professor Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University, is a leading national expert on green-collar jobs.

This report deepens our understanding of how to harness green business growth to build pathways out of poverty. Prof. Pinderhughes' research provides us with critical guidance as we develop the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, the nation's first attempt to carry out the model that Professor Pinderhughes describes in her report.

Some highlights:

Green businesses need workers, offer training, and pay well. Of the Berkeley green businesses surveyed by Professor Pinderhughes:

86 percent hire workers without previous direct experience or training for green-collar jobs.
94 percent provide on-the-job training for workers in entry level positions.
90 percent pay the full cost of insuring their workers.
73 percent of businesses stated that there was a shortage of qualified green-collar workers for their sector, with the greatest needs in energy, green building, mechanics and bike repair.
The average hourly wage for green-collar work in Berkeley is $15.80 plus benefits. This is $4.00 higher an hour than Berkeley's current minimum "living wage," which is the highest in the nation.
To bring jobs back to Ohio, Ohio needs a Green Party Governor committed 100% to Green Energy, and not committed to dirty coal and nuke power like Ted Strickland is.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

For more info, contacvt 330-503-1407

And Ted Strickland Wants To Build More Nuke Plants In Ohio?

The Plain Dealer report says it all about problems at Davis-Bessie Nuke Plant:

As many as 16 critical parts in the Davis-Besse reactor lid are cracked or flawed, and the problem could get worse.

Engineers expect to find additional problems when they conduct a third round of high-tech inspections in the coming weeks.

The cracks can lead to radioactive coolant seeping into reactor lid, corroding it and ultimately leaking into the heavy-walled building containing the reactor. That’s what happened to Davis-Besse in 2002.

The reactor has been shut down since Feb. 28 for what owner FirstEnergy Corp. initially thought would be a fairly routine refueling and safety inspection. There is no re-start date at this point because of the time-consuming repairs that have barely begun and the planned additional inspections..

And Ted Strickland, our "Green" Governor wants to build a new nuke plant in Piketon or in your backyard someday?

As Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor, I say no more nukes for Ohio. Ted Strickland will say "Come on down, let's GLOW BABY GLOW!"

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Ted Strickland Never Met A Smokestack he Didn't Like

SunCoke Energy, a subsidiary of Sunoco Inc., wants to build a $340 million dollar coke production and electrical facility in South Middletown on the border of Monroe. The plant would produce metallurgical-grade coke to be supplied solely to AK Steel Inc. in Middletown via a conveyor system.

However, last month it was learned that, the SunCoke Haverhill North Coke Company’s P901 and P902 plants — similar to the $360 million plant to be built in Middletown — “violated and continues to violate” its bypass venting permit requirements. Since Jan. 1, 2009, SunCoke has failed to comply with its permit in at least 116 instances, emitting 594 percent tons more of particulate matter and 134 percent tons more sulfur dioxide through its bypass stacks than allowed, said Gina Harrison, an environmental scientist with the U.S. EPA’s Region 5 office.

Where does Ted Strickland stand on the building of the Suncoke Middletown plant? He supports it.

Gov. Ted Strickland, whose office has openly supported the project, said he has been “in frequent contact” with SunCoke and AK Steel, a partner in the project.

“Just let me emphasize if I can, this facility will be the cleanest coke plant in America. It is using the most advance technology available. It will be constructed with all of those concerns in mind and so that the environment will be protected and it will be a major boost I hope for the Middletown community,” Strickland said in a phone interview Tuesday, Feb. 9.

While Strickland said he was aware of the objections posed by the city of Monroe and several residents there regarding the potential health hazards, he said he believes the Middletown plant will be state-of-the-art and pose no threat to human health.

Does this sound like a "Green" Governor to you? Does Ted Strickland really care about the citizens of Middletown and their health? Or is Ted Strickland once again demonstrating that he is in the pockets of dirty coal, nukes, and energy plants?

As the Green Party of Ohio's candidate for Governor, I stand with the vast majority of Middletown residents who do not want a dirty coke plant in their backyard.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party primary on May 4th!

For more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Indiana and Illinois Add Massive Wind Power

The wind-energy industry last year installed about 5,700 turbines with more than 10,000 megawatts of generating capacity - enough to serve more than 2.4 million homes - according to the American Wind Energy Association.

Texas leads the nation with more than 9,000 megawatts of total wind generation capacity, including 2,292 megawatts added last year.

Indiana added 905 megawatts of capacity in 2009, second only to Texas in the amount of wind generation capacity added last year. Illinois added over 600 megawatts of capacity in 2009, and ranked 5th in additions.

Why not Ohio? Why did Ohio fail to score in the top 5? Is it because again we see that we do not have the "Green" Governor we are led to believe we have in Democrat Ted Strickland? Ted Strickland is all talk and very little action. Ted talks green energy but Ohio fails to walk the walk. While other states are building and producing green wind energy, Ohio plans are always "down the road."

It's time we elect a Green Power Governor in Ohio. Ohio will never realize it's Green Power potential as long as dirty coal and nuke power Governor Ted Strickland runs the show and the state.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Ontario Races Ahead to Close Coal-Fired Coal Plants

In another in a series of stunning announcements from Ontario, the provincial power authority has awarded connections and contracts for 2,500 MW of new renewable generation capacity under its precedent-setting feed-in tariff program.

More announcements are expected in the months to come as the Ontario Power Authority brings on an additional 1,500 MW of new transmission capacity and works its way through an 80 MW backlog of residential rooftop solar applications.

In typical Canadian understatement, the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) says the contracts awarded may be "the single largest green initiative of its kind in Canada." In reality, the program may simply be the single largest green initiative in North America as the province races ahead in its plan to close its coal-fired power plants by 2014.

Why Not Ohio? Is it because we have a dirty coal power plant supporter in the likes of Governor Ted Strickland? Considering Ted has never met a dirty coal power campaign donation he didn't like, Ohio will never look to reduce coal power plants as long as Ted Strickland remains Governor. It's time for a Green Power Governor for Ohio!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

While Ohio Build Coal Plants, Other States Build Wind Farms

While the folks at Duke Energy still look at new ways to build more coal plants in Ohio, other states are getting energy companies to look at building green renewable power sources.

Constellation Energy Group (NYSE:CEG) , the parent of Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., said Wednesday it closed a deal to buy a $140 million wind energy project in Garrett County that is expected to start operating by the end of the year. Constellation is buying 28 2.5-megawatt wind turbines from Clipper Windpower Inc. The 70-megawatt project will generate 125 new jobs during construction. The project is part of Constellation's push to promote and expand its clean-energy offerings in the Mid-Atlantic area. Constellation struck a 20-year power purchase agreement with Old Dominion Electric Cooperative for renewable energy credits produced at the wind turbine facility.

We need a Governor in Ohio who will push power companies to build more green renewable energy sources, not more dirty coal plants which pollute the Ohio environment.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Michigan Institute Calls for Feed-in Tariffs at Municipal Utility

Paul Gipe wrote last week that the Michigan Land Institute has proposed that Traverse City Light & Power implement a system of feed-in tariffs to wean the municipal utility from its dependence on coal.

Traverse City Light & Power is a municipal utility serving the small town of 15,000 in the "little finger" of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Traverse City is the largest town in a 14-country region. The utility is better known for installing one of the first, if not the first, municipally-owned, commercial-scale wind turbines in 1996. The utility has done little with renewable energy since that pioneering project.

The Institute, a Traverse City non-profit, urged the utility's board of directors to both implement an aggressive program of energy efficiency and launch a program to develop clean sources of energy, including wind, solar, and biomass.

The Land Institute's recommendations are contained in a report titled 20-20 by 2020: a Clear Vision for Clean Energy Prosperity. The report, among other recommendations, urges the utility's board to adopt feed-in tariffs to encourage locally-owned wind and solar energy. The Institute argues that feed-in tariffs, in contrast to tax subsidies, allows both non-profits and profit-making enterprises to participate. Through feed-in tariffs, says the Land Institute, the utility need not raise its own capital to build solar and wind projects in the community, the utility's ratepayers make the investment themselves and revenues they earn return directly to the community where they live.

If Traverse City Light & Power moves on the recommendations, the utility would be following in the footsteps of Gainesville Regional Utilities, a Florida municipal utility that launched a highly regarded solar feed-in tariff in 2009.

Why Not Ohio? It's because we have a current pro-dirty coal and nuke Governor in Ted Strickland who will not go the extra mile to encourage locally-owned wind and solar energy. When you are a puppet to dirty-coal and nuke lobbyists like Ted Strickland is, saving the planet is not a concern.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Wind is 20Pecent of Iowa's Energy

The Center of Rural Affairs last week reported wind energy accounts for up to 20 percent of Iowa's total electricity production, and is helping to keep the state's power costs among the lowest in the nation.


Authors of the study said it debunks arguments that alternative energy and other measures to combat climate change are too expensive. The study was conducted by the Iowa Policy Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization based in Iowa City.

The study found that wind produced 3,670 megawatts of electricity in the state. If that power were used solely within the state it would produce enough electricity to power 940,000 homes roughly three-quarters of the state's homes.

The study noted that MidAmerican Energy is one of the most aggressive utility companies in the nation on wind energy, securing approval in December to install another 1,001 megawatts of production.

Iowa continues to rank second to Texas in wind production in the United States, the study found.

Coal-fired plants produce about 75 percent of the state's electricity, and there is one nuclear plant in the state.

In examining electricity costs, the study found that Iowans paid about 6 cents per kilowatt hour in 1998. That climbed to 7 cents per kilowatt hour by 2008. Over the same time period, national average electricity costs went from 7 cents per kilowatt hour to nearly 10 cents.

Why not Ohio? Why doesn't Ohio look to reach double-digit use of wind power? It's because Ohio continues to be led by Ted Strickland, a governor who is controlled by the dirty coal and nuke power lobbysists in the state.

It's time we elect a Green Party Governor who will say NO to dirty energy lobbyists and embrace real clean, green renewable energy!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

How to Turn Ohio Green

We need a mixture of tax credits, grants and additional incentives to make bring
green manufacturing jobs to the state. We currently have a public utilities
property tax still on the books and it is a hindrance in luring solar companies
to Ohio.

Ohio continues to subsidize coal. Of the $150 million set aside to provide
grants and loans that typically range between $50,000 and $2 million for
advanced energy projects, $66 million was designated for "clean" coal
technology. Per the Ohio Constitution, state funding for coal projects can be in
the form of grants, but funding for other alternative energy projects, such as
solar, must be in the form of loans.

Why is Ohio lagging behind? The answer is simple, and it comes from Ted
Strickland's own mouth:

"Ohio been a passive state for quite a while, and this is just one of them," Mr.
Strickland said. "There was just no real[effort] pursuing alternative-energy
companies."

We need a proactive governor to bring Green jobs to Ohio. ..

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary May 4th!

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Colorado's New Renewable Energy Standard Among Nation's Strongest

From the Apollo Alliance last week:

Colorado's New Renewable Energy Standard Among Nation's Strongest

Though the pace of federal action on climate and clean energy issues continues to lag, states across the nation are keeping up the momentum with strong legislation on a diversity of clean energy fronts. Colorado topped the list this week by adopting a renewable energy standard (RES) that requires 30 percent of the state's energy to come from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2020. Colorado's RES, which also promotes rooftop solar by requiring three percent of the renewable energy to be acquired through distributed generation, is among the strongest in the nation.

"I salute the dedication and commitment of all lawmakers who support the expanded use of renewable resources and cleaner-burning natural gas," said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter in an op-ed that ran on Sunday in The Pueblo Chieftain. "The energy of our future generations will be cleaner and more sustainable because of their vision and their leadership. Colorado's workforce will usher in a new era of economic opportunity to compete in and be a leader in a fast-changing world."

Not only will the Colorado RES create strong demand for renewable energy, it also includes several provisions that will ensure that clean energy jobs are good jobs. One provision requires that a certain ratio of workers on solar installation projects be certified solar installers. According to Charlie Montgomery of the Colorado Environmental Coalition, who is also active with the Colorado Apollo Alliance, community colleges and apprenticeship programs in the state will prepare workers to take the certification test available through the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). Certified workers bring a high level of competency to their work and can usually demand higher pay than uncertified workers.

"This new law will provide safe, quality photovoltaic installations and create green careers for Colorado's working families," said Mary Broderick, renewable energy and marketing agent with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 68, which will help train a new generation of solar installers.

The bill also requires Colorado's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to consider job quality and community economic impacts when it considers proposals to build new electricity resources. Whereas in the past, the PUC was required to analyze a proposed project's cost effectiveness, now the PUC must also consider such factors as the project's ratio of in-state workers to out-of-state workers; the availability of long-term career opportunities; and the wages, health care and pension benefits being provided by the utility or company proposing the project.



Why not Ohio? If Ohio is to be the leader in renewable energy, we should have the strongest standard in the nation. But Ted Strickland can't commit to that, because he is in the back pockets of dirty coal and nuke lobbyists.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Democratic Party used to be the party for the environment. Now they are the party of Nuke Plants.

Ted Srickland supports building them in Ohio, President Obama supports building them in America, and now Ohio U.S. Senator Brown says "The White House assures us there will be support for USEC to do what it needs to do with enrichment."

So the White House is giving Ohio a possible green light for USEC to put $2 billion of taxpayer money at risk for a project that isn't consider to be proven commercially viable.

Fast forward to last week, and the appearance by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu before a House Appropriations Committee subcommittee, where the topic of the uranium-enrichment loan guarantees was brought up by lawmakers.

There's enough to go around for both Areva and USEC. That was Chu's message, loud and clear.

"I don't think these companies have to be in competition with one another," Chu said.

The Energy Department might give Areva a $2 billion loan guarantee first, but then find other funds later to back another $2billion guarantee for USEC.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, says he's engaged on the issue with the White House and has spoken directly to Obama.

Brown said he is confident USEC has the technology to run a commercially viable operation and produce hundreds of southern Ohio jobs.

But it's impossible to tell just what the Energy Department nuclear-energy experts, as opposed to the administration politicos, really think of USEC's technology. Presently the Energt Department sees red=flas to USEC's proposal, but Ted Strickland and his Democratic stablemates want a green light so Ohio can glow more Nuke Green.

The short-term political gain of backing the Piketon project could be a long term disaster if USEC's loan guarantee leaves taxpayers on the hook, after all.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why are Ted Strickland and John Kasich Against Food Safety?

Ohio residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the safety of

the food supply.The proposed Ohio farm animal welfare ballot

measure would encourage the industry to transition towards raising
animals in a healthier manner for both animals and people. Extreme

intensive confinement means more Salmonella and more risk to
rural communities and the environment. Like other factory farming

practices—such as the routine feeding of antibiotics or slaughterhouse

waste to farm animals—forcing to slaughter cows and calves who are

too sick to even stand can also have grave public health implications.

Ohio voters should have the opportunity this November to send a

clear signal that factory farm profits shouldn’t trump the welfare

of animals or the health of Ohioans or their environment by voting yes

on the Ohio farm animal welfare ballot measure.


Dennis Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Will Ted Strickland Say NO to Murray Coal?

Murray Energy, Ohio's largest coal mining company, wants to divert a pristine, high-quality stream from its course in Belmont County and transform the dry streambed into an artificial storage lake for billions of gallons of dirty coal slurry. Murray's current slurry impoundment has released toxic slurry repeatedly over the past decade into nearby streams.

Slurry is a waste product formed when coal is "washed" with water and chemicals to remove rock and impurities. In January, the U.S. EPA declared its opposition to the project as currently proposed, saying it will have "substantial and unacceptable adverse impacts

What stance will Ted Strickland take? Will he oppose it, or support it?

As the Green Party candidate for Governor-I stand with the EPA and declare my opposition to the project. Let's see if Ted Strickland is man enough to do the same, or will he cave into his dirty coal lobbyists and support the project?

Dennis Spisak

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Go Green! America Could Produce 12 times More Wind Power

From Green Options:

A recent study from the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) suggests that the continental U.S. has the potential to produce 37 million gigawatt-hours of electricity from wind power each year. That’s a huge leap from the 52,026 gigawatt-hours we used in 2008.

This study was just looking at potential for wind energy, but it’s exciting news for the wind industry regardless. It certainly makes bills requiring a high percentage of renewable energy from utilities like this one in Colorado seem much more doable!

Of course, the problem with wind is the same problem you run into with any renewable: storage. Wind is intermittent, and in order for us to effectively incorporate renewables into our power supply on any sort of large scale, we need a way to store excess power for the times when the wind’s not blowing. Battery technology has come a long way, and it’s looking like there are some really promising solutions in development on that front.

Between the potential energy payoff, advances in battery technology, and improvements in the turbines themselves, maybe we ought to be throwing more research dollars at wind power?

A Green Party governor would support more research dollars for wind power and not more dollars for dirty coal and nuke plants like Ted Strickland does.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Conn. would waive student loans in 'green' jobs

From the AP last week:

===================================================

By STEPHEN SINGER

HARTFORD, Conn. — Paul Goulet hopes Connecticut will help him get from under nearly $8,000 he's borrowed for college after losing his job in a paper manufacturing plant.

Goulet, 55, is a student in environmental studies at Goodwin College in East Hartford, aiming to find work in wastewater treatment. State legislation that would waive thousands of dollars in loans would benefit him and other students who earn degrees or certificates in green technology and other jobs.

"Everything I've taken out since October is on the student loan program," he said. "Any little bit would help, especially with the job market the way it is."

Loan forgiveness programs aren't new — states use them to entice medical professionals to rural areas, steer teachers to certain subject areas and attract farmers to local agriculture.

The legislation comes as the White House is emphasizing the importance of green works and job creation. President Barack Obama announced in January $2.3 billion in tax credits — to be paid for from last year's $787 billion stimulus package — that he said would create 17,000 green jobs. The money will go to projects including solar, wind and energy management.

Connecticut's proposal could break new ground. Trying to boost its work force in high-growth green technology, life sciences and health information technology, the state would annually forgive as much as $2,500 of federal and state education loans for up to four years, or 5 percent of loans, whichever is less.

To qualify, students must earn a bachelor's or associate's degree and work in Connecticut for at least two years.

Joan McDonald, economic development commissioner, said Connecticut is seeking to boost its population of young workers.

"What we're doing here is to encourage people to come here and stay here," she said.

The legislation, which would earmark $6 million, cites green technology, life science and health information technology because prospects are good for job growth in those industries and Connecticut is home to employers in fuel cell technology, pharmaceutical products and other high-tech industries, she said.

The bill is not a sure thing in the legislature. Members of the House-Senate Committee on Higher Education and Employment Advancement will decide by March 16 whether to bring it up for a vote, said Sen. Mary Ann Handley, co-chairwoman of the committee.

Retraining unemployed workers is the focus of another bill that would provide more immediate help to the jobless, she said.

"We need to think about what direction to go," Handley said.

===================================================

Why not Ohio? What is Ted Strickland doing to keep Green jobs and students in Ohio?

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Indiana Graduates First Green Technicians

Last Monday, the Apollo Alliance was proud to co-sponsor an event honoring the first "Green Technician" graduates of an Indianapolis training program run by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 481 and the National Electrical Contractors Association of Central Indiana. After receiving their certifications, the newly minted Green Technicians displayed an array of solar panels and a wind turbine they recently installed at the Electrical Training Institute, where they received their instruction.

"Each graduate of the Green Technician program will be an Industry Certified Technician, ready to work on anything from windmills to retrofits of existing buildings that need to become more energy efficient. We are incredibly proud of their achievement," said Jim Patterson, director of the Electrical Training Institute.

The green technician training program is an apprenticeship program that includes classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Apprentices are paid during the course of their training.

Why Not Ohio? Why are other states getting the jump on us in creating 21st century green technology jobs? Why are other states building more 21st century green manufacturing jobs quicker than Ohio?

The reason is Ted Strickland is passive when it comes to embracing Green Technologies. TellStrickland will always be a Dirty Coal and Nuke Governor first. We need a Green Party Governor to bring Green Technology jobs quicker to the Buckeye State.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Thank Ted Strickland: Ohio Has 3 Of The Dirtiest Coal Plants in Nation For Mercury Pollution

In a story from yesterday's Columbus Dispatch:

Three Ohio power plants are among the top 50 "dirtiest" in the U.S. for the mercury they emit from their smokestacks, according to a report released today.

American Electric Power's Gavin plant along the Ohio River in Gallia County more than doubled its output, emitting 937 pounds of mercury in 2008 compared to 435 pounds it released in 2007.

That was enough to rank Gavin 12 on the Environmental Integrity Project's list.

The Washington D.C.-based advocacy group used pollution data on 467 coal fired power plants that utilities report each year to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's toxic release inventory to compile its rankings. AEP's Conesville plant in Coshocton County, pictured above, was No. 14 on the list with 898 pounds of mercury emitted.

FirstEnergy's Sammis plant, along the Ohio River in Jefferson County ranked No. 44 with 498 pounds of mercury in 2008. Mercury is linked to nerve and kidney damage in children and is linked to brain damage and mental retardation in fetuses.

The U.S. EPA considers coal fired power plants "the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States."

It's one of the most common pollutants found in Ohio's lakes, streams and fish. That's prompted a statewide Ohio EPA advisory that residents should eat no more than one meal of locally caught fish per week.

And Ted Strickland is a "Green" Governor? Thanks to Ted Strickland being in bed with the dirty coal lobbyists Ohio continues to pollute the air and streams of this great state with mercury. And it will only get worse with Ted Strickland as Governor, Ted propses to keep 75% of Ohio's power sources to remain coal fired plants. It's time we elect a Green Party Governor to Ohio to help clean our state's natural resources.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

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Why Not Ohio? Colorado Sets New Energy Economic Program
Advancing Colorado's New Energy Economy
Mar 11, 2010 Denver Post
By Gov. Bill Ritter Jr.

Congratulations to the state legislature for giving final approval this week to landmark legislation that keeps Colorado at the epicenter of America's New Energy Economy and once again demonstrates how we are transforming the country's energy, economic and environmental future.

House Bill 1001 requires our largest utility companies to generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020. Our new 30 percent standard will be the best in the Rocky Mountain West and one of the highest nationally.

More importantly, it will continue to position Colorado as a national pace-setter for creating jobs, strengthening our economy and protecting our environment.

We are leading America toward a clean energy future by strengthening our ability to compete nationally and internationally for service and manufacturing jobs. We are spurring new innovations and new energy technologies. We are moving closer to energy independence by expanding homegrown energy supplies. And we are ensuring stable, reliable, sustainable and affordable energy for all Coloradans.

HB 1001 is just the latest step in our ambitious efforts to build a New Energy Economy here in Colorado. Our commitment to a clean energy future has attracted companies like Vestas, the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines, and SMA Solar, one of the world's leading producers of solar inverters. These two companies are adding up to 3,200 Colorado jobs to the state's workforce.

And they aren't alone. Innovative companies like Solix Biofuels and Abound Solar are spinning out of our research universities. Firms like Ascent Solar, Siemens Wind, RePower, SunRun and Solar City are providing new opportunities, strengthening communities and changing the state's economic landscape.

We've also linked Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the Colorado School of Mines to form a unique "collaboratory" with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden. Thanks to this unique, cutting-edge collaborative effort, Colorado is now home to the best energy research corridor in the world.

With Xcel Energy's support, HB 1001 will allow us to advance this New Energy Economy, in large part by expanding the use of distributed or local renewable energy such as rooftop solar. We anticipate the new 30 percent renewable energy standard will lead to large-scale clean energy projects and at least 100,000 additional solar rooftops over the next decade. The benefit of rooftop solar is that it doesn't need expensive, long-range transmission systems.

The legislation also provides a statutory framework that will not increase costs to consumers. In fact, because of the success of our New Energy Economy, we have seen prices come down in renewable energy, allowing for even greater purchasing power.

While no state or nation has been immune to the global recession, Colorado's New Energy Economy has been our brightest light. We now have the fourth-highest concentration of renewable energy and energy research jobs in the country. With the passage of HB 1001, this sector will only grow stronger and stronger.

================================================

Why Not Ohio? Because Ted Strickland is tied to closely to Dirty Coal and Nuke Lobbyists. As long as Ted Strickland is Governor, we will continue to see Green Jobs go to Colorado and not come to Ohio.

That's why we need a Green Party Governor in Ohio.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info: contact 330-503-1407.

Why Not Ohio? Time To Say No to Coal Slurry

Several years ago, Ohio's biggest coal mining company asked for permission to drain a pristine stream and fill it instead with coal slurry, a mixture of water, chemicals, and coal mining waste. In 2008, Ohio EPA rightly told Murray Energy to go back to the drawing board1.

So what's Murray Energy's "new" plan for 2010? Drain a pristine stream and fill it with dirty coal slurry -- again. And this time, the company threatens to start firing people if it doesn't get its way.

We can't allow corporations to bully our elected officials who are trying to do the right thing. The Ohio EPA stood strong in 2008. Now, Ohio EPA must stand strong again.


The choice between decent jobs and clean water is false; in order to regain its economic edge, Ohio must move beyond coal to clean energy in the coming years and decades. Turning a pure freshwater stream into a huge toxic coal slurry impoundment is a giant step in the wrong direction.

We need a Green Party Governor for Ohio in 2010 who is for Renewable Clean Energy, not Dirty Coal Energy that Governor Strickland backs!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Upset the Setup-Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Oregon's solar future could hinge on copying Germany


Amy Hsuan, wrote last month in The Oregonian;

===================================================

In Freiberg, Germany, a florist sells flowers on a snowy street in January. The 800-year old medieval town, the industrial center of the former communist East Germany, maintains its historic character surrounded by old castle walls and a moat. Not long ago, the town had a 20 percent unemployment rate, but today the solar industry has brought new jobs and related businesses. FREIBERG, Germany -- Head to the eastern edge of Germany, go down a two-lane road, pass the castle walls of this medieval town, and you'll find a glimmer of Oregon's future.

New solar factories rise atop snow-covered hills. High-tech businesses snag workers for miles around. On rooftops and farmland, solar panels fire electricity into the utility grid.

In Germany, a decade of national policies and billions in government subsidies fuel a burgeoning solar industry, creating 230,000 jobs and putting it on track to lead the world's emerging - and lucrative - clean-tech sector.

It's a dream scenario for Oregon leaders, in a high-stakes bid to grow their own "solar forest." And they intend to follow Germany's path - practically step by step.

In the coming months, Oregon will test a new incentive program that takes after the German subsidy called a feed-in tariff, which requires utility companies to pay residents for generating electricity on rooftop solar systems.

Businesses, too, will be able to tap into the perk, which could provide a return over 15 years for investing in solar, still one of the most expensive forms of energy around.

Already, hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits are riding on businesses such as SolarWorld, a leading German manufacturer with North America's largest solar plant, in Hillsboro.

Still, Oregonians can look to Germany to see where this green gamble might end up.

"If you talk about solar, you talk about Germany," said Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, whose visits there shape a sun-powered vision. "We may never emulate Germany, but the economics of it is something to learn from.

====================================================

Here we have ANOTHER Governor praising Feed-In Tariff laws. Why not Ted Strickland? Is it because Ted Strickland is in way too deep with dirty coal and nuke lobbyists? As Green Party candidate for Ohio governor, I will make it a priority that Ohio residents have a chance of receiving a payment credit for using solar power in their homes and businesses.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com



Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!


For more info, contact 330-503-1407.

Ted Strickland Stops 1,500 Jobs From Entering Ohio

One only has to read Monday's Toledo Blade article on solar power in Ohio to see that Ted Strickland is not the "Green" Governor he positions himself to be.

According to the article:

=======================================================

Norm Johnson,, chairman of the nonprofit group Ohio Advanced Energy, vice chairman of Germany's Calyxo GmbH, and chief executive of its North American subsidiary, said Mr. Strickland is to blame for Ohioans not having thousands more jobs in the solar industry right now.

He said the governor hasn't moved quickly enough to create a market for solar panels in Ohio and has left the door open for German and Chinese companies to sell their products here once more customers begin buying solar panels.

"While our industry has received excellent help from [U.S. Rep.] Marcy Kaptur, we've received mediocre help from Ted Strickland," Mr. Johnston said.

His primary complaint is the Strickland administration's rejection of his $750 million proposal to build 30 solar fields - each capable of producing at least 10 megawatts of electricity - on cleaned-up industrial sites throughout the state.

The plan, put forth by Ohio Advanced Energy, included an estimate of 1,500 jobs immediately and called for the project to be funded by federal stimulus dollars, state-issued bonds, and other methods

=======================================================

While Ted Strickland won't help solar companies with funding, but Ted will bend over backwards to help Nuke and Dirty Coal Plants get funding in Ohio. That's why Ohio has only created 8,000 solar jobs in Ohio, while states like Michigan and New Jersey have created some 13, 000 and 16, 000 respectively!TEd Strickland is not a "Green Energy" Governor!

It's time we elect a Green Party Governor to get Solar Power untracked here in the Buckeye State!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor!

Upset the setup! Vote Green in the May 4th Ohio Primary!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Because Ted Strickland Has Dropped The Ball When It Comes To Solar Power

The first two paragraph's of Sunday's Toledo Blade Investigative reports on Ohio's lack of success in luring solar power to the Buckeye state says it all:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Toledo and its northwest Ohio neighbors have missed out on coveted manufacturing jobs in the solar industry because of a failure by state officials to attract companies with tax incentives or create a viable market for solar panels in Ohio, a Blade investigation shows.
Since 2007, thousands of those jobs have gone to states where companies were enticed by a mixture of tax credits, grants, and additional incentives to make solar products there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Blade also reported that:

A public utilities property tax is still on the books and is a hindrance in luring solar companies to Ohio.

Ohio continues to subsidize coal. Of the $150 million set aside to provide grants and loans that typically range between $50,000 and $2 million for advanced energy projects, $66 million was designated for "clean" coal technology. Per the Ohio Constitution, state funding for coal projects can be in the form of grants, but funding for other alternative energy projects, such as solar, must be in the form of loans.

California has 140 solar manufacturers, and Arizona (37), Florida (26), New York (23), New Jersey (21), Massachusetts (21), Colorado (20), Texas (19), New Mexico (18), Illinois (15), Michigan (15), Pennsylvania (14), and Oregon (11) all exceed Ohio's count.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why is Ohio lagging behind? The answer is simple, and it comes from Ted Strickland's own mouth:

"Ohio been a passive state for quite a while, and this is just one of them," Mr. Strickland said. "There was just no real[effort] pursuing alternative-energy companies."

Why no effort, Ted? As the leader of this state, should you not be beating the drum for for solar power plants to come into Ohio? Is it because you are a Dirty Coal Governor under the influence of coal lobbyists like the UMW, Duke Energy, and Dayton Power and Light?

Why not Ohio? In the state of Oregon, solar manufacturers get tax credits of up to 50 percent of construction costs. At least four solar companies have moved or placed manufacturing operations there since 2007 totaling about 2,000 permanent jobs.

Why Not Ohio? Michigan offers alternative energy companies credits from the state's business and payroll taxes and in 2008 enacted an incentive up to 25 percent - or $15 million - of the capital investment made specifically for companies that build photovoltaics facilities.

Why not Ohio? Because Ted Strickland is Governor. This has to change come November!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Upset the setup! Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more information, contact 330-503-1407

Why not Ohio? Let's Stop New Nuke Plants in the Buckeye State
In an article from Green Options:

==================================================

Vermont Senate Rejects Relicensure for Yankee Nuclear Plant

In what some view as a harbinger of the difficult political task of relicensing the aging stock of 1970s era nuclear reactors nationwide, Vermont’s state Senate exercised its uniquely-held state relicensing authority to reject a plan to keep the Vermont Yankee plant open beyond 2012.

The vote came at a time of controversy for the plant itself, after recent concerns about tritium leaks have gone public and as activists, protestors and lawmakers expressed concerns over the plant’s safety. By contrast, the vote came just one week after President Obama announced the first $8 billion in an expected $50 billion of government-guaranteed loans for new nuclear reactors, a plan the White House said was essential to help meet America’s growing energy needs from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide.

Others, however, continue to vehemently oppose the idea of expanding nulcear power (or even relicensing the existing stock) on several fronts: safety of plant operation, national security, proliferation risk, unsolved waste disposal issues, and now, the financial gamble of guaranteeing loans to an industry that has a history of cost overruns and project delays.


==================================================

Ted Strickland is on record saying he wants more Nuclear Plants for Ohio.

Can we and our children afford to have unsafe nuclear plants be the goal of any future governor? I oppose building any new Nuclear Plants in Ohio.

Ted Strickland doesn't. Who is looking out for your children and family?

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Vote in the Ohio Green Party Primary on May 4th!

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland and his Nuke Plants Must Go!

It's time for Ohio to just say no to Ted Strickland and his nuclear energy program. Ted Strickland and the nuclear lobby thinks that the public has forgotten about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. And it doesn't want you to hear about the recent incident in Vermont, where radioactive tritium -- a cancer-causing carcinogen -- leaked from a reactor and polluted groundwater.

The nuclear danger is real for all Americans -- even those of us who don't live near a reactor. Dealing with nuclear waste means transporting it by train across the country. One derailment in a heavily populated area could have catastrophic consequences. It's our job to remind the public about these risks and why we've had a 30-year moratorium on new reactors.


Ted Strickland and the corporations angling to profit from new reactors are some of the wealthiest in the country. So why are they asking for our tax money? Because Wall Street banks won't risk investing in new reactors unless the government backs them up with a pre-emptive bailout. It's no wonder. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the risk of default on new nuclear loans is "well above 50 percent." If Wall Street doesn't want to take the risk, why should taxpayers?

It's time for Ted Strickland to stop selling Nuclear Power to the people of Ohio. It's time for Ohio to stop Ted Strickland from ever placing another Nuke Plant in Ohio. It's time for Ohio to Move Foward and Remove Ted Strickland from the Governor's office in November!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Vote in the Green Party Primary in Ohio on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407.

One only has to look to the Governor's office when one
questions why Ohio is failing: We have a passive Governor In Ted Strickland. Ted's " Turnaround Ohio" plan from 2006 has failed because Ted has not been aggressive in pursuing the goals he promised while on the campaign trail in 2006. He told you what you wanted to hear, and has failed to deliver on any of these campaign pledges because he lacks drive and refuses to push the legislature to go to work on his vision.

Why do we not have the Health Care for All Ohioans Act, because Ted Strickland is passive and supports keeping health insurance companies in place raising premiums on the people.

Why don't we have more Blue-Green jobs and greater employment opportunities in Ohio? Because Ted Strickland is passive in pursuing these jobs and is too close to dity coal lobbyists.

Why don't we have a cleaner enviroment? Because Ted Strickland is passive and rather sit back and build more nuke and dirty coal plants in ohio.

Why don't we have better funding of education? Because
Ted Strickland is passive and let's the legistlature dictate to him how to fund education. Instead of being a leader, he is a pawn of the Senate Republicans.

Until we elect an agressive governor, Ohilo will continue to fail. And we only have Ted Strickland 's
passive inactions to blame for that.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Upset the setup! Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407.

Just Say No to Ted Strickland and His Nuclear Plants!

Ted Strickland want to build more Nuclear plants for Ohio. What does that mean? If the costly new nuclear plants aren't finished, then taxpayers cover the huge financial loss.

If they are built, then we're stuck with power plants that generate overpriced electricity and create deadly radioactive waste that will remain toxic for thousands of years.

Either way, the nuclear industry wins, and we lose.


Nuclear power creates deadly radioactive waste, from the mining process onwards. It's got a scary history: think Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.

Just recently, a nuclear plant in Vermont was ordered shut down after radioactive tritium, which is linked to cancer, leaked from the plant into local water supplies.

Nuclear power is so financially risky that even Wall Street won't bet on it. It's a public health and financial disaster waiting to happen.

Instead, our government should promote energy efficiency and a decentralized power system based on safe, clean, renewable energy.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor!

Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com



for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland and Jean Schmidt: Kissing Cousins when it comes to Nuclear Power Plants
Last June, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati reported on the story of state and federal officials gathering in Piketon, Ohio to support a nuclear plant site there. Ted Strickland was holding hands with GOP queen Jean Schmidt praising nuclear power:

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Officials made a step forward Thursday concerning the future of energy production in the Buckeye state.

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Congresswoman Jean Schmidt were among the leaders who gathered in Piketon, Ohio to announce plans to explore the option of a nuclear power plant there.

Piketon is about 100 miles east of Cincinnati.

The announcement took place at 10 a.m. at the former uranium enrichment plant which is the site possibly intended for the new energy plant. It has the necessary infrastructure for a nuclear plant.

The plant would take 10 years to build. It would employ about 4,000 people during construction and about 800 people when the plant is complete.

Duke Energy would reportedly be a partner in the plant along with a French firm. As of now, officials have not decided to move forward with the nuclear plant. They have only announced a group to explore the possibility of a plant in Piketon.

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Now we know why Duke Energy is a huge contributor in financial donations to the Strickland Campaign: They have a Nuke Plant puppet in Ted Strickland!

Is this the type of Governor you want running Ohio for your children's safety? Do you want a glowing Nuke plant in your backyard? You may get one if Ted Strickland is re-elected Governor of Ohio! How progressive is Ted Strickland if he cuddles up to Mean Jean Schmidt when it comes to Nuke Plants?

Dennis Spisak_Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Ask for a Green Party Ballot and Vote in the Ohio Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland: The Dirty Coal Supporting Governor

While Ted Strickland like to portray himself as the "Green Renewable Power" Governor, He is in reality the number one supporter of dirty coal and nuke power plants in Ohio.

His campaign contributions are heavy in pro dirty coal and nuke power backers, the UMW, Duke Energy, and Dayton Power and Light.

Plus, Ted Strickland comes right out and tell the press he supports dirty coal. When the AMP Plant fell through in Meigs County, TEd Strickland released the following press statement to the Pomeroy newspaper:

"Gov. Ted Strickland, a supporter of the project, released the following statement through spokesperson Allison Kolodziaj, “Creating jobs and producing homegrown energy was a hallmark of this project. While we’re very disappointed to learn of this news, we respect the decision of the member communities to look at other options for the site in Meigs County. The Strickland administration continues to work with AMP through these next steps.”

Ohio needs clean,renewable, and alternative energy in the 21st Century.

That's why Ohio needs Green Party Candidate Dennis Spisak as Governor in 2010!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Ask for and vote in the Ohio Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

How to Create Green Energy Jobs for Ohio

From the Apollo Alliance:

===================================================

Amid growing concerns about the U.S. losing clean energy manufacturing jobs to other countries, a new report released this week by Policy Matters Ohio, the Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) and the Apollo Alliance documents how one clean energy investment proposal, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown’s Investments for Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology (IMPACT) Act, would help create and retain clean energy manufacturing jobs in Ohio.

The Impact of IMPACT: Creating Jobs in Ohio finds that the IMPACT Act, which is contained in the proposed Senate clean energy and climate bill, would create between 41,063 and 52,214 new jobs across Ohio.

The IMPACT Act would establish a two-year $30 billion revolving loan fund to assist small- and medium-sized manufacturers retool to produce clean energy component parts and become more energy efficient. It would also increase long-term funding for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to help manufacturers access clean energy markets and adopt innovative, energy-efficient manufacturing technologies. Provisions that are nearly identical to those in IMPACT were included in the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009.

“PERI’s analysis finds that investing in the retooling and conversion of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Ohio would create a robust engine of job growth for the state,” said Heidi Garrett-Peltier, the economist who conducted the analysis. “We find that the investments from IMPACT would not only retain current jobs, but they would also create new jobs that utilize the skills of the workers of Ohio. These investments are a potentially powerful way to revitalize the manufacturing sector in the state.”

The findings of the report are relevant to other manufacturing states and to anyone who wants to ensure that comprehensive federal clean energy and climate measures create the economic benefits that American workers are expecting. To read the report, visit the Policy Matters Ohio website.

====================================================

I will work to see that Green Jobs are the number one priority in my administration, not coal and nuke plants like Ted Strickland supports!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

Pick up a ballot and vote in the Green Primary on May 4th!

for mroe info: contact 330-503-1407.

Last night Conservative Governor Ted Strickland made his third campaign stop in as many weeks to the Youngstown-Warren metro area. This is a sure sign conservative Teddy is in trouble this November. When a sitting Democrat like Teddy has to make three trips in as many weeks to an area that votes 80% plus democratic in every election, it's a sure sign Teddy has to work extra hard this year trying to rally his so-called base of core voters.

But Teddy can't rally his voters this time around. Not when he opposes health care for all Ohioans and then takes $10,000 in campaign contributions from Medical Mutual. Not when he supports nuclear power plants with his kissing cousin GOPer Jean Schmidt.
Not when his Turnaround Ohio plan has closed more early chidhood education programs, made college less affordable, and failed to keep Ohioans with any type of affordable health care plan.

Teddy Strickland is in trouble-for he knows he is a do-nothing Governor...a conservative Republican in thought and actions, who tries to don populist clothing every election cycle.

Teddy, your dog don't hunt, and you are naked. The people of Ohio see right through your do-nothing administration. It's time to elect a progressive Green Party Governor in Ohio to move Ohio Forward.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor.

Ask for a green party ballot and vote in the green party primary on May 4th!

http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland, Nuclear subsidies put taxpayers at risk


An article last week in the Boston Globe reports:

==============================================

President Obama's plan to kick-start the construction of nuclear power plants in the United States comes with a big catch: Because private banks won't lend to an industry viewed as financially risky, taxpayers would be accountable for billions in government-guaranteed loans if plant developers default.

``There is a huge potential risk for taxpayers,'' said Autumn Hanna, who analyzes federal loan guarantees at Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonparti san group. She said the risk could be in the tens of billions of dollars and said the public shouldn't be asked to assume responsibility banks are unwilling to take.

Banks have been reluctant to lend money for new nuclear projects due to a combination of concerns about cost overruns, past defaults, and the uncertain regulatory climate and political hostility that have shadowed the industry since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979.

But there are significant uncertainties. The Washington Public Power Supply System, which sought to build nuclear reactors financed with municipal bonds, defaulted on those bonds in 1983 in a case that still hangs over the financing of such projects. In addition, the problem of where to put spent fuel, which remains highly radioactive, has not been resolved.

The Nuclear Energy Institute estimates that there are 28 proposed nuclear projects around the country that might seek the guaranteed loans. None of the proposals is for New England, where opposition to nuclear power has been stronger than in other regions such as the South. Among companies that are interested in new nuclear power plants are Entergy Corp. (NYSE:ETR) , Exelon Corp. (NYSE:EXC) , and Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE:DUK PRA) (NYSE:DUK)

=================================================

Duke Energy has been very active contributing to Ted Strickland's re-election campaign for the last year. Ted Strickland wants to put more nuke plants in Ohio based on his energy plan for the future. It seems Strickland will do this despite what it may end up costing Ohio taxpayers.

As the Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor, I will see to it that no new nuke plants will go on-line here in the state of Ohio in the future.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Ask vote a Green Party Ballot and vote in the Green Party primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info contact 330-503-1407.

We Need a Green New Deal for Ohio

With unemployment so high, it's time for a Green New Deal to tackle economic and ecological problems at the same time.

We should put Americans back to work with living-wage green jobs: retrofitting homes for energy efficiency, building modern mass transit systems, installing renewable energy technology, and conserving our irreplaceable ecosystems.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Ask for a Green ballot and Vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisask.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Governor would Fix Ohio's Problems

What would it mean to elect a Green Party Governor for Ohio? It would mean having a Governor who would work towards every Ohioan having a guaranteed job at a living wage; a single-payer, universal health insurance plan; restoration of workers' rights; an end to corporate abuse of trade; an end to corporate welfare and corporate domination of elections; universal access to quality public education; protection of the environment; "NO" to privatization; and other means designed to provide Ohioans with job security and a decent standard of living.

No longer will we have a government controlled by corporate lobbyists and PACS. It time to move Ohio forward!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Ask for a Green Party Primary Ballot on May 4, 2010!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

For more information contact 330-503-1407.

Today according to Governor Strickland’s office, he has NOT reached a decision to protect Ohio from C&DD waste ! We MUST continue our quest to DEMAND protection under the Ohio Revised Code 3714.02 with backing from the Ohio EPA studies preformed in April 2008 and June 2009.

We have been lied to, deceived, and mislead. Our children, our homes, our lands have been contaminated across the state and those that we have chosen to protect public health are NOT when it comes to C&DD due to current laws/rules.

It's time we elect a Green Governor who will keep Ohio clean!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Ask for a Green Party ballot and vote in the Green Party Primary on May 4th!

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/
Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Spanish Wind Power Company Creates 1,100 Jobs

The Blue-Green Alliance reported the following:

=====================================================

When Troy Galloway, age 45, lost his job at a steel mill after 15 years of steady employment, he wasn’t sure how he was going to make ends meet.

The region had already lost over 25,000 local steelworker jobs in the past few decades. The forecast for work employing his skill-set looked bleak. He tried real estate, which blew hot and cold, and then tried to “beat the bushes” for construction jobs. “After no work for January and February three years ago, my wife said: ‘This is not working out.’”

Luckily for Galloway, the Spanish company Gamesa, the second-largest wind-turbine maker in the world, came to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, to open up a new blade factory in response to the passage of a state RES. Galloway reasoned that the wind industry could provide him with stable and long-term employment, so he submitted his resume, and got a job. His previous experience operating machines was a nice fit for his present occupation, which makes the spars that serve as the backbone of wind turbine blades that span 150 feet.

“Now I not only have a good job, but a job that feels good,” said Galloway. “Working in the wind power sector is a great opportunity to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, help the environment, as well as future generations, our children, and our children’s children,” he said. To top if off, he’s making a little more money now. Since he was president of the local United Steelworkers union, he admires the pro-labor stance of Gamesa. “Even some of their management is unionized,” he acknowledged.

=====================================================

Why Not Ohio? Why does not Ohio begin to employ thousands in the Blue-Green Energy field while Ted Strickland's love of dirty coal and nuke plants does not bring in jobs? Ted Strickland has hitched his wagon to those corporate lobbyists who do not create jobs. We need a Green Party Governor to bring more Blue-Green JOBS to the Buckeye state.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Governor for Ohio

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Maryland aims for 100,000 solar rooftops in 10 years

The Baltimore Sun newspaer reported the following earlier this month:

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Environment Maryland says a quarter of Maryland homes are ready for solar panels that could capture energy that is now going unused. The group cites information from the International Center for Sustainable Development that shows the state gets about 196,000 gigawatt-hours of solar energy on a sunny summer day. That's more than what's produced at the state's mostly coal-fired power plants here in a year.

The move could reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution, as well as make energy distribution more efficient by creating it locally. It could also save consumers money and create local jobs, the group said.

Environment Maryland describes the three bills this way:

First, Gov. O’Malley has introduced legislation that would require a quicker ramp-up of the solar portion of the state’s renewable portfolio standard. This would mean that utilities would have to get a greater percentage of their energy portfolio from solar power sooner, which would jumpstart job creation and cut down on our emission of greenhouse gases.

Second, Del. Hecht and Sen. Middleton are leading an effort to introduce legislation that would give municipalities the means by which to loan people money for solar and other clean energy projects at very low interest rates, resulting in more homeowners taking advantage of the clean, reliable electricity that solar energy generation provides.

Finally, Dels. Pinsky and Hecht are working on "net-metering" legislation, which would require utilities to pay customers back for surplus energy they create with the solar panels on their roofs.

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Why not Ohio? Why does not Ted Strickland call for feed-in tariffs that would pay customers back for surplus solar energy created by solar panels? Is it because Ted Strickland is on the dirty coal and nuke power gravy train because of all the political campaign contributions from these corporate lobbyists over the years. With each passing day the answer becomes an obvious YES!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info, contact 330-503-1407

Spisak for Governor: Fixing Problems Facing Everday Ohioans

I am running for Governor because I believe we must send a representative to Columbus who will address the issues facing regular citizens, not Lobbyists or Corporation PACs. My campaign will focus on the issues that Ohioans care about: affordable health care, economic fairness, quality public education, and bringing renewable energy manufacturing jobs to the state. I am not afraid to call for Health Care for All Ohioans, economic justice, and nothing less than a renewal of Ohio's sense of community and promise of equal opportunity for all citizens.



Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Florida's Feed-In Tariff is Lowering Energy Costs


Florida is another state which is pursuing feed-in tariffs based on European models. Why not Ohio?

John Crider, PE, Gainesville Regional Utilities
Florida, United States [Renewable Energy World North America] writes that
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Gainesville, Fla., has recently found itself thrust into the media spotlight due to its adoption of an oddly-named, and somewhat foreign renewable energy policy known as the “feed-in tariff.”
Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) is a public municipal utility, owned by the citizens of Gainesville. Like many utilities, private and public alike, GRU has traditionally provided power with a combination of coal- and natural gas-fired generation. In 2002, a resource study indicated that substantial additional generation capacity would soon be needed to meet the city’s projected energy load. Gainesville, a university town, has a very green orientation. The Gainesville City Commission, being sensitive to climate change issues, chose to defer the need for additional generation by pursuing a path of energy load reduction through increased energy efficiency, coupled with adoption of renewable energy for additional capacity needs.

Solar photovoltaic rebates had traditionally been part of the energy efficiency program. In addition to rebates, retail net metering was offered to PV customers in 2008. These incentives were successful by comparison: Although making up 1 percent of the state’s population, Gainesville residents installed 12 percent of the distributed PV in Florida in 2008.

However, GRU felt the solar program was falling short on two key elements. First, rebates were issued to purchase equipment and not energy. Once the equipment was purchased, there was no further incentive for customers to maintain their systems. Second, net-metering provided little incentive for commercial customers to install PV. Since they were paid at the same rate they purchased energy, which is traditionally much lower than residential rates, they were less inclined to invest in PV, although they had the largest rooftops.

In the summer of 2008, the Solar Electric Power Association sponsored a trip to Germany for utility executives, so that they could see firsthand the effect that German renewable energy policies had had on that country. GRU’s representative on that trip returned with accounts of market transformation, innovative design and manufacturing and an explosion of green jobs, all due directly to a policy known as a “feed-in tariff” (FIT). In short, the feed-in tariff allows anyone to become a renewable energy generator, have access to the power grid and guarantees a flat rate-payment for every kilowatt hour of energy they produce.

Upon reflection, it was clear that applying such an approach to Gainesville would have two immediate benefits. Replacing rebates with a performance-based incentive would increase the actual delivery of energy. And there would be a much greater incentive for commercial customers to participate.

The potential of the FIT to spark economic growth, in addition to simply developing renewable energy sources, was not lost on the Gainesville City Commission. Implementing the FIT was seen as a chance to use energy policy to create jobs and establish a flourishing green marketplace. However, in order to meet these objectives, investors needed to be convinced that building PV installations would be a prudent business move. Therefore, an FIT rate was designed to provide a return high enough to be worthy of investment.

In March 2009 the Gainesville FIT program was officially launched with these primary objectives:

To transform the GRU capacity-based incentives to performance-based incentives
To provide much greater incentive for commercial participation in the solar program
To assure a ready supply of renewable energy for the near and far future
To create both jobs and a strong, renewable energy marketplace.
In the months since the program’s inception, the FIT has proven successful beyond expectations. Thirty megawatts of solar capacity has been successfully applied for and reserved through 2017. Already, in less than a year, GRU has doubled the amount of solar capacity that had ever been installed in the city. Two solar “farms” designed to produce nearly 2,400 MWh of energy each year are currently in construction and a 2 MW rooftop system will crown Gainesville’s largest shopping center by the end of the year.

As Ray Kroc, the innovative founder of McDonald’s once said: “The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it”. The time for renewable energy is now, and Gainesville is proud to have taken the steps towards its success.

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Why does Ted Strickland lack the foresite to begin investigating bringing

Feed-in tariffs to Ohio? Is it because Ted Strickland has no vision for Ohio?

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

For more info: Contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Washington State FIT Bill Heard in Committee

According to a story written by Paul Gipe last month, Washington State is the latest in the nation to introuduce a feed-in tariff bill in the state house.

Why Not Ohio?

An Act Creating Standard Offer Contracts was introduced into the Washington State House of Representatives January 5, 2010 and was heard by the Committee on Technology, Energy, and Communication on January 11th.

HB 2536 was introduced by Representatives John McCoy (D-38th), Maralyn Chase (D-32nd), and Jeff Morris (D-40th). McCoy is Chair of the Committee on Technology, Energy, and Communication. Chase is Vice Chair of the Committee on Environmental Health. And Morris is Speaker Pro Tempore.

The bill contains provisions reported previously, see Washington State House Committee Chair Outlines FIT Bill.

HB 2536, like many similar bills introduced across the US in the past two years seems focused solely on solar PV by severely limiting project size. HB 2536 limits project size to no more than 2 MW. Though the bill includes all renewable technologies, it is likely that no wind, geothermal, or biomass plants will be built under its overly restrictive provisions. Such provisions primarily benefit solar PV at the expense of other technologies.

Ontario has no limit on project size except for solar PV, which is limited to 10 MW. There are no project size limits in Germany. Spain limits project size to 50 MW.

Among its provisions, HB 2536 directs the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to calculate the average cost of generation plus a 10% rate of return from

Installed capital costs;
Fixed and variable operation and management expenses;
Fuel costs;
Cost of financing;
Land costs or leases;
Insurance;
Transmission and interconnection costs;
Net capacity factors; and
Estimated project life and projected generation degradation.
The bill also directs the UTC to set tariffs that are "reasonable and fair" to the generator, the ratepayer, and the utilities.

In a significant improvement over California's AB 1106 and Vermont's feed-in tariff program, chairman McCoy's bill creates separate tariffs for each of three size classes or "tiers"

10 kW300 kW

Ohio Needs 21 Century Clean Green Energy, Not Dirty Coal

As Green Party Candidate for Governor, I am calling on Ted Strickland to stop his support of coal burning as a continued major source of power for Ohio's future. Ohio must switch to clean energy instead of dirty coal or clean coal technology as soon as possible.

Burning coal-to-liquid fuel is arguably the dirtiest, most expensive energy gamble we could take. The truth is that liquid coal is plagued with economic and environmental downsides from the time the coal is mined until long after the liquid is removed from the coal.

Nearly twice the global warming emissions are emitted by liquid coal than by gasoline and huge inputs of energy are required to make coal into a synthetic fuel.Replacing just 10 percent of the nation's transportation fuels with liquid coal would require a 40 percent increase in coal mining, which would jeopardize long-term prospects for coal including its use as a major electricity source.
I believe in building an energy corridor based upon renewable energy companies and manufacturers who will build and produce green jobs such as solar and wind component plants. Blue-collar jobs - to put our people back to work.

The new Apollo program (put together by the Apollo Alliance, a group of business, labor, environmental and community groups) which calls for a $500 billion over 10 years with the potential to create more than 5 million green energy jobs.
It will accelerate the development of the nation's vast clean energy resources and move us toward energy security, climate stability and economic prosperity. And it will transform Ohio into the global leader of the new green economy.



Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

How to Strengthen Ohio's Economy
How can we strengthen Ohio's economy? We need a buildup. We need to get back to making stuff, based on real engineering not just financial engineering. We need to launch an E.T.,energy technology, revolution with the same urgency as this bailout. Otherwise, all we will have done is bought ourselves a respite, but not a future. The exciting thing about the energy technology revolution is that it spans the whole economy — from green-collar construction jobs to high-tech solar panel designing jobs. Our No. 1
resource is our people. Let’s put people back to work-

retrofitting and repowering Ohio!



Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor of Ohio



Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ohio's Wind Power Potential Far Greater Than Strickland's 25% Proposal

While Ted Strickland touts his 25% clean energy bill by year 2025 Green Party candidate Dennis Spisak says Ohio could do so much more. According to Ohio wind Working Group, Ohio has the potential to generate 60,000 megawatts of wind energy, TWICE what is needed to power the state. In addition, Ohio is also ranked second in the nation in its capacity to manufacture parts for wind turbines.

A planned wind farm in Hardin County would be one of the largest in the Midwest and would produce enough energy to power 75,000 homes.

But Ted Strickland only believes in 25% clean energy for Ohio because he is bought by the dirty coal and nuke lobbyists in Columbus.

As Green Party candidate for Governor, I would call for 100% potential in wind, solar,biomass, and hydro power as possible.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

A Green Party Governor Would Support the OEC

As Governor of Ohio, I would work with the Ohio Environmental Council and put a stop to dumping of construction material into Ohio's groundwater.

From the OEC:

Waste from construction and demolition sites are routinely dumped into Ohio's landfills. The construction and demolition debris (CDD) industry has long contended that this waste is inert and poses no risk to groundwater or the environment.

Yet last year, Ohio EPA released study results on Ohio's CDD landfills, concluding that liquid waste from CDD landfills "poses a threat to public health and the environment if released to groundwater or surface water."

New reports released by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) have resulted in a combined effort across the state involving many environmental organizations and Ohio citizens to urge Governor Strickland to issue a moratorium regarding Construction & Demolition Debris (C&DD) landfill facilities. The moratorium would halt additional construction and expansion of C&DD facilities until the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative Rules can be altered in order to provide protection from the reported dangers of C&DD landfill toxins to underground bodies of water.

Many other states require the same safety regulations for C&DD facilities as for Solid Municipal Waste (SMW) facilities. Ohio's requirements for C&DD are vastly inferior to SMW requirements resulting in hazard to Ohio's environment and to the health of Ohio's citizens. The OEPA reports document the need for more protection in Ohio.


===================================================

I urge Ted Strickland to issue a statewide moratorium on dumping construction and demolition waste in Ohio's CDD landfills.Our health, and the health of my community, depend on it!

Ted Strickland won't because he is not a "green Governor", but I will!

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Did you know that:

• Ohio received (and hopefully buried) 21.9 million tons of trash - mostly from New York and New Jersey - during 2008 while exporting only about one million tons to its neighboring states, according to the Akron Beacon-Journal.  http://www.ohio.com/news/83768352.html 

If this is Ohio's new "growth" (or gross) industry, let's be thankful that the mess is covered right now by snow.  And while we're talking about weather:

• Cleveland rates first (and Columbus 8th) in a Forbes magazine ranking of the nation's "worst winter weather cities." (AP) 

Or they're among the "best" winter weather cities if you enjoy the white stuff.

• Congressman John Murtha, D-PA, who died this week, was the first combat veteran from the Vietnam War elected to Congress.  And then he went on again to show his bravery by opposing George Bush's disastrous adventure in Iraq.
• In a complicated series of votes on Feb. 4, both Democratic congressman Zack Space and Republican congressman Pat Tiberi voted NO on increasing the federal debt limit to $13 trillion and change.  Both represent parts of Licking County.

On a related measure, Space the same day voted YES to adopt pay-as-you-go rules barring Congress from approving new spending without offsetting spending cuts or tax increases.  Tiberi voted NO on pay-as-you-go.

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/votes/?votenum=48&chamber=H&congress=1112

Let the congressmen speak for themselves:

Space: http://space.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=20&sectiontree=8,20&itemid=897

Tiberi: http://tiberi.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=169307

Why Green Power Jobs Are Important For Ohio




The green-collar jobs movement just got another major boost: a groundbreaking new report underscores how the growing green economy can provide high quality jobs for those who need them most. The author, Professor Raquel Rivera Pinderhughes of San Francisco State University, is a leading national expert on green-collar jobs.

This report deepens our understanding of how to harness green business growth to build pathways out of poverty. Prof. Pinderhughes' research provides us with critical guidance as we develop the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, the nation's first attempt to carry out the model that Professor Pinderhughes describes in her report.

Professor Pinderhughes is a key partner in our Green-Collar Jobs Campaign. She is on the steering committee of the Oakland Apollo Alliance, and is a senior advisor to the Ella Baker Center and Green For All.

Some highlights:

Green businesses need workers, offer training, and pay well. Of the Berkeley green businesses surveyed by Professor Pinderhughes:

86 percent hire workers without previous direct experience or training for green-collar jobs.
94 percent provide on-the-job training for workers in entry level positions.
90 percent pay the full cost of insuring their workers.
73 percent of businesses stated that there was a shortage of qualified green-collar workers for their sector, with the greatest needs in energy, green building, mechanics and bike repair.
The average hourly wage for green-collar work in Berkeley is $15.80 plus benefits. This is $4.00 higher an hour than Berkeley's current minimum "living wage," which is the highest in the nation.
Workers with barriers to employment want green-collar jobs. Analysis of men and women in Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco with barriers to employment revealed that:

89 percent wanted to learn more about green-collar jobs.
61 percent expressed interest in being contacted in the future so they could receive training to work in a green-collar job.
Prof. Pinderhughes summarizes the report:

Poverty, unemployment and racial inequality are significant problems in the United States, and there is an urgent need for a new source of living wage jobs for low income residents with barriers to employment. Where can these jobs come from? This research project shows that an important part of the answer is the deliberate cultivation of "green-collar" jobs.



Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Public Transportation Can Create More Jobs

According to a report released last week by Green Options:

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A study by Smart Growth America found that every billion dollars spent on public transportation projects created over 16,000 months of employment, almost twice as much work as those created by simple highway expansion and renewal projects.



found that a billion dollars spent on fixing or expanding highways created an average of 8,781 months of job. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act spent over $27 billion on “shovel ready” highway projects, many of which that have yet to get underway. Of the $15 billion thus far spent on highway projects, approximately 138,831 full time job-months have been created, or sustained. These projects are as simple as repaving roads to updating our sorely dated bridges and rural roads. There is no doubt that the money spent here was sorely needed as America’s highway system gets more crowded and out outdated.
But the study found that public transportation projects employ almost twice as many people for the common sense reasoning that public transportation requires employees to operate buses, trains, subways, and other infrastructure. The stimulus invested just $8.4 billion in public transit projects, (and another $9.3 billion in high-speed train projects and expanding passenger train capacities, which wasn’t counted in the study.) Public transportation definitely got the shaft. The SGA study figures that of the $4.4 billion spent on those public transportation projects, 72,328 full time job-months have been created or sustained.

If the study is accurate, the government created 368,935 months of employment. If the numbers were reversed, and $27 billion was spent on public transit, and just $8 billion spent on highways, the government could have created 515,235 months of employment, or 40% more jobs spending the same amount of money.

What’s more, other studies have suggested you can save over $9,000 a year by using public transportation as opposed to driving a car. The House of Representatives also recently passed a $154 billion “mini-stimulus” for Main Street that includes another $27 billion for highways and just $8.4 for public transportation. If you’re keeping tally at home, that is $17 billion for public transportation ($26 billion if you count money towards trains) and over $52 billion for highway projects.

Again, common sense dictates that, while our highways definitely need fixing and improving, the best way to knock down unemployment is to permanently employ people, save them money on transportation, and reduce our dependency on cars. Public transportation also requires less land to acquire, more vehicles to purchase, more people to run and maintain those vehicles, and reduces congestion on roads.

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It's time Ohio has a Governor who will put public transportation at the top of his agenda for all cities in Ohio to help put people back to work.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Samsung Signs $6.6 Billion Solar and Wind Power Deal with Ontario, Canada

Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak cites a recent Green Options report which states the Ontario will be giving the green light to receive 16,000 jobs thanks to their energy legistlation which is allowing a 6.6 billion dollar wind and solar power deal to fall their way:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In one of the biggest renewable energy deals in the history of the world, a Korean consortium led by Samsung has agreed to build 2,500 megawatts of wind and solar power capacity in the Canadian province of Ontario.
Samsung C&T and the Ontario government signed the deal on Thursday, January 21st. The agreement will bring thousands of jobs and clean energy for more than half a million homes to Ontario.

Building off of this new deal, Korean trade officials plan to make Ontario their base of operations for all of North American.

Samsung first proposed the deal about a year ago, but Ontario’s Green Energy Act is what seems to have actually moved the proposal to a reality — another reason for clean energy activists in the US to look with puppy dog eyes at the rest of the world as they speed ahead with clean energy (and clean energy jobs) and Americans remain tied to the old bone of dirty technology.

As The New York Times reports, “Under the terms of the agreement, officials said, Samsung must build four manufacturing plants in Ontario, promising 16,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next five years. The energy generated will be enough for 580,000 homes.”

The first phase of the project is scheduled to be built near an old coal plant that is supposed to be decommissioned by 2014 (near Windsor). Out with the old, in with the new.

Samsungs new manufacturing facilities under this deal (4 manufacturing plants in Ontario) will be producing wind turbine towers, wind blades, solar inverters and solar assembly by 2015.

Now, as Ontario’s premier, Dalton McGuinty, says, “This means Ontario is officially the place to be for green energy manufacturing in North America.” With generous subsidies for clean energy production under its new Green Energy Act, many more clean energy developers probably have their eye on Ontario as well.

With a project so big and so close to home, the US may start to take the clean energy and climate change legislation that is currently in the Senate a little more seriously. We will see.

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Why not Ohio? Is it because we have a fossil fuel Governor in the likes of Ted Strickland? A Governor who never met a nuke or coal plant he didn't like?

Blue-green jobs are out there, except their going to Canada, while Ohio gets no jobs and only more and more dirty pollution from Ted Strickland's dirty coal plants.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407.

Why Not Ohio? Clean Energy Industry Support

According to a report from the Progeressive States Network:

Building a green economy is one of the largest areas of entrepreneurial energy these days and states are designing a wide range of programs to encourage firms in their states to become leaders. Since energy savings are an inherent source of potential revenue, the opportunities are large, but the need for technical, regulatory and financial assistance are also clear. The following are a few of the programs states are promoting in this area, although the Apollo Alliance extensively tracks clean energy programs in the manufacturing sector:

New York: Green Jobs/Green Homes NY: The passage of Green Jobs/Green Homes NY produced a job creation program that will foster energy savings and revitalization of distressed areas. The program will create an estimated 14,000 jobs and reduce energy costs for about 1 million homes and businesses across the state. Using an innovative revolving loan fund, the program will "provide up to $13,000 for residential homes and $26,000 for businesses to retrofit for increased energy efficiency."
Pennsylvania: Building on the state's industry partnerships discussed above, this program will concentrate on upgrading workforce skills by developing industry-recognized credentials, participating in curriculum development at all levels, and helping workers respond to changing industry needs. This will involve multiple partnerships, including a 3 Rivers Clean Energy Partnership, which helps train workers for jobs in the clean energy industry and the Electronics Manufacturing Partnership, which helps firms become more environmentally conscious.
Washington: Lean and Green Assistance Program: Last year, the Washington Department of Ecology proposed a Lean and Green Assistance Program aimed at improving the environmental performance and provide technical assistance to companies across the state. From 2007 to 2008, three Lean and Environmental pilot project were undertaken, effectively saving businesses over $1.5 million and reducing pollution by more than 800,000 pounds according to the EPA.
Kansas SB 108 provides for $150 million in bonds to be issued by the state's development finance authority to fund manufacturing projects through long-term loans to eligible wind and solar energy businesses in amounts not exceeding $5 million per project. Companies' tax withholdings will be placed in a specially-created state economic revitalization fund during the period of the loan to pay off the principal and interest of the loans.
Michigan Manufacturing Diversification Program is a loan program backed by the state to help parts of the auto supply chain retool to join the clean energy supply chain, from helping companies eliminate chemicals from processes that clean steel for manufacturing to funding re-purposed factory conveyor belts for solar panel manufacturers.
Wisconsin: The Clean Energy Business Loan Program uses $55 million in ARRA State Energy Program to fund low-interest loans to businesses that promote major renewable energy production projects, the manufacture of clean energy products, advanced manufacturing of clean energy components, retooled supply chains, and energy efficiency programs at firms.
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Why not Ohio? Why do we continue to support Ted Strickland and his administration of no leadership in the area of supporting clean industrial energy? Ted Stricklasnd is a nuke and coal governor, and that fact will never change.
Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor
Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Ohio Now Lags Behind Pennsylvania in Wind Energy Use


More and more states are working towards bringing renewable energy and manufacturing jobs to their people. Pennsylvania is the latest example.


While Ted Strickland is out campaigning with Bill Clinton ,The Rendell administration has made alternative energy sources a priority, including industrial wind turbines. Pennsylvania has made the following tangible progress toward wind energy.

Some examples:

--In 2006, Gov. Ed Rendell's Energy Development Authority awarded a $193,000 grant to Arizona-based Southwest Windpower to place 15 small wind turbines in highly visible locations across the state to get people thinking about alternative energy sources for their homes and businesses.

--By 2007, school districts in Monroe and Pike counties were using 35-foot wind turbines and generating 1.8 kilowatts of electricity. Estimates are that the school buildings' energy bills were cut by 5 percent to 10 percent.

--Also that year, Prince Gallitzin State Park near Patton in Cambria County received a 120-foot tall turbine, funded through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The system has been generating electricity for the park office, and has been used for educational programs to spur interest in wind energy.

--Under a state grant, St. Francis University's Renewable Energy Center in Loretto is using an anemometer to take wind measurements, factoring in that wind blows stronger the higher the tower and other considerations.

--Small wind turbine systems also were built at Yellow Creek State Park in Indiana County, and at Promised Land, Pymatuning, Presque Isle and Tuscarora state parks.

In that sense Pennsylvania is in the forefront of alternative energy with wind farms and solar farms.

As the Green Party Candidate for Governor, I pledge to work day and night in helping bring renewable energy manufacturing jobs and companies to the poor, working, and middle class of Ohio.

Dennis Spisak- Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

A green party Governor and a A Renewable Energy Initiative for Ohio



As the Green Party Candidate for Governor, I believe it’s time to call for a Renewable Energy initiative for our state. Over the past century we have created a world dependent on oil.


There are many ways to create energy. True, at this time there is nothing to date that equals the power of oil but there are new advancements in solar, wind, and geothermal technologies that are pushing the envelope on the potential or renewable energy. There will be a solution to the decline of oil only when state legislative leaders like myself and the general public make the decision to be part of the solution.


I am proposing that Ohio organize a renewable energy initiative to encourage energy conservation, energy efficiency practices, and to promote the use of renewable energy in homes businesses, and industry.


My initiative would have four goals:


Reduce barriers to the use of renewable energy by providing education and assistance to help citizens plan their energy futures.
Reduce the costs of renewable energy and energy efficiency products by negotiating with manufacturers, retailers, and trades people.
Reduce the installation costs of renewable energy by using a neighbor helping neighbor approach and by participating with local trades people.
Help citizens practice energy conservation by forming an energy assessment and action planning process.

As an Green Party Candidate, I can work to help to bring renewable energy to the valley because I will not accept lobbyists or corporate PACS from the oil,coal, and nuclear industries like current Governor Ted Strickland does.


Dennis Spisak-Green party candidate for Governor



http://www.votespisak.org/governor/



for more info contact 330-503-1407

Investing to Re-Energize Ohio


According to a report from the groups Policy Matters Ohio and the Apollo Alliance,



Ohio uses a large amount of energy, most of it from fuel produced elsewhere. We rank fourth among states for industrial energy use and sixth for total energy consumption. We import two-thirds of our coal, 89 percent of our natural gas, and 98 percent of our oil and petroleum products. At current energy prices, Ohioans send $20 billion a year out of our state economy. To make our economy more energy independent—by becoming more efficient, self-sustaining, and renewable—Ohio should expand its clean energy fund. Instead of sending so much of Ohio’s money out of the state and out of the country, we should create more of our own energy, use more renewable energy sources, become more energy efficient, and employ Ohio workers in the process.


Eighteen states use clean energy funds to encourage consumers and suppliers to invest in clean energy products and services: by reducing equipment costs through use of consumer rebates, grants, and low-interest loans; by conducting statewide public-awareness campaigns; by providing incentives for industrial recruitment, retention, and production; and, by training workers for the green economy. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) reported that for every public dollar spent, public benefits funds for clean energy leverage an additional $3 in related business and consumer investment. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AN EXPANDED ADVANCED ENERGY FUND • Implement a statewide outreach campaign to educate the public on energy efficiency and renewable energy (both consumers and suppliers). Use Advanced Energy Funds to offer free energy audits to Ohioans. • Market consumer incentives such as simple customer rebates for green products. • Collect Advanced Energy Funds from all utility customers, not just investor-owned. • Provide low-income residents with solar thermal water-heating systems. • Provide more financial incentives for suppliers and potential suppliers of green energy products and service to expand Ohio’s green supply chain. • Promote economic development by providing “green incentives” with Advanced Energy Funds. Instead of offering dollars to lure companies, offer wind turbines or rooftop solar panels to reduce their energy costs and consumption. • Create a Green Jobs Corps program that provides green employment services and also weaves together vocational skills training programs, union apprenticeship programs, and recognized pre-apprenticeship programs for job seekers. Instead of sending so much of Ohio’s money out of the state and out of the country, we should create more of our own energy, use more renewable energy sources, become more energy efficient, and employ Ohio workers in the process. Ohio’s economy is struggling due to rising energy costs. We are sending billions of dollars out of state and out of the country each year to support our energy use. Ohio should diversify its energy portfolio, reduce our energy use, create renewable energy here in Ohio, and put Ohioans to work in the process. If we reduced the amount we spend on imported energy, more money could be kept local, supporting Ohio’s economy. To stimulate the green economy, and get it off the ground, we should expand Ohio’s Advanced Energy Fund and use it to provide incentives to both suppliers and consumers of green energy products and services, educate Ohioans on their green energy options, and train Ohio’s future “greenforce.”
As theGreen Party Candidate for Governor, I will support the recommendations for an expanded advanced energy fund. Since I will not accept lobbyists or PACS contributions who represent out of state energy resources such as coal, oil and gas companies, I will not allow big money to influence my votes in Columbus like the current Democrats and Republicans have.



Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact: 330-503-1407

I believe Ted Strickland actually believes he is the Green Party Candidate for Governor with today's State of the State Address. I believe Ted Strickland is practicing what I preached last week: he will run as a lefty populist governor before the election and return to his conservative roots after the election.
I believe Ted Strickland forgot to mention he supported the nuke site in Piketon and the AMP coal plant in Meigs County because he wants folks to forget nuke and big coal lobbyists line his pocket with campaign contributions. I believe Ted Strickland forgot to announce his support of the Healthcare for all Ohioans Act because he doesn't want people to know he received a $10,000 contribution from Medical Mutual.

I believe Ted Strickland has not done enough to save our environment, really create new jobs, improve funding for public education, and improve Health Care for All Ohioans.

I believe Ted Strickland actually believes he is doing a good job as Governor of Ohio.

I believe you're wrong, Ted.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party candidate for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Comprehensive rail plan for Minnesota unveiled

Green Party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites another news report where now Minnesota is planning to begin work on a comprehensive rail plan:

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A statewide plan calls for investing anywhere from $6 billion to $9 billion in the next 20 years to upgrade and enhance Minnesota's ability to move freight and passengers by rail.

The proposal, the first comprehensive rail plan Minnesota has ever tackled, was presented at a public hearing last Wednesday that was aired via videoconference to Minnesota Department of Transportation district offices across the state. It will be submitted next month to the Federal Railroad Administration for approval, a move that will put Minnesota in line to receive stimulus money for its rail transportation system.

The plan calls for two phases: a first tier of priorities to be accomplished between 2010 and 2030, and a second tier in the more distant future, after 2030.

An enhanced railroad system in the southwestern part of the state also will open the door to improved rail transportation northward to important hubs in Dilworth and Fargo, N.D., he said.

Steve Ahmann of the Willmar City Council called the comprehensive rail plan "very forward-thinking."

But he too asked for a higher priority for the Willmar rail corridor. Not only is the city a regional hub with the potential for business and industrial growth, but it also serves a surrounding region rich in agricultural production and ethanol manufacturing, Ahmann said.

"Throughout the process we've had extensive public input," said Dan Krom, co-project manager and passenger rail director with MnDOT's Office of Passenger Rail.

Among the priorities set forth in the final plan: development of high-speed passenger rail service to Chicago, Duluth and Rochester, and enhancement of conventional passenger rail service to St. Cloud/Moorhead, Mankato and Eau Claire, Wis.

Freight corridors also would be maintained and upgraded to increase safety and reduce bottlenecks.

"A coordinated regional/national system would be the goal," Krom said.

The estimated cost for the first phase: $6.2 billion to $9.5 billion, with the passenger system accounting for more than half of these costs. The annual operating cost is estimated at $143 million to $182 million.

The tradeoff would be a reduction in highway and traffic congestion and a more environmentally friendly form of transportation. According to MnDOT's study, fuel efficiency on rail systems is three times better than highway vehicles.

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Ohio must do more than just build the 3 C's corridor. We need mass transit rail service from Cleveland-Youngstown-Pittsburgh, Cincinnati-Dayton-Toledo, as well as other corridors in the state. We need to improve fuel efficiency in Ohio as well. We can not let Ohio sit back and watch the rest of the midwest pass us by.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info: call 330-503-1407.

Pay Attention Ohio:Appalachian states should look beyond coal

Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites an AP story last week that reports Appalachian states would be wise to look to more renewable green energies in the future instead of looking for coal to continue to be the answer for an energy source.

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-- Coal production in Central Appalachia is likely to continue its 12-year decline, and an environmental consulting firm said Tuesday it's time policy makers and legislators in four states work to diversify the region's economy.

A report issued by Downstream Strategies of Morgantown predicts production in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee will fall nearly 50 percent within a decade and urges those states to adopt laws, low-interest loan programs and other measures to support the development of renewable energy sources.

The report blames the decline in part on increased competition from other coal-producing regions and other sources of energy, such as natural gas. It also points to the depletion of the most accessible, lowest-cost coal reserves and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

The coal industry has long been concerned about Central Appalachia's decline and faces even more challenges as legislators and the public grow interested in global climate change, renewable energy options, and cap-and-trade legislation, said Chris Hamilton, vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

At the same time, the industry is struggling with a low supply of qualified workers and record levels of imported coal from Colombia, Venezuela and Indonesia.

"There's general acceptance that we're going to need every form of power available to accommodate future growth in our energy demands in our country, and it makes sense to have a balanced energy portfolio," Hamilton said. "But coal is a finite resource and it should be managed within the context of an overall energy portfolio based on volume and reserves."

The new report was authored by Downstream Strategies President Evan Hansen and energy and climate change researcher Rory McIlmoil.

McIlmoil is a former community activist with Whitesville-based Coal River Mountain Watch, which has been advocating construction of a wind farm on a mountaintop destined for strip mining, but Downstream Strategies says its work was not funded by any group.

The report contends new jobs and tax revenues could be created by focusing on renewable energy like wind, solar and hydropower, and it says states should require that 25 percent of their energy portfolios come from renewable sources by 2025.

On Monday, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell called on lawmakers in that state to approve a tax credit of $500 per position for employers who create green jobs over the next five years. McDonnell also said he wanted to turn Virginia into an energy leader by leasing off-shore drilling rights and increasing coal, natural gas and biofuel production.

Annual coal production in Central Appalachia last peaked in 1997 at 290 million tons, but fell to 235 million tons by 2008 even as national production climbed, the report said. It also says new projections suggest the region's production may drop another 46 percent by 2020, and 58 percent by 2035, to just 99 million tons.

Data on the federal Energy Information Administration's Web site shows variations among the Appalachian states in recent years.

While 2008 production levels in Kentucky and West Virginia were up 4.4 percent and 2.8 percent respectively from the previous year, production fell 2.5 percent in Virginia and 12.1 percent in Tennessee. Statistics for 2009 were not yet posted, but the EIA estimates production fell more than 7 percent nationwide as consumption declined.

Power plants, in particular, cut coal consumption by 10 percent last year, the agency said.

The agency predicts coal production in 2010 will still be down by about 4.6 percent.

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It's time for Ohio to wake up and also realize that coal is not the answer for fixing Ohio's energy problems in the future. Blue -Green renewable energies are the answer, and that we must do better than the 12 1/2 mandate the current leadership in Columbus is calling for by 2025. The answer is more blue-green energy faster. Wake up Ted Strickland.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact 330-503-1407

Why Ohio Needs A Liberal Green Candidate for Governor

Ohio needs a liberal Green candidate for Governor in order to restore the middle class society we once had. We must defend old social programs and new social programs such as the Health Care for All Ohioans Act, something Ted Strickland does not support.

A Liberal Green Party Governor would defend the small working man, not the corporate lobbyists Ted Strickland defends. A Liberal Green Party Governor would support to clean up Ohio's air and water, not support dirty coal plants and lobbysists like Ted Strickland does. A Liberal Green Party Governor would support moving Ohio forward towards vast Blue-Green manufacturing jobs for Ohio, unlike Ted Strickland who still supports Nuke Power as a "Green" Jobs program.

A Liberal Green Party Governor would work to give working Ohioans real political power and ending the dominant position of the wealthy elite, while Ted Strickland bows down big Health Insurance companies and lobbyists.

A Liberal Green Party Governor will enfranchise voters, unlike the Democrats and Republicans who limit third party and independent candidates from running in Ohio.

A Green Party Governor would believe in a relatively equal society thats has institutions that limts extremes of wealth and poverty, something the Democrats and Republicans currently support, also now as keeping the status quo.

This is why Ohio needs to elect Green Party candidate Dennis Spisak for Governor in 2010.

Http://www.votespisak.org

for more info contact 330-503-1407.

Why Not Ohio? Michigan to Repower Detroit with Solar Roofs for as Low as $6,000


Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites another Green Options Report that shows another midwestern state beating Ohio in advancing green renewable energies for the area.

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Michigan Gov to Repower Detroit With Solar Roofs for as Low as $6,000
The people who live in Detroit could really use some good news after taking the hardest landing as the Age of Oil clunkered to a close. A massive homesteading retrofit program to bring free energy from sunshine would be just perfect.
In 2007, Michigan’s Governor Granholm had instigated one of the most progressive climate targets of any state in the US, to achieve an EU Kyoto Accord level of greenhouse gas reduction of 20% below 1990 by 2020.

To get there, she set out a combination of renewable energy incentives that make solar roofs in the nearly abandoned city a slam dunk, and which could bring out-of-pocket costs down to as little as $6,000.

In 2007, she signed the ambitious target. And to get there, she invited some serious thinkers to analyze the cost-effectiveness of various policy options. After a more than a year of intensive stakeholder collaboration and cost-benefit analysis, they recommended 54 climate mitigation policy actions to lower greenhouse gases and achieve a $25 billion net gain in the gross state product.

One of the policy options recommended was “Incentives to Promote Renewable Energy Systems Implementation”.

She took their advice and budgeted $25 million for solar rebates. Now the local utility, DTE Energy, as part of the its compliance plan under the state Renewable Portfolio Standard - which requires that it buy more renewable energy each year - will pay residents to install solar power that feeds the grid. They can stop the offer only once their customers have collectively installed 5 MW of solar power.

Because the rebate pays $2,400 for every KW installed, a 5 KW system would be $12,000 off.

Like all Americans, Detroit homeowners would get the new 30% tax credit, which would reduce cost another $6,900, leaving an out-of-pocket cost of just $6,000, according to calculations by Solar Fred at Solar Power Rocks.

In addition, the utility will continue to pay a Feed-in Tariff of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. This would bring in income year after year, which Solar Fred estimates, assuming average Detroit rain, snow and a good roof orientation, could amount to a tidy $610 or so a year.

To those people who live in the Rogue States that have not passed climate and renewable energy legislation, it must seem inconceivable that an electric utility would actually pay you to put solar on your roof to compete with their rates. But once built, renewable energy will be much cheaper than fossil energy, because the fuel is free and non-polluting. And climate legislation makes that initial switch happen.

And what more fitting way to re-energize the city that suffered the most from fossil fuels - than with a 25 to 40 year supply of fossil-free energy.

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Once again, we see Ohio Governor Ted Strickland lagging behind in bringing more and better green renewable energy resources to the Buckeye State. It's time we elect a truely Progressive Green Party Governor in Ohio to reverse these current trends.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact: 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Rooftops Rentals Sour With Generous Canadian Feed-In Tariff

Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak again points to another government that is allowing consumers to make money back on solar rooftop instalations through fed-in tariff programs.

According to a report in Green Options:

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Since September, when the Ontario Power Authority began its generous payment for rooftop solar power, Toronto’s commercial roof acreage has become the site of a new renewable energy gold rush by solar developers now able to earn a steady income farming solar power to local utilities for 20 years.
Just as farmers in Texas or Iowa can now earn royalties from wind developers to allow them to place wind turbines on their farm, now commercial building owners in Toronto can earn income from their roofs.
Solar developers are willing to rent a part of a building that previously had no value, that is now prime solar real estate. How much is this new income for the building owner? It could be as much as $12,000 a year.



Ontario Power Authority will now pay between 53 cents and 71 cents per kilowatt-hour for solar electricity. The utility guarantees a speedy, expedited connection to the grid so solar developers can be assured of a quick start to their earnings. And they are not the only beneficiary. The building owner and the solar developer both stand to gain.

Under the arrangement the utility pays the Feed-in Tariff amount monthly for 20 years. Once built, the solar farms can be expected to generate a steady income for 20 years to the solar developer.

Once they sign the lease, the solar companies design, build, and perform the maintenance on the system at no cost to the building owner. Both the solar developer and the building owner can earn money on the deal. Either a percent of the monthly payments from the utility can go directly to the building owner, or the solar developer can simply pay rent, averaging about 30 cents per square foot.

For example, a 250-kilowatt system that would take up 40,000 square feet on the roof would mean the building owner would earn about $1,000 a month in rent. At the end of the 20 year contract with the utility, the solar developer transfers the system to the building owner who then can benefit from the electricity for what could potentially be at least another 20 years, at slightly less efficiency.

Alternatively, compensation might be a guarantee to supply solar-sourced electricity over two decades for less than what a building owner currently pays, as CarbonFree Technology of Toronto has done. Of course the building has to undergo inspection to ensure that it can take the weight of such large solar arrays, because it may not have been engineered to handle that kind of load. (at least to put onto buildings) solar arrays.

Since September 1st, when the offer was announced, business has taken off. GTE, Ozz Solar, Helios Energy, Rumble Energy and SunOne Energy Canada are among a growing list of solar rooftop space aggregators knocking on doors.

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When will Governor Ted STrickland push for feed-in tariffs here in Ohio?

If he is the "Progreesive Green" Governor that he claims to be, he would be pushing for feed-in tariffs to be built into the Ohio Legislature. instead, Ted Strickland still continues to push for Nuclear and Dirty Coal Plants to make up two-thirds of Ohio's Energy needs.

It's time to move Ohio foward with feed-in tariffs.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Indiana now has Feed-In Tariff Bill Introduced

Green Party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites a report last week written by Paul Gipe that now Indiana has joined Wisconsin in having a feed-in tariff bill introduced in their legislative body. Why not Ohio?

Why is Ohio not pushing for the same action? Is it because Ted Strickland is not the Green Power Alternative Renewable Energy leader that he claims to be? Why is every other Midwest state now looking at Feed-In tariff bills while Ted Strickland looks a $1,000 a plate rubber chicken fund raising dinners with Bill Clinton?

According to the report, Representative Matt Pierce (D-61st, Bloomington) introduced AB 1190 into the Indiana General Assembly January 7, 2010. The bill is the first comprehensive proposal for a system of feed-in tariffs in the current legislative sessions that have begun in states across the US.

The bill to create a system of what Representative Pierce calls Advanced Renewable Energy Contracts was referred to the Assembly Committee on Commerce, Energy, Technology and Utilities. Representative Pierce is vice chair of the committee.

Representative Pierce had introduced a previous bill on feed-in tariffs in the 2009 session. AB 1190 has been extensively rewritten and has incorporated the feed-in tariffs, or renewable energy rates as they will be called in Indiana, recently introduced in the Canadian province of Ontario.

The proposed rates in AB 1190 have been adapted to the Indiana context by incorporating two tracks: one track with US federal subsidies, one track without. Unlike Ontario, where there are no federal subsidies for renewable energy, some Indiana projects could qualify for US federal subsidies. However, not all potential renewable energy generators in Indiana may be able to use the federal subsidies. For those who may not be able to use the federal subsidies, Representative Pierce has proposed the second track where the feed-in rates are proportionally higher.

Republican Governor Mitch Daniels and the legislature have liked to characterize Indiana as a potential renewable energy hub of the Midwest.

AB 1190 tries to go Ontario one better as competition for renewable energy heats up in North America's heartland. Representative Pierce has proposed a sophisticated system of rates for wind energy that is based on the intensity of the wind resource. Both Germany and France successfully use a similar policy and the concept has been raised frequently in Ontario. However, the Canadian province has yet to adopt such a program.

Differentiating the rates for wind energy based on the wind resource is used by Germany and France both to spread development opportunity to more farmers and rural landowners than one, single rate for wind energy, but also to avoid the concentration of wind turbines in only the windiest regions. Such a proposal in Indiana would give farmers in central Indiana as much opportunity to develop their wind resource as farmers in northern Indiana where it is windier.

And in another departure from Ontario, Representative Pierce has proposed specific tariffs for small wind turbines like those that would be used by individual households. While AB 1190's proposed rates for small wind turbines are less than those that will likely go into effect this April in Great Britain, they are the first of their kind in North America.

In other provisions, the bill requires the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to review the renewable energy rates paid to new generators beginning in 2012. AB 1190 directs the IURC's review to ensure the rates are sufficient for the rapid development of renewable energy without resulting in excessive profits for generators or excessive costs to ratepayers.

The bill establishes an equalization program to spread the costs of the policy across all ratepayers so that no one utility or its ratepayers absorb more than their fair share of the costs of the program.

AB 1190 creates a statewide registry of generators and requires the IURC to issue annual reports on the robustness of the program in meeting the bill's objective of encouraging the rapid and sustainable development of renewable energy in Indiana.



A Republican Governor wants to make Indiana the Region's Renewable Energy Hub?

Why not Ohio? Why Ted, WHY?

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Why Not Ohio? Renewable Energy and Economic Potential

Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak asks why Ohio is not doing more to bring wind energy to rural parts of the Buckeye State. The Center for Rural Affairs released an analysis on the economic potential of wind energy development entitled, Renewable Energy and Economic Potential in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota. The report examines economic impact, job creation and wind resources in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.


Expanding production of renewable electricity to 20% of the nation's electrical generation has the potential to create a large number of new jobs in the rural Midwest and Great Plains, according to unpublished analyses from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The analysis projects that Kansas would gain nearly 3,100 long-term jobs in operations and maintenance of wind farms, Nebraska over 3,500 jobs, South Dakota over 3,900 jobs and Iowa over 9,000 jobs. An even higher number of medium-term jobs, averaging one year in duration, would be created - jobs related to manufacturing, site preparation and turbine construction.

Nationally, the analysis projects that reaching 20% of electrical generation from wind would result in 1.75 million full-time jobs during wind turbine construction and 1.6 million new, permanent operational (post-construction) jobs created.

Why isn't wind power on the forefront of Ted Strickland's re-election platform? Is it because he still wants Ohio to supply 75% of it's power from dirty coal and nuke plants? Is it because he is the puppet to dirty coal and nuke lobbyists? Only The Governor can answer these questions, and his actions, supporting the nuclear site in Piketon, supporting the Coal plant in Meigs County, speak louder than his words.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Wisconsin First in Midwest to Introduce Feed-in Tariff Bill in 2010

Ohio Green Party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak says while Ted Strickland was entertaining Bill Clinton at $1,000 a plate fundraisers last week, Wisconsin was the first state in the Midwest to introduce a feed-in tariff bill in 2010.

Once again we see other states passing Ohio in producing 21st century legistlation that would aid development of green alternative energy resources and jobs.

According to the story bu Paul Gipe,

Powerful Wisconsin legislators were first out of the gate in a brewing race to be the first to pass feed-in tariff legislation in the Midwest.

Representatives Spencer Black (D-77th, Madison) and James Soletski (D-88th, Green Bay), along with cosponsors Senator Mark Miller (D-16th, Monona) and Senator Jeffrey Plale (D-7th, Milwaukee) introduced AB 649 on January 6th, 2010.

The bill, a comprehensive revision of laws governing energy and electric utilities in Wisconsin, was referred to the Special Committee on Clean Energy Jobs.

AB 649 includes a section creating a system of feed-in tariffs for renewable energy.

Assemblymember Black is chair of the Assembly's Committee on Natural Resources and Assemblymember Soletski is chair of the Committee on Energy and Utilities.

Senator Miller is the chair of both the Senate's Committee on the Environment and the Committee on Finance. Senator Plale is chair of the Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail.

The bill's section on feed-in tariffs directs the state's Public Service Commission to determine the specifics of the program. After a lengthy docket in 2009, Wisconsin's PSC had deferred implementing its own feed-in tariff program without a clear mandate from the legislature. AB 649 is in part a result of the PSC's earlier inaction and a desire by Governor Doyle and the legislature to lead off the new year with action on climate change.

The bill must pass both the assembly and the senate and be signed by Governor Doyle before it becomes law.

Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota legislators are also expected to introduce feed-in tariff bills this legislative session.

AB 649 includes provisions for wind, solar PV, biogas, and "other" renewable technologies. Only utilities with sales greater than 2.5 TWh per year will be required to offer the feed-in tariffs.

The bill's objective is "to maximize the development and deployment of distributed renewable energy generation technologies . . . without unreasonable impacts on electric utility rates."

Importantly, AB 649 stipulates that the price paid per kilowatt-hour must include the cost of generation for that type of generator, a reasonable rate of return, and any federal or state incentives, such as the federal renewable energy tax credit. Thus, the tariffs offered will not be based on "avoided cost" as in California, or the value of the electricity to the utility.

The PSC is to set limits on the amount of generation permitted under the program for each technology. As a consequence, there will be a rush by commercial developers to seize as many contracts as possible, potentially squeezing out homeowners, farmers, and small businesses from developing their own resources.

In a nod to a key provision in successful European policies and that in Ontario as well, the bill says tariffs "may" be based on different size classes within each technology. Creation of different size tranches within technologies, especially for solar PV, is regarded as a critical measure to prevent hoarding of contracts by large, multi-national developers.

Ontario, with five tranches of feed-in tariffs for solar PV alone, went even farther than that proposed in Wisconsin and set aside a special micro-FIT program for systems less 10 kW. Ontario also guaranteed expedited connection for systems less than 500 kW. Both measures were intended to insure that local residents and businesses could profit from the program despite the pressure from out of province and out of country developers.

Wisconsin's AB 649 assigns any renewable energy credits produced to the purchasing utility.

The bill also specifies that 6 percent of all electricity generated by 2020 must be produced from in-state renewable resources, and 10 percent by 2025.

In 2007, Wisconsin generated 60 TWh. The in-state 2020 target of 6 percent would require approximately 3.6 TWh per year. The 2025 target would require about 6 TWh per year from in-state renewables.

Under Wisconsin conditions, such a requirement could result in the installation of thousands of megawatts of wind or solar PV. Typical wind farms in the Midwest generate about 2,000 kWh/kW/year of installed capacity. Typical solar PV systems generate about 1,000 kWh/kW/year of installed DC capacity.

Why Not Ohio? Why does Ted Strickland not lead the charge for Feed-in tariffs? Is it because the dirty coal and power lobbyists have him in their back pocket?

Is it because Ted Strickland is not the progressive Governor he makes himself out to be?

Green party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak will push for Feed-in tariffs in Ohio. Ted Strickland, sadly, won't. And the's the bottom line.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact: 330-503-1407

Why not Ohio? Australians Earn $10,000 from Rooftop Solar Power

Ohio Green Party Governor Dennis Spisak cites a Green Options report where the government there allows residents to earn money from solar panels.

Why Not Ohio? Why no feed-in tariffs for Ohio Citizens? Is it because Ted Strickland is in the pockets of coal-fired electric plants and fails to allow citizens to feed-in to the grid, thus zapping coal profits for his dirty coal lobbyists?

According to the report in Green Options,
The New South Wales government has just introduced a Solar Bonus Scheme that could have residents earning as much as $10,000 a year to send clean electricity to the grid from solar panels on their own roofs.

The incentive is a Feed-in Tariff like the one that was so popular in Germany that they ran out of solar panels last year, and that shook up the global solar market when Spain introduced theirs a few years ago, because they paid enough so that average homeowners could earn money from adding solar panels on their roofs.

The NSW government expects that most homeowner’s earnings would tend to be more in the range of $1,500 a year, just based on extra roof space estimates. But they could be in for a surprise. German homeowners were very resourceful in finding space somewhere for solar arrays, even over fences, churches, barns and pastures, once offered a way to pay for a renewable energy power plant without going into debt.

A Feed-in Tariff is a cash payment for renewable electricity produced, by anybody. You don’t have to be a utility to make electricity and supply it to the grid. If you have enough space (and sun) on your roof to supply both your own electricity needs and some extra for the grid, that extra going to the grid is paid for by your utility.

Two essentials are needed to make a Feed-in Tariff succeed:

1. The payment must be cash. A “credit” on your bill that expires at the end of each year, like California offers, tends to discourage homeowners from installing over-sized systems that send free energy to the utility.
2. At least two to one payment ratio. The relationship between the retail cost that you pay for your utility electricity, and the amount that your utility must pay you if you supply it. Germany initially paid three times the retail rate.

NSW electricity costs 19 cents per kwh, and they will pay 60 cents per kwh. That is why this is poised for the same kind of rocketing success that Germany saw with three times retail, and perhaps even more, as Australia is blessed with great insolation.

Both the German and the Spanish programs have contributed to the drop in solar prices that benefit everybody worldwide, by increasing solar adoption so fast. The three to one rates don’t have to remain that high. Germany has now tapered down its incentive to two times the retail rate.

Feed-in Tariffs are a way to push renewable energy onto the grid fast and affordably, both for homeowners, and for utility ratepayers who no longer have to subsidize either the new utility-scale power plants that would otherwise have to be built, or the new transmission costs to bring the power from them.

Ted Strickland could do much more for solar power, except he doesn't have too, he has to make sure his dirty coal lobbyists make the money instead of homeowners.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact: 330-503-1407

Ted Strickland: A Lefty before the Election, a Righty Afterwards

Ever seen the Green Party announced their candidate for Governor, Dennis Spisak, who immediately went after Ted Strickland's record of never seeing a nuke or dirty coal plant he didn't like, some of Teddy's Blogger Boys have been quick ever since to roll out every new Green Idea the Governor has.

This will be the same all throughout this 2010 campaign. Ted Strickland will try to portray himself as the liberal populist Governor before the election, and then revert back to his right-leaning way of governing IF he is re-elected.

That's why Progressives need to stay strong and vote Green this November. Ted Strickland will lie to you to get your vote. When Ted Strickland speaks out against Nukes and dirty coal plants then he can call himself a progressive. Until then, He is a conservative in liberal clothing.

Dennis Spisak-Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info: contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Indiana gets Electric Car Plant

Ohio Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites an AP report last week that Indiana is receiving an electric car plant. Why not Ohio?

Every midwestern state is beating Ohio and bringing new jobs to help curb their high unemployment numbers, except Ohio. These are the new blue-green jobs Ohio needs for the 21st century.

According to the AP, An electric car maker plans to open a factory in a northern Indiana plant that once made parts for recreational vehicles.

State and local officials planned to join executives from Think North America for an official announcement last Tuesday. The plant in Elkhart will be Think North America's first in the U.S. and provide much-needed jobs in a city that has been struggling since the RV industry collapsed during the recession.

Think North America, a subsidiary of Norwegian-based Think Global, projects its new factory could have 415 full-time jobs by 2013. Think Global currently makes its compact, two-door electric passenger cars at a plant in Finland.

The company began looking in Elkhart after negotiations broke down last week with the owner of a property in the nearby town of Middlebury, said Tom Kemeny, Think North America's chief financial officer.

The Elkhart City Council gave initial approval Monday night to a 10-year tax abatement plan for the company.

Gov. Mitch Daniels was to take part in the formal announcement Tuesday afternoon at the former facility for Philips Products, which made doors and windows for the RV industry. That plant, which had about 250 workers, closed last summer.

Barkley Garrett, the city's economic development director, said city officials worked through the weekend to complete the deal with the company after it ended talks for the Middlebury site.

"We're not poaching other communities' projects," Garrett said. "We knew our site was a backup site. We were not involved in negotiations until they contacted us."

Two other companies are working on plans to make electric vehicles in nearby Wakarusa.

Navistar International Corp. plans to build all-electric delivery trucks this year with a $39 million federal grant. Startup Electric Motors Corp. (OOTC:EMCO) intends to make electric-hybrid drive trains to be installed in various vehicles, starting with a joint venture with Gulf Stream that would make light-duty electric trucks.

Elkhart County's unemployment rate peaked in March at 18.9 percent but has fallen steadily since, hitting 14.5 percent in November.

"I don't think it makes any difference who gets this company or where they go as long as they go in Elkhart County," County Council President John Leatherman said. "What we're trying to build here is an electric car cluster, which is really a new diversification for this economy."

Why not Ohio?

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

for more info contact 330-503-1407

Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak is calling for Ohio to adopt the SEIA Solar Bill of Rights to help get solar energy quicker and faster to Ohio families and to boost Ohio employment through the growth of solar power jobs, manufacturing companies, and research and development facilities.

By "adopting" this Solar Bill of Rights, we can more Ohio to the forefront of solar usage and job creation, a lot faster than Ted Strickland's proposed 25% plan by year 2025.

Solar Bill of Rights©




We declare these rights not on behalf of our companies, but on behalf of our customers and our country. We seek no more than the freedom to compete on equal terms and no more than the liberty for consumers to choose the energy source they think best.




1. Americans have the right to put solar on their homes or businesses.

Millions of Americans want to put solar on the roof of their home or business, but many are prevented from doing so by local restrictions. Some homeowners associations have prevented residents from going solar through neighborhood covenants, which allow for the association to veto any changes to a property’s aesthetics. Some utilities and municipalities have also made it prohibitively time-consuming and/or expensive to have a system permitted or inspected.



2. Americans have the right to connect their solar energy system to the grid with uniform national standards.

Currently, each state (in some cases, each utility) has a unique process for connecting solar systems to the local electricity grid. National interconnection standards will create a uniform process and paperwork, creating a simple process for the homeowner and a standardized physical connection for manufacturers. Connecting a home solar system shouldn’t be any more complicated for the homeowner than setting up an Internet connection.



3. Americans have the right to Net Meter and be compensated at the very least with full retail electricity rates.

Residential solar systems generate excess electricity in the middle of the day, when the owners aren’t usually at home. Net metering requires the utility company to credit any excess generation to the customer at full retail rates at a minimum – effectively running the electricity meter backwards when the system is generating more electricity than the occupants of the house are using. Allowing customers to net meter is critical to making solar an economically viable option for most homeowners.


4. The solar industry has the right to a fair competitive environment.

The highly profitable fossil fuel industries have received tens of billions of dollars in subsidies from the federal government for decades. In addition, fossil fuel industries are protected from bearing the full social costs of the pollution they produce. The solar energy industry and the public expect a fair playing field, with all energy sources evaluated based on their full, life-cycle costs and benefits to society. Therefore it is critical that solar energy receive the same level of support, for the same duration, as the fossil fuel industry.


5. The solar industry has the right to equal access to public lands.

America has some of the best solar resources in the world, which are often on public lands overseen by the federal government. But even though oil and gas industries have been granted access to 45 million acres of public lands, the federal government has yet to approve a single solar project application for development. Solar is a clean, renewable American resource and access to public lands is a critical component of any national strategy to expand our use of renewable energy.


6. The solar industry has the right to sell its power across a new, 21st century transmission grid.

Over the last 100 years, the transmission grid in the United States has been built as a patchwork of local systems, designed and planned to meet local needs. As the needs of customers have changed, so has the way the electric industry does business. What haven’t changed are the rules crafted in an era of coal-fired power plants. What is needed now is an investment in infrastructure to connect areas rich in solar resources with major population centers.



7. Americans have the right to buy solar electricity from their utility.

Many utility companies have never considered offering their customers the option to purchase clean solar energy, rather than dirty energy from coal or other fossil fuels. Nation-wide over 90% of people support increased use of solar energy, and over three-quarters believe it should be a major priority of the federal government. Despite this, only around 25% of utility customers in the US have the ability to actually purchase clean, renewable power from their utility, and only a fraction of those programs offer solar energy. Utilities should be required to offer the electricity source that their customers want.


8. Americans have the right to – and should expect – the highest ethical treatment from the solar industry.

Solar energy systems are an investment as much as a physical product. Consumers deserve top-quality information and treatment from solar energy providers and installers. Consumers should expect the solar industry to minimize its environmental impact through panel recycling and other programs, and communicate information about available incentives in a clear, accurate and accessible manner. Finally, consumers should expect that solar systems will work better than advertised, and that companies will make every good faith effort to support solar owners over the life of their systems.



This Solar Bill of Rights is why we need a Green Party Governor to lead Ohio past 2010!



For more info contact (330) 503-1407



Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

What Progressive Changes A Green Party Governor would bring to Ohio

By electing Dennis Spisak, the Ohio Green Party candidate for Governor this year, Ohio would begin moving in a progressive manner providing progressive changes to help the poor and working class bring themselves out of the 21st Century Great Recession.

What kind of progressive changes could Ohio accomplish?, fellow Green Party Member Howdie Hawkins wrote the following this past week:

It could have been different. When the Democrats swept into power, they had a mandate for bold progressive change. They could have enacted, with broad Center-to-Left popular support, a Green New Deal to address the interrelated crises of energy, climate, and economic depression. Instead of bailing out the big banks and automakers, they could have nationalized them on the cheap when they were insolvent. Public banks could have then restructured millions of mortgages on affordable, long-term, fixed-rate terms for homeowners facing foreclosure. The automakers could have been retrofitted to produce electric cars, mass transit, wind turbines, and solar panels just as the federal government had them make tanks, trucks, and airplanes for World War II. With investments from public banks and federal infrastructure spending guaranteeing a market for a green reconstruction of the nation's energy and transportation systems, US manufacturing, jobs, and the whole economy could have been renewed on a sustainable basis.

It could have been different. But what to do now?

The Democratic Party has been the graveyard for every broad progressive movement since the Populists more than a century ago. 2010 should be the year when progressive movements finally break their dependence on the corporate-sponsored Democrats and present their programs directly to the voters through their own independent candidates and party.

Let's make the choice in 2010 between a Green New Deal and the corporatism of the two old parties.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

For more info: contact (330) 503-1407

Why is Ted Strickland Stoppping New Jobs From Entering Ohio?

Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak wants more blue-green jobs to enter Ohio. Current Governor Ted Strickland is stopping such jobs at our state borders because he is a slave to nuke and dirty coal lobbyists, who continue to push for more and more nuke and coal plants to be built in Ohio.

Blue Green jobs can save Ohio's economy and put people back to work.

From the organization Repower America, Studies show that comprehensive clean energy and climate policies can generate a net increase of 1.7 million new American jobs — jobs that can’t be outsourced and that use the skills of today’s workers. Repowering America with clean energy would also revitalize our manufacturing sector, providing a needed boost to the U.S. automotive industry and to states that are struggling from the loss of factories and mills during the recent economic downturn.

Repowering America with a clean energy economy will also put more of our hard-earned money back into the pockets of working families. With new comprehensive clean energy policies, American households could start seeing savings within just a few years, and these savings could reach an average of $900 per household per year by 2030. Shifting to clean renewable energy sources available here in the U.S. — like the sun and the wind — will also help release us from the grip of volatile energy prices. Coupled with energy efficiency measures, Americans could start to see immediate savings.

Right now, the world’s leading economies and companies are engaged in a race to develop new 21st century technologies to support a global clean energy future. If we want to remain competitive in the global economy, the United States needs to lead this effort — but we are currently lagging behind. Other countries are sharpening their competitive edge already: General Motors uses a Korean company to supply the battery cells for the new electric Chevrolet Volt vehicle – because the most advanced technology of this kind comes from Korean manufacturers — not American manufacturers. With an eye towards the future, China has adopted the most aggressive energy efficiency program in the world, providing incentives and support to rapidly grow their own domestic clean energy economy. America is founded on a spirit of ingenuity, innovation, and hard work. Americans should be leading the transition to a global clean energy future. It’s time to Repower America.

It's time to repower Ohio with more and new Blue-Green jobs, not dirty coal or nuke plants. Is Ted Strickland listening to us? No. Is he listening to Nuke and Dirty Coal Lobbyists? The Answer is a Definite YES!

for more info: contact (330) 503-1407

Why Not Ohio? North Dakota builds Wind Farm in 4 Months
According to a report from Green Options, A North Dakota rural electric cooperative made history on New Year’s Eve, in completing the nation’s largest wind project to be entirely owned by a consumer cooperative.
The $240 million, 115.5 MW wind farm was begun in August and completed a mere four months later; three and a half hours before midnight on the last night of 2009. GE supplied the 77 1.5 MW turbines.

North Dakota’s Basin Electric is a rural electricity cooperative that generates and transmits electricity to 136 member rural electric systems in nine states: indirectly serving about 2.8 million consumers in nine states.

By the end of 2010 the cooperative hopes that it will produce 20% of its electricity from wind power for its 2.8 million rural consumers in parts of rural Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Achieving that lofty goal will be quite a leap. In 2005 Basin Electric got 94% of its electricity from coal and less than 1% from wind.

But if any organization can do it, it would be one that can build a 115 MW wind farm in four months. One that got the preliminary environmental reviews and permitting done in just one Spring during which they:

Completed an Environmental Assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act
Communicated with the county and townships, seeking input/approval on project development, construction and operation
Conducted landowner meetings seeking input to identify farming needs in relation to site layout
Coordinated and received input from multiple state and federal agencies
Developed a site layout that avoids wetlands, cultural resources, residences, roads and transmission lines
Received a Certificate of Site Compatibility from the North Dakota Public Service Commission
Though the Prairie Winds 1 farm is spread out across 30,000 acres (the larger a wind farm is; the more it helps in evening out wind intermittency, as its always blowing somewhere), each turbine actually requires less than one acre of land, and farming can take place around the turbines.

Cooperatives have no taxes, as they make no profits. Margins must be used to improve or maintain operations, set aside in reserves, or distributed to the membership. As a result, they are not eligible for the 30% production tax credits that can make financing new renewable energy projects easier.

But, to make up for that, of about $2 billion in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds that have been made available by the Department of Energy for non-profits like schools and churches to build renewable energy, about $460 million went to rural electricity cooperatives.

But maybe that proportion should be looked at again, for three reasons.

1. Rural empty states are where the wind is.
2. Rural empty states are where electricity cooperatives are.
3. Rural empty state’s cooperatives are beating national averages in bringing the most renewable energy online the fastest.

Renewable capacity among rural electricity cooperatives grew 65% in 2008. The rest of us: 25%.

Why can't Ohio develop this type of leadership to bring such wind power to Ohio? Is it because Governor Ted Strickland is a fan of dirty coal and refuses to work fast and hard enough to bring Wind power to Ohio before 2025? Is it because Ted Strickland is a pawn to dirty coal lobbyists in Ohio?

Actions speak louder than words, Ted. And your actions or in-actions, speak volumes.

Dennis Spisak-Ohio Green Party Candidate for Governor

(330) 503-1407

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

To Fix Ohio, Government Must Do More

Today's economic disconent is much less likely to be replaced by other concerns in 2010. That's why Green Party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak is calling on government to do more for working Ohioans, not less.

"People are worries about their finances and the state of the economy, possible loss of health insurance and homes, as well as unemployment figures near historic highs. Ohioans want a government to be more intense in helping people in this time of what Ted Strickland calls the Great Recession," said Spisak.

"We must have government provide answers to inequality and eonomic insecurity. We must flatten the Ohio income distribution without adverse effects to economic growth. We must guarentee citizens of Ohio a chance at receiving new blue-green jobs as well as universal health care throught the Health Care for All Ohioans Act," Spisak added.

"Ohio must have progressive leadership after 2010, and the Green Party is the only party willing to advocate policies that actually help people: Single-Payer healthcare, blue-green jobs creation, and better funding of education for all," Spisak concluded.

For more information contact: 330-503-1407

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Let's Bring More Blue-Green Jobs to Ohio

Dennis Spisak, the Green Party Candidate For Ohio Governor believes more should be done to bring blue-green jobs to Ohio.

While Ted Strickland still believes in Nukes and Dirty Coal plants for fuel, Dennis believes we need to commit to blue-green jobs at a faster clip.

The Apollo Alliance and the clean energy, good jobs economy we are working so hard to help build represents hope made real and visible. As Apollo Chairman Phil Angelides wrote this week on our blog and in an op-ed we are circulating across the nation: "Clean energy isn't a mirage. It's the fastest growing industrial sector in the United States. It is already generating $25 billion a year in sales and revenue, is growing at 30 percent a year."

He added: "Imagine the growth in jobs, technology, equipment, suppliers, and productivity if the United States actually treated the development of clean energy as a national economic priority. And consider just as seriously the remarkable benefits to America's security, environment, economic stability, and communities that would be realized by keeping at home the nearly $400 billion that we send each year to foreign nations, many hostile to our interests, to import their oil. It's time for America to quit bailing and to start building."

As the Apollo Alliance has noted on its Web site, in our public events, in reports, and in the just completed six-state roll out of The New Apollo Program, there is no time to spare. The old economy is sinking. A new one, gradually emerging, needs to dramatically gain speed and influence.

What a Green Party Governor would mean for Ohio's Agriculture

By electing Dennis Spisak, Green Party candidate for Governor, the following Green Party principles would be applied to Ohio's Agricultural system:

The Green Party of Ohio endorses, supports and seeks to implement an Agriculture Policy in the State of Ohio that follows basic Green principles that will insure a healthy food supply in Ohio:
A. Factory farms ("industrial farming") threatens to further erode the family farms and the general quality of life in our rural areas. Family farms are the basis of community-based economics and essential to rural development and a healthy, diverse economy.
B. The Green Party stands in opposition to a genetically engineered foods future as delivered by unaccountable transnational corporations. Ralph Nader has called for consumer revolts. The time has come! We are united in our opposition to foods that are presented unlabeled when genetically changed. U.S. biotech firms needs to be shown for what they do, food production for profit, not health.
C. Genetically modified "Terminator" seeds that are more about "intellectual property rights" and corporate profit than they are about sustainable agricultural practices, Third-world economic independence, and health, should be banned. Labeling should fully disclose where genetically engineered (and/or irradiated) food is being supplied. Consumer choice needs to be based on full and complete disclosure. Whether it is Bt corn, genetically modified maize, or GM oilseed that finds its way into a menu of other products, the consumer needs to know and choose.
In addition to these general policy directions, we promote for Ohio:

We support the development of incentives for the conversion to organic farming methods and increased enforcement of the State's existing organic certification program and direct Ohio's extension services to enhance their support for organic food production methods.

Programs to encourage development of a processing industry that is based in Ohio and supports Ohio's small farmers. That lack of local processing plants limits the markets to which farmers can sell their produce and is inconsistent with a bioregional approach to agriculture.

Encourage homeowners to produce their own food through organic practices.

Support community gardens in local communities.

Develop and implement legislation that will make growers and patent holders of genetically modified organisms liable for cross contamination with other farmers' crops. Penalties should be severe enough to discourage this from happening.

Provide support for direct marketing efforts of Ohio's farmers to Ohio's consumers.

Target government food procurement (such as school lunch money or university cafeteria purchases) towards small, local farms. Make the preservation of Ohio family farms a priority especially among low income farmers.

Develop a system for US DA food stamps to be used at Ohio farmer's markets easily, just as WIC (Women, Infants and Children) vouchers are used currently.

Restore large farms' oversight to the Ohio EPA, reversing the law that transferred this authority to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Protect productive farmland from sprawl.

The Green Party of Ohio calls for the immediate legalization of industrial Grade hemp for agricultural and industrial purposes. The Plant's versatility cannot go unnoticed for its environmental and economical potential to the people of Ohio. It is a perfect revenue crop for farmers and workers of Ohio. Hemp is non psychoactive and can yield numerous products including organic food, Clothing, Paper, Building materials, fuels, and biomass energy without cutting down more trees and using pesticides. It will further help end the reliance on "dirty" and foreign energy sources.

for more information: contact (330) 503-1407

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

From Raw Story:

"Plans to keep an invasive fish species, the Asian carp, out of the Great Lakes by closing two locks on a canal running to the Mississippi River have run into opposition from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and other business lobbying groups.

Michigan's attorney general has filed suit to close off the connection in an attempt to prevent the spread of the voracious carp. Minnesota and Ohio are also backing the suit, and this week the attorneys general of Wisconsin and Indiana filed briefs in support as well.

The states fear that the carp could cause "an ecological and economic disaster" by devastating the ecosystem of the lakes and the fishing and tourism which depend on them and believe that urgent action must be taken until more long-term solutions are worked out. The suit, which requires the setting aside of a century-old legal decision, is due to be heard next week by the US Supreme Court."

Read the rest here:

http://rawstory.com/2009/12/chamber-commerce-opposes-closing-locks-carp/

Why Not Ohio? Solar Power Plants get Utility Contracts

For More Information contact (330) 503-1407

Green Party Candidate for Ohio governor Dennis Spisak is calling for the building of Solar power plants so they can compete for Public Utility Contracts, thus lessening Ohio's dependence on coal plants.

According to a report last week from Green Options, Major power companies in Florida and New Mexico announced this week that they would start buying large amounts of energy from certain solar power producers soon.

In New Mexico, Southwestern Public Service Company (SPSC), a subsidiary of Xcel Energy, said that it would buy 50 MW of solar power from SunEdison. From the solar panels being installed on five 10-MW sites, the electricity generated will be able to power 10,000 homes.

In Florida, at practically the same time, Tampa Electric Company received approval from the Florida Public Service Commission to purchase solar power from Energy 5.0’s planned 25-MW plant in Polk County.

These solar power plants will be two of the biggest in the nation when completed. They are expected to offset carbon emissions by millions of tons.

"Ohio needs to begin the same process." said Spisak. "We have more sunshine per year then Germany, and they are the most solar active country in the world, using the same solar power plant utility contracts set up here in the states. Ohio can become a major solar player in the world once we put a Green Governor in office who won't bow to the pressures of big dirty coal lobbyists. Ted Strickland already bows to big dirty coal and that is hampering Ohio's progress in the Solar industry." Spisak concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Cross-posted at DailyKOS.com

CLAIM MAY HALT HER OWN PROJECTS & MAKE HERSELF AN OUTLAW

No snark. Pleistocene Ungreen Mean Jean Schmidt, R-OH, has called a potential halt to virtually all U.S. nuclear power revival plans for legal reasons related to the genocide in Darfur.

Schmidt charges that any federal assistance to AREVA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of French nuclear giant AREVA, would violate federal law. Schmidt's argument would render illegal at least half a dozen projects that she herself has backed for her district.

The statute in question is the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, which passed the House in a 411-0 vote, on concerns about the Darfur situation. The bipartisan act prohibits federal agencies from doing business with any company with Sudanese holdings. Among its global operations, AREVA owns gold mines in Sudan.

Why the sudden overriding concern for black African genocide victims by the nukomaniacal whitebread Republican? Could Jean Schmidt's Christmas Tree possibly be decked with uranium tinsel and corporate shillings?

Schmidt's Epiphany

Schmidt's anti-nuke Christmas epiphany comes in a "statement" issued by the congresswoman two days before Christmas, and apparently timed to avoid scrutiny or response over the holiday. In other words, Schmidt wanted to control the spin on a characteristically bizarre story that emanates from her own careless action.

About one year ago, attempting to assist her corporate sponsor USEC Inc. in getting a $2 billion federal loan, Schmidt filed a complaint with the Inspector General of the US Department of Energy, asking him to investigate the legality of DOE payments to AREVA under the 2007 Act prohibiting business with companies that have Sudan connections.
AREVA had just submitted a competing application for the same pot of loan funds sought by USEC.

Schmidt probably forgot about the complaint, after USEC and AREVA settled their outstanding issues and formed a partnership in the spring of 2009. But the DOE IG recently informed Schmidt that he was initiating the investigation she had previously requested, thus provoking Schmidt's pre-Christmas patchwork media action.

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we pander by attacking AREVA.

Four south Ohio newspapers have now reported Schmidt's statement, doing little but parrot the congress-entity. (Thank God that some of the usual editors were on vacation, or the stories would suffer from even more USEC-inspired distortions.) The Brown County News Democrat broke the "news" on December 24 http://newsdemocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=129733 , the Chillicothe Gazette followed on December 25 http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20091225/NEWS01/912250303/Schmidt-asked-DOE-for-investigation-of-USEC-competitor , the Portsmouth Daily Times on December 26 http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/bookmark/5319439, and the Pike County News Watchman today, the 27th.

The News Watchman, available online only to subsribers, opens with the most shameless fact distortion, claiming that Schmidt "may have 'struck gold' for USEC Inc." Anything to make the paper's advertising anchor happy.

Neither Schmidt nor the Ohio reporters who have so far covered the story seem to realize that AREVA Inc. is a company pivotal to all plans for a so-called American nuclear renaissance. AREVA is pioneering many of the new reactor designs on which USEC's future market depends, and AREVA is building the very first reactor to break the 35-year coma of the American nuclear industry in Maryland. In addition, AREVA is building one of three new viable U.S. uranium enrichment plants in Idaho, it leads the world in nuclear reprocessing technology including DOE's MOX facility in South Carolina, and it's building the principal U.S. facility to manufacture new reactor components in Virginia.

Who is Chairman of the Board of AREVA Inc., the U.S. subsidiary? None other than G.W. Bush's Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham. That's how big AREVA is in corporate American and Republican circles.

According to AREVA Inc.'s website here http://portsmouth-dailytimes.com/bookmark/5319439 the company operates at over 40 U.S. locations and employs close to six thousand American workers directly. AREVA has entered into tight partnerships with Duke Energy, Northrop-Grumman, and USEC Inc., the latter being the hometown company that Schmidt intends to protect from AREVA competition.

Moreover, virtually all of AREVA's U.S. ventures rely on some form of federal support, either through R&D contracts, loans, loan guarantees, purchase agreements, or leases of federal land. If the Department of Energy were to rule Schmidt's IG complaint valid, then hundreds of contracts and leases would be deemed illegal, the partnerships would crumble, and the entire "renaissance" would be thrown back into a dark age. The nuclear option would be rendered dead for decades in the United States.

In a preemptive move against any claim that partners and subsidiaries might escape the legal embargo placed on the AREVA parent company in France, Schmidt appears to have closed off that option:

"In 2007 the President signed into law a bill that I strongly supported making it illegal for the U.S. Government to do business with companies that also do business in Sudan. That law prohibits Areva from doing business with the United States since they also own gold mines in Sudan. Hiding behind a subsidiary is a laughable excuse,"

Mean Jean the Corporate-Criminal Busting Machine! Logically, the same logic applied to subsidiaries also applies to the venture partners whose joint holdings and fortunes are inextricably bound to those of AREVA, and to the subsidiaries formed by those partnerships, like Unistar. According to the Chillicothe Gazette and the Portsmouth Daily Times, Schmidt goes so far as to say she's at work on new legislation to cut off any backdoor escape route for AREVA subsidiaries.

What will this do to Schmidt's popularity and fundraising ability within the AREVA-lovin smootchie-smootch crowd that constitutes the GOP? It doesn't take a Nostradamus to forecast that Schmidt's name will now be, well, Schmidt.

Schmidt's ePIFNI

So why the sudden attack of Naderite conviction for the neanderthal Republican? Certainly any scholarly answer must start with the observation that Schmidt's IQ compares unfavorably to that of a flea beetle. With all due deference to my own member of Congress, Jean can dummy up but she can't dumb down.

Which is to say that the inestimable congresswoman did not foresee the consequences when she filed her complaint. But she can't back down now, especially because she's already been skewered by Independent-Democrat opponent David Krikorian for trying to suppress congressional recognition of the Armenian genocide. (Search tag "Genocide Denial Trial" to get my past diaries on that subject.) Backing away from the Darfur genocide legislation might be a bit much for even her remaining dozen or so stalwart supporters to stomach.

On a purely local level, Schmidt's Darfurian law-enforcement initiative would render illegal at least six projects in OH-02 that she herself has championed. She is still on record as supporting most or all of them. The projects are:

1. In 2006, Schmidt backed a new company named ePIFNI, pronounced "epiphany," the Piketon Initiative for Nuclear Independence. ePIFNI's first action was to organize a tour for Ohio officials to AREVA's nuclear reprocessing center at Cap de la Hague in France, presumably paid for by AREVA. The public result of the trip was a report that "the cows look happy" (I swear), but secretly ePIFNI submitted a proposal to DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management for construction of a spent fuel storage facility at Piketon, Ohio, based on AREVA engineering guidance. This was the plan, revealed by whistleblowers, for which Schmidt got zinged in the 2006 campaign. Governor Ted Strickland, rumored to be seeking reelection as a Democrat, also provided two letters of support to ePIFNI.

2. In 2007, after Congress passed the Sudan Divestment Act, ePIFNI received $674,000 from DOE to "study" the Piketon site as part of the ill-fated Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program. 52% or $350,000 of that was paid to AREVA, though AREVA produced no discernable work product. It appears that the money was illegally diverted to reimburse AREVA for the prior Ohio junket to France. Strickland and Schmidt both supported this misadventure. AREVA also collected a substantial portion of the GNEP "study" funding that went to ten other selected sites.

3. Also in 2007, with GNEP and the waste storage schemes fading, Ted Strickland and Jean Schmidt began direct negotiations with AREVA for the location of a new centrifuge uranium enrichment plant at or near the Piketon site. At this point, Schmidt already had to know that any deal with AREVA would be illegal. Ultimately, AREVA rejected Piketon and chose a location in Idaho, which Schmidt appears to not recognize as part of the United States (she now repeatedly says that money should be preferentially given to Ohio over Idaho projects in order to "protect American workers.")

4. In the spring of 2009, Schmidt's corporate sponsor and Piketon site operator USEC Inc., formerly an AREVA competitor, reached a private settlement with AREVA that converted the former litigious rivalry into a partnership. Under terms of the settlement, AREVA agreed to purchase a large amount of enriched uranium from USEC in the short-run, apparently in exchange for future access to USEC utility customers after USEC departs the enrichment business. (USEC plans to shut down its Paducah plant in 2012, and it loses its Russian uranium supply in 2013.) Under this agreement, federal payments to USEC undeniably go to aid AREVA. If USEC's "American Centrifuge Plant" were hypothetically to operate, much of its product would go to AREVA directly and to fuel AREVA-model reactors.

5. The fruits of the USEC-AREVA partnership became apparent in June of 2009, when USEC and AREVA, along with Duke, Unistar and the former ePIFNI partner SODI, held a joint extravaganza at Piketon to announce they would build a new nuclear reactor of AREVA design on-site. This would be "green energy" it was announced, because USEC's new centrifuge plant would produce the uranium utilized in the reactor next door (wrongly implying that the uranium wouldn't need to leave the site for fabrication, and USEC had some mechanism for financing its plant). The powerful CEO of AREVA, Anne Lauvergeon, flew in from France. And who was on stage to hawk the deal for the bipartisan asses of the Ohio political classes? None other than Governor Strickland and Congresswoman Schmidt, neither of whom mentioned that any deal with AREVA at a federal site would violate the Sudan Divestment Act. Did Jean pull Anne aside to complain about the AREVA gold mines in Sudan? Is the moon made of Camembert? (I acknowledge that the phrase "bipartisan asses" is a rear-end redundancy.) http://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/pages/full_story?article-Nuclear%20Power%20Plant%20Coming%20=&page_label=home_top_stories_news&id=2734486-Nuclear+Power+Plant+Coming&widget=push&instance=home_news_lead&open=& br />

6. During all this prurient Piketon pandering, none of which has resulted in a single local production job, the real work has been going on in cleanup of the old gaseous duffusion plant at Piketon, which closed in 2001. That work has been championed by Senator Sherrod Brown. The Obama DOE has determined that it would be a conflict of interest for USEC to serve as general contractor on the principal Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) job that lies ahead. That leaves AREVA as the major potential bidder on the project. Schmidt's "Darfur" initiative may aim in part at knocking AREVA out, perhaps to force a review of the USEC exclusion decision. More likely, it just puts the whole D&D project in jeopardy, as contractor intrigues and corruption have plagued the Piketon site.

The Un-American Centrifuge Plant

None of the Christmas-time newspaper articles reveals the date when Schmidt filed her IG complaint. Therein lies the real solution to the mystery.

Logically, the filing had to occur sometime between October 2008 and April 2009. The former date followed AREVA's surprise filing of an application for a federal loan guarantee to support construction of its Eagle Rock Enrichment Plant in Idaho. That application caught all USEC supporters by surprise.

Schmidt's congressional mentor, Energy Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Hobson of OH-07 (now retired), had specifically arranged the enrichment loan program to ensure that USEC was the only company that could qualify, and that the $2 billion available in the fund was only enough to cover USEC's project costs, with none left for competitors.

AREVA's loan application in the fall of 2008 completely knocked USEC's project out of potential contention, because USEC required full funding in order to qualify at all. Obviously it was that dilemma that spurred Jean Schmidt's IG complaint, on behalf of her corporate sponsor.

But then Mean Jean apparently forgot that she had filed the complaint, because by June of 2009, she was sharing a USEC stage with AREVA's Anne Lauvergeon. All one big happy gold-mining gold-digging nuclear family, n'est pas?

Plus ca change, plus la meme chose, as they say.

By the end of July, the jig was up for USEC. Then, the Department of Energy announced that USEC's application for a $2 billion loan was denied, citing "technical, financial and regulatory issues." That's three black marks out of the three criteria in consideration.

Ted One-Term Strickland then intervened, not to save USEC but to save his reelection chances. He negotiated a six-month period after which USEC could reapply, the timing determined by Strickland's own need to have a positive loan decision announced before the 2010 election. But Strickland failed to confirm with USEC that the six-month timeframe was even feasible. (USEC, by its own report, only has ten centrifuges installed since project startup in 2003. Over the same time period, Iran installed at least four thousand.)

Any smidgeon of hope for USEC disappeared completely one week before Christmas, when Moody's downgraded USEC stock and default risk to "junk grade." http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j57O8TG1wBjwzndEAXzOlvIfh3KgD9CLVG580 The spin from USEC was priceless. (If only USEC could spin a centrifuge the way they do the news.) USEC's Elizabeth Stuckle told Ohio papers that "'junk grade' is only a colloquial term."

Well I have news for you, Ms. Stuckle. "Big frickin' boondoggle that's a pox on the Ohio landscape and all American taxpayers" is also a colloquial term. Pardon my French.

It's finally time for some frankness about USEC's Un-American Centrifuge Plant.

You may recall that Jean Schmidt achieved some notoriety for backing the scheme to send all the spent nuclear fuel intended for Yucca Mountain, NV, instead to "interim" storage at the federal reservation near Piketon, at the eastern end of Schmidt's district. (Background: I broke that story in the Pike County News Watchman.)

Unreported by mainstream media at the time, the Ohio nuclear waste dumping plan was intended to bail out USEC Inc., the privatized former government corporation that controls the Piketon site. As a requirement of the 1996 USEC Privatization Act, USEC had announced an "advanced" technology centrifuge enrichment plant for Piketon, ballyhooed by the likes of Ted Strickland and Rob Portman (now governor and Senate candidates respectively) in January of 2004.

Like I said, USEC's "American Centrifuge Plant" met a statutory requirement. But USEC never had a commercially viable technology for the project, which became increasingly apparent after 2005, as USEC repeatedly missed demonstration deadlines. Competitors in the enrichment business, including AREVA, URENCO, GE-Hitachi and the Revolutionary Republic of Iran, then swooped in to snatch USEC's former market share.

The Schmidt hit the centrifuge, so to speak. USEC was stuck, no reference to Ms. Stuckle. But the company had long anticipated the problem and had taken countervailing steps. Almost immediately after announcing the Un-American Centrifuge project, USEC invested its money instead in the purchase of another company, NAC International. NAC happens to specialize in the storage of spent nuclear fuel.

Translation: USEC never intended to build a centrifuge plant at Piketon -- it had neither the technology nor the financing to do so. Rather, assuming continued Republican dominance in DC, USEC intended to pull a nuclear switcheroo. Claiming hardship caused by all those big bad French, German, Russian and even Iranian competitors, USEC planned to keep its leased federal buildings at Piketon empty, which it has. At the appropriate time, i.e. right about now, USEC would then offer those buildings as spent fuel storage hangars, managed on a lucrative contract by USEC's own subsidiary, NAC International, while sliding its enrichment customers over to its new partner, AREVA Inc. USA.

Every one of you who watched the 2008 presidential debates heard the evidence, though you didn't know what it meant at the time. Not once but twice, John McCain assaulted Barack Obama in the debates with the accusation that Obama "opposes the storage of spent nuclear fuel."

It seemed to make no sense, and Obama reacted with confusion, because Obama had never taken any position on spent fuel storage at all. ("Storage" implies an "interim" arrangement like the Piketon scheme, as opposed to the "disposal" that had been planned for Yucca Mountain.)

You see, McCain had been briefed by Rob Portman and USEC in conjunction with his numerous town hall meetings in southern Ohio. McCain knew that USEC depended for its corporate existence on its ability to convert its enrichment project to spent fuel storage. McCain also knew that USEC is a mainstay for Republican campaign financing in Ohio. To give some idea of how central USEC is in Republican circles, it has retained neocon godfather and known leaker of classified information Richard Perle as "strategic advisor."

McCain also knew that Obama would never allow such a scheme; no stated position from the Obama campaign was necessary.

USEC cannot now pull off such a conversion, because it would be opposed by virtually every politician from Piketon to Washington and all points in between. It also cannot now qualify for any federal loan guarantee. USEC's existence past 2013 is in serious doubt. And that is the reason for significant panic in Ohio Republican leadership circles.

I can almost feel sorry for Jean Schmidt. It's hard to be a corporate shill when your sponsor is a corporate shell. It gets confusing, and that's why Ms. Schmidt is now caught having set a legal train in motion that may result in shutting down the Republican Renaissance that is nuclear-based.

For voters, however, I think this is a clarifying moment. We've got to stop shilly-shallying around with that whole USEC crew and their Schmidty attitude.

AREVAderci, Jean Schmidt: ACTION ITEM

You've got to hand it to Ms. Schmidt. Her diligent researches have uncovered a consequence of statutory law that has gone unenforced. It doesn't matter if you're "pro-nuke" or "anti-nuke." If you care about the people of Darfur, if you want to reproach the government-backed genocide in Sudan, then the terms of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act must be met without equivocation or exemption.

AREVA owns and operates gold mines in Sudan. Therefore, all U.S. government agencies are prohibited from doing business with AREVA, its subsidiaries and its consortium partners. Existing contracts, purchase orders, and leases involving these entities must be canceled, and funds wrongly dispersed since the Act took effect should be recouped.

Help the people of Darfur by urging the U.S. government to strictly enforce the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act. SUPPORT Jean Schmidt's effort to hold corporate criminals like AREVA and its co-conspirators to the letter of U.S. law.

PLEASE copy and paste the following text to an e-mail to the top Department of Energy officials listed along with their e-mail addresses. Make sure to include your own contact information. Include a link to this diary if you like.

Please also send a cc to SHIPPSONG@aol.com. That way, Southern Ohio Neighbors Group can keep track of the correspondence to DOE. SONG is the public interest watchdog group for the Piketon federal site, and is the group with which I am associated.

Together with diligent public officials like Congresswoman Schmidt, we can end AREVA's depradations in Sudan today!

Gregory Friedman, Inspector General, Gregory.Friedman@hq.doe.gov
Scott Blake Harris, General Counsel, Scott.Harris@hq.doe.gov
Dennis Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Dennis.Spurgeon@hq.doe.gov

U.S. Department of Energy
1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20585

Dear Inspector General Friedman, General Counsel Scott Harris, and Assistant Secretary Spurgeon,

I am writing to support the complaint of Congresswoman Jean Schmidt of Ohio. The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007, which passed with total bipartisan support, must be strictly enforced.

Because AREVA owns gold mines in Sudan, the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractors are barred from conducting any business with AREVA, its subsidiaries, and its consortium partners including USEC Inc., Northrop-Grumman, Duke Energy, and Unistar.
Any existing or prospective contracts, purchase orders, loans, loan guarantees, or leases with these entities must be terminated, and expended funds since the Act went into effect recouped.

Since Congresswoman Schmidt has acknowledged her awareness of the terms of SADA, special scrutiny should be given to the involvement of AREVA and its partners at the Piketon DOE reservation, in Ms. Schmidt's district. An investigation should be opened into the following projects at Piketon since 2007, all of which have been supported by Ms. Schmidt:

1. AREVA's receipt of GNEP funding for the Site Characterization study performed by ePIFNI and SODI.

2. AREVA's negotiations to build a uranium enrichment plant at Piketon.

3. AREVA's participation in the announced USEC-AREVA-DUKE-SODI nuclear reactor project, for which AREVA CEO Anne Lauvergeon visited the Piketon federal site in June, 2009, accompanied by Congresswoman Schmidt.

4. AREVA and partners' involvement in cleanup operations at the gaseous diffusion plant at Piketon.

5. AREVA's announced settlement and partnership with USEC Inc.

Please keep me informed of your progress on these investigations.

Happy New Year!

Name:
Organization:
Address:
Telephone:
E-mail:

What a Green Party Governor Would Mean For Ohio's Environment

Information contact: (330) 503-1407
Ohio Green Party's candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak would clean up Ohio's water and air! Lessen our dependence on dirty coal plants, unlike current Governor Ted "Dirty Coal" Strickland.
Dennis Spisak would also bring in renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
Dennis Spisak and the Ohio Green Party would also look into:
Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy is key to sustainability. Just as ecological materials management is governed by the concept of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" (in priority order), ecological energy management must be governed by the principle of Conservation, Efficiency, and clean renewables. Of highest importance is to use less, then to use wisely, and to have clean production of what is used.

We call for the development of state energy policies that include taxes and/or fines on energy "waste," and the funding of energy research, including credits for alternative and sustainable energy use such as solar, wind, hydrogen and biomass or energy derived from industrial grade hemp or organic waste.

The Green Party calls for the retirement of the aging nuclear power reactors in Ohio, as soon as possible, since they are currently deteriorating, unsafe and not economical as a source of power for Ohio.

The Green Party recognizes that there is no such thing as nuclear waste "disposal." All six of the "low-level" nuclear waste dumps in the United States have leaked. There are no technological quick fixes which can effectively isolate nuclear waste from the biosphere for the duration of its hazardous life. Therefore, it is essential that generation of additional nuclear wastes be stopped. Current methods of underground storage are a danger to present and future generations. Any nuclear waste management strategies must be above ground, continuously monitored, retrievable and repackageable.

The Green Party strongly opposes any shipment of high-level nuclear waste across Ohio to the proposed Nevada waste "repository" at Yucca Mountain or any other centralized facility. The Green Party believes that this proposal is part of a move to re-fire on a fast-track, the commercial nuclear industry, if they can get their unsafe waste product ``safely disposed of.''

We call for independent, public-access radiation, safety and maintenance monitoring at all nuclear facilities in Ohio. We will require a neutral team of scientists and engineers to appraise the Davis-Besse and Perry plants.

In addition to aggressive energy conservation and efficiency measures, The Green Party of Ohio advocates the rapid and mandatory conversion to the best available clean technology in all existing and new power plants located in Ohio.

The Green Party of Ohio advocates the reduction of solid waste creation in the state. A "bottle bill" and "litter tax" are both elements of public policy, which are supported by the Green Party. A Green Party endorsed "bottle bill" would require a small deposit on all containers, including jars, cans, jugs, glass and plastic bottles to be paid at the time of purchase and to be refunded through source-based refund centers. Packaging, including wrappers, bags, boxes, etc., would be required to bear the name of the producer or marketer of the product, and remain the property of the producer or marketer.Waste in general needs to be reduced. Wastes, which are hazardous or toxic, need to be eliminated or minimized. The producers of waste must bear the responsibility for the ultimate conversion, recycling or ultimate disposal of these wastes.

The Green Party of Ohio opposes the disposal within the state of Ohio, wastes which are generated outside the state of Ohio. The challenge to any interpretation of US constitutional law, which would require Ohio to take possession of out-of-state-generated wastes is supported by the Green Party of Ohio and should be in the program of the Secretary of State, Governor and Attorney General. Aggressive measures need to be taken to end the use of Ohio as a dumping ground for solid and liquid wastes.
The time is now to clean up Ohio's water and air. The time is now to elect Dennis Spisak for Governor. Don't give Ted Strickland anymore time to dirty Ohio's air, streams, and rivers with dirty coal emissions.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Ted Strickland Didn't Get His Dirty Coal Plant For Christmas

Information contact: (330) 503-1407

Governor Ted Strickland did not get his lumps of coal liked he wanted this Christmas morning. Thanks to the The Ohio Environmental Council, American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio)cancelled plans to construct a proposed 1,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant on the Ohio River in Meigs County. Ever-growing costs doomed the plant, as cost projections grew from $2.5 billion just two years ago to close to $4 billion, today.

"Green Governor" Ted wanted this coal plant badly. He opening proposed and sought to build this plant. A coal plant that would have been the one of the most dirty air pollutioning plants in the state.

"Ted Strickland is not a green governor," said Dennis Spisak, Ohio Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor in 2010. "Ted Strickland talks a good green game plan, but his actions speak louder than words. Ted Strickland wants to continue to poison the air and water Ohioans use by building bigger and bigger dirty coal plants." Spisak added. "There is no such thing as clean coal, but the almighty coal lobbyists tell Ted a different and wrong story. We need to clean up Ohio's air and water by next Christmas, and we can only do that by electing myself as governor and sending Ted Strickland and his dirty coal plants to the sidelines." Spisak concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Ohio needs to seek more green energy tax credits

Green Party candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak said today Ohio must seek more green energy tax credits from the federal government in order to be a leader in the renewable energy growth in the years to come.

According to a report from Green Options,

In the midst of the Copenhagen negotiations last week, the White House announced a proposal to give a huge increase in tax breaks to manufacturers who produce wind, solar, geothermal, or other clean energy technologies. The goal of the tax breaks is to stimulate more job growth and promote clean energy technology more in the US.

With clean energy technology poised to become the third largest sales sector in the world, Obama and Biden realize that they must stimulate this field in the US a bit more to get the jobs that go with that growth.

In the proposal set forth by the White House on Thursday, new or expanded factories making clean energy technology (i.e. electric vehicles, solar panels, high-speed trains, and wind turbines) can get a 30% tax credit. This raises the current cap on these tax credits from $2.3 billion to $7.3 billion.

In addition to the tax credit, Obama’s proposed ‘jobs plan’ includes “increased investment in public works, small business tax cuts and incentives for homeowners who retrofit their houses to be more energy efficient.”

"Ohio needs to jump on these tax credits as soon as possible", said Spisak. "If we want to creat jobs and stimulate the economy for the poor, working class of Ohio citizens who are currently laid off, these grants will help Ohio grow jobs in the renewable energy market", Spisak concluded.



Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Why Not Ohio? Huge Response to Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Launch

Huge Response to Ontario's Feed-in Tariff Launch



Green Party candidate for Ohio Governor cites a report by Paul Gipe last week about Ontario's Feed-in tariff program becoming a huge success.

"This is the type of government invlivement that is needed to make a successful committment to renewable energy programs and to get them off the ground."said Spisak. "This type of program in Ohio would help people save money and begive the drive toa cleaner and greener Ohio in terms of renewable energies" he concluded.

According to the report, Ontario's new feed-in tariff program got off to an attention-grabbing start December 16, 2009 when the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) announced that it had awarded 700 contracts for renewable energy to homeowners under its expedited microFIT program.

Altogether, OPA received 8,000 MW of applications for wind and solar energy contracts under the province's precedent-setting, feed-in tariff policy.

OPA's remarkable press release was well timed to send a signal, if any was intended, to the Canadian delegation in Copenhagen where Canada was singled out as "Fossil of the Year" by climate change activists for its refusal to limit greenhouse gases.

Ontario is acting independently of Canada's federal government and plans to close all its coal-fired power plants by 2014. The province, Canada's most populous, is also aggressively developing its renewable energy industry. OPA's announcement was the first concrete indication of how fast the Ontario market may grow.

OPA estimates that the feed-in tariff program will stimulate more than $5 billion (Canadian) in new manufacturing, design, construction, and engineering investment in the province.

But the news that generated the most media buzz in Canada and elsewhere was the microFIT contracts. Saying the program "literally brings power to the people," Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Gerry Phillips sounded like a 1960s radical. He went on to add that the MicroFIT program "allows homeowners, farmers, schools and mom and pop businesses" to generate their own power "and get paid for it".

Under Ontario's microFIT program, homeowners generating their own electricity from solar PV will be paid $0.80 CAD/kWh ($0.76 USD/kWh) for a period of 20 years.

Indeed, it does sound radical, a program enabling citizens to profit from the renewable energy that falls on their rooftops. And Phillips wasn't alone in embracing the province's accomplishment-or sounding revolutionary.

Colin Anderson, OPA's chief executive, proudly noted that "We've cut the red tape and made it simpler for ordinary Ontarians to become electricity producers."

For Anderson and the OPA this wasn't idle boasting. They delivered North America's most aggressive renewable energy program in record-breaking time.

OPA said it was continuing to process another 500 micoFIT applications. When awarded, OPA will have issued a total 8.6 MW of contracts--nearly all for rooftop solar PV--to generators with projects less than 10 kW. These residential solar systems will generate nearly nine million kilowatt-hours per year under Ontario conditions.

Ontario's microFIT contracts alone will put Ontario close to one of the top ten markets for solar PV in North America. Yet the microFIT contracts represent just the tip of the iceberg.

Of the 8,000 MW of applications for feed-in tariffs, nearly 1,300 MW were for solar PV, and 6,300 MW were for wind energy.

Unfortunately, there is only 2,500 MW of grid capacity available in the first phase of OPA's feed-in tariff program. Another 1,500 MW of grid expansion is currently under construction.

In the meantime, OPA is giving preference to projects that are "shovel-ready" to get as much renewable energy in the ground as quickly as possible.

Within three to five years there could be as much as 4,000 MW of new renewable capacity in Ontario. Under Ontario conditions this would be roughly 3% to 5% of the province's electricity consumption. If achieved, this would be the most rapid growth of renewable energy in North America outside Texas.

For comparison, California--the one-time renewable energy leader in North America--currently generates only slightly more than 2% of its electricity consumption from new renewables.

Ontario has clearly put itself on the renewable energy map. This time next year we can judge the province by what really counts: not by the contracts awarded, but by the hardware installed.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Ted Strickland is still a Friend of KING COAL

While some "progressive" blogs are hailing Governor Ted Strickland as the Green Power Governor because of his commiyment to 25% of renewable energy sources powering Ohio by 2025, Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak announced today that Ted is still a friend and lover of DIRTY COAL.

"Ted Strickland's energy policy thus calls for the remaining 75% of energy needs to come form nuke plants or building bigger and dirtier coal plants" said Spisak. "Environment Ohio executive director Erin Bower notes that 87 percent of the state’s electricity comes from burning coal, compared with a national average of 53 percent. Ohio is ranked fourth nationally in its contributions to the country’s carbon dioxide emissions problem, Ohio ranks second nationally in the amount of those emissions coming from coal-fired power plants." said Spisak. "Bower has also commented that “The important thing is that the Legislature and our governor really listen to Ohioans across the state who are clamoring for alternatives to being so dependent on fossil fuels, which are putting Ohio at the top of the list for mercury pollution and smog and soot pollution,” she said.

"The facts are Ted Strickland will never move fast enough or massive enough on clean renewable energies" said Spisak. "He is powered and manipulated by nuke and coal lobbyists and will continue to be if elected to a second term as Governor." Spisak concluded.

Ohio needs more Geothermal Systems on Ohio Campuses

Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak is calling for more geothermal power systems to heat and cool Ohio college campuses. Spisak cites an AP story this week that states "While solar and wind power get most of the headlines, geothermal power is quietly being placed on college campuses where energy costs can take millions of dolalrs each year from the school budgets."

The article points out that 46 colleges and universities across the country are divvying up millions in federal stimulus dollars to advance technology that uses the temperature of the Earth, rather than coal-fired power plants, to heat and cool buildings. So far this year, the Department of Energy has announced $400 million in grants to advance these geothermal projects.

By going to geothermal power, colleges rely less on coal fired plants to heat their campuses. This cuts down on dirty emissions as well as costs to the schools" said Spisak. "Thus, colleges switching to geothermal heating can eventually keep tuition costs down as well as clean up their enivronments at the same time. Ohio should become a leader in this type of program and require all college campuses to follow this lead and make Ohio college campuses air friendly while passing the savings on to students through lower tuition rates." Spisak concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

As a credentialed observer at the Copenhagen climate negotiations, I'm appalled to see Senator Voinovich resort to baseless claims regarding the cost of cutting carbon emissions.  Speaking of the 2020 target of 17 percent emissions cuts called for in House legislation, Voinovich states that "the economic costs of this policy could exceed $1 trillion, costing households more than $1000 annually and pushing gasoline prices as high as $4 a gallon."  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office analysis came up with an cost figure nearly fifty times lower than the number Voinovich offers, and an average household cost amounting to less than a postage stamp per day. 

Voinovich also ignores the huge economic boost we could get from investing in clean energy technologies. A  report from the labor and environmental coalition Blue-Green Alliance and the Renewable Energy Policy Project estimated more than 850,000 manufacturing jobs could be created across the United States, tens of thousands of them here in Ohio.  We can also create thousands of jobs weatherizing homes and buildings and taking other common-sense cost-saving measures.

A December USA Today/Gallup poll shows that a solid majority of Americans favor a binding global agreement to reduce carbon emissions.  If anything, the best current science shows that a 17 percent cut in emissions by 2020 is far too modest a goal if we're going to prudently protect our environment from the worst risks of climate change.  We have the technical capacity to do much better.  We also have a right to expect our senators to make decisions based on the best analyses.  Seeing Senator Voinovich serve up industry lobbyists' warmed-over PR pieces is disappointing. 

Indiana To Move Ahead of Ohio In Energy-Efficiency Programs

Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak cites an AP Story last week that reports Indiana regulators have ordered the state's largest electric companies to offer uniform low-income weatherization and other energy-efficiency programs aimed at conserving 2 percent of the utilities' power output within 10 years.

"Once again we see another state moving ahead of Ohio in helping it's citizens lower there utility costs and conserve power output." said Spisak.

According to the AP story, The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, which issued the order last week, said the steps ordered by the panel would push Indiana past Ohio and Michigan for energy savings and allow it to challenge Illinois as a regional leader.

The Utility Regulatory Commission's order also will extend the low-income weatherization expansion that will upgrade about 30,000 Indiana homes over three years under federal stimulus spending, Menzer said.

"Once again we see another state moving ahead of Ohio in helping their citizens." said Spisak. "When will the current administration put people ahead of utility lobbyists?" He concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

The Real Cost of Renewable Energy

The costs of generating solar power will be on par with the costs of power made from fossil fuels like natural gas and coal within a decade, according to clean-tech research and publishing firm Clean Edge and green-economy nonprofit Co-op America. The two groups collaborated on a report, the Utility Solar Assessment (USA) Study, to provide a roadmap for utilities, solar companies, and regulators to work together so the nation can derive 10 percent or more of its power from the sun by 2025.

In related news, the Financial Times reported that the U.S. is set to overtake Germany as the world’s largest wind market in 2009. American wind energy is riding the wave of an investment boom accounting for a 45 percent jump in capacity last year alone.

As the Green Party Candidate for Governor, I will work in Columbus to help continue to cut renewable energy costs so it can be made more affordable to the poor, working, and middle class. Now is a pivotal moment for renewable energy in the United States. There is a real opportunity here for companies to stake a major claim in the market because there has been a pent-up demand.

www.votespisak.org/governor/

Green Ted Strickland: Coal and Nuke Cheerleader

Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak said today that while Ted Strickland talks a nice Green Energy game, he is really a coal and nuke supporter.

"Actions, or inactions speak louder than words." said Spisak. "Ted Strickland can go to all the energy conferences and talk about how he wants to bring wind energy to Ohio, but in reality, his actions as Governor show he is in the pockets of Nuke and Coal Lobbyists here in the Buckeye State."

Spisak points out the following scorecard on Strickland as Governor:

"1. He did not oppose the proposed nuke reactor at Piketon.

2. He did not oppose the AMP Coal Plant in Meigs County,but promoted it.

3. His energy plan for Ohio calls for more Nukes and Clean Coal. Ohio does not need more troublesome nuke plants like Davis-Bessie in the state and is there no such thing as "clean coal." The Governor is blowing smoke when he says he is a Green Energy Governor" Spisak concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Ohio Should Be a Part of the Clean America Growth Plan

Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor Dennis Spisak announced that Ohio should get in line and follow the Apollo Alliance plan to grow Blue-Green Jobs here in the Buckeye State.

In the Apollo Report, last Thursday, the White House sponsored a Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth to generate ideas from CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, nonprofit directors and others about how to grow the economy and put Americans back to work. The Forum included break-out groups on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, small business growth policies, and green jobs, among others.

To coincide with the White House Jobs Summit, the Apollo Alliance unveiled a new plan to boost clean energy job growth by more than 1.2 million jobs. Apollo believes as the country acts to address the high unemployment rate that is causing suffering for so many American families, we must simultaneously act to stabilize the climate and re-establish the U.S. as a leader in the global clean energy marketplace.

Apollo’s proposal would create 1.2 million domestic jobs in the short and long term while moving us toward a future that ensures climate stability, energy security, and broadly shared economic prosperity. “While we must take immediate action to create jobs, these actions must be combined with comprehensive energy and climate policies that encourage public and private investment in the clean technology sector,” said Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance.

Apollo’s job creation recommendations – for inclusion in a larger Congressional and administration plan to spur economic recovery and create jobs – include:

1. Creating 255,000 jobs by driving short-term investment in efficiency and renewables in ways that will leverage private capital in the long term. Apollo’s proposals include expanding and improving innovative retrofit and conservation programs at the state and local level by amending the Qualified Energy Conservation Bond (QECB) program; and leveraging private funding to expand large-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy system installation through the creation of a federal financing authority.

2. Creating 278,000 jobs by laying the groundwork for a 21st century transportation system. Apollo proposes that we rebuild our nation’s infrastructure by prioritizing transportation investments that rehabilitate existing infrastructure and repair our roads and bridges, intercity rail, public transit, and bicycle and pedestrian pathways; support public transit operations to retain jobs and keep workers connected with their jobs; and expand the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) and Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) programs that were authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

3. Creating 700,000 manufacturing jobs (and an additional 1.9 million indirect jobs in related industries) by supporting American manufacturers in retooling and expanding their operations, and positioning domestic clean energy manufacturers to compete in the global marketplace. Apollo proposes the expansion of technical assistance to our nation’s manufacturers by providing $50 million in short-term support for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program; and the creation of a two-year, $30 billion revolving loan fund to help small and medium-sized manufacturers retool to produce clean energy components and parts and become more energy efficient, as proposed in U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Investments in Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technologies (IMPACT) Act.

4. Creating a large-scale financing mechanism that drives investment and creates jobs researching, developing, and manufacturing the technologies and products of the clean energy economy. Apollo recommends the establishment of the Clean Energy Deployment Authority (CEDA), which would fund a wide variety of clean energy technologies, leading to long-term job creation.

5. Creating 31,000 jobs by putting Americans back to work serving their communities and preparing a workforce to build the clean energy economy. Apollo proposes the full funding of the America Serves Act, which will expand support for national service programs such as AmeriCorps, VISTA, YouthBuild, and the youth service and conservation corps.

"Ohio must be part of this plan to put our poor and working class citizens back to work" said Spisak. "I am the candidate who will work to see that Ohio gets on the Apollo train that drives new jobs back into the Buckeye State." he concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Why Not Ohio? Solar Power Cheaper than Electricity in New Jersey

Ohio Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak announced today that in New Jersey, solar power is cheaper for home owners than electricity. "According to reports from Green Options, residents of New Jersey can now get solar power installed in their homes which is cheaper than buying electricty from the power company." Spisak said. "Once again, we see another progressive state other than Ohio trying to find ways to lower costs to consumers through new renewable energies like solar power."

"As a candidate for Governor, I would see such comapnies and programs to locate here in Ohio to provide the same type of advantages for all Ohioans." said Spisak.

According to the report, you don’t have to get a credit check to buy electricity from a utility. You don’t need one to buy your very own solar power supply either. A company in New Jersey is offering a solar PPA to homeowners to buy cheap power off their roof with no credit check.

Not only does this put paying a solar bill on an even playing field with paying an electric bill, but Sunergy is offering this arrangement for 25% of utility rates in the state. After a small down payment, their residential solar power purchase agreement enables homeowners to buy their electricity for $0.05 per kilowatt-hour in a state where utility electricity costs $0.20 per kilowatt-hour.

How can they do that? Isn’t solar more expensive than utility electricity? Well, no, actually, solar is cheaper.

One of the little known facts is that solar is already far, far cheaper than utility energy. If you compare apples to apples: twenty five years to twenty five years.

It already truly does only cost 25% or less of what utility electricity costs… If you were to pay for all 25 years at once for utility electricity. Of course, you don’t. You pay monthly, and so you simply have no idea that you are paying more money over that time.

In New Jersey utility electricity rates have been going up about 6.5% annually. Say last year’s monthly bills averaged $100, this years will average to $106.50. But, with the seasonal ups and downs of electric bills you really never notice this sort of creeping inflation - yet it can really add up.

Someone who will spend about $100,000 on utility electricity for 25 years, typically needs about a $20,000 solar roof to replace their utility kilowatt-hours a month. Sunergy has leveraged this fact to be able to offer homeowners a PPA that reflects that saving. A PPA is a power purchase agreement - like you have with your utility. The difference is: the power plant is on your roof. Just big enough for you. Like your utility, Sunergy owns the solar power plant, and sells you the power.

This company is the first to really demonstrate that solar is already cheaper.

“We all want to save the environment,” said US Solargy CEO David Wei, “and our company provides a way for everyone to participate in that important goal.”

Solar electricity is not just clean, sensible, climate-friendly electricity, but it is cheaper too.

Dear Plunderbund,

Your Democractic Governor is a consevative who is moving too slow on renewable energies.

1/4 of all electricity to come from clean GREEN Energy?

Why not 1/2, or 3/4, or 100%?

Is it because he is has the coal lobbyists in his back pocket handing him political contributions to continue to add bigger and more pollution-filled coal plants for rural Ohio?

When your Conservative Governor makes a stronger and quicker move to bringing renewable energy, jobs, and
industries to Ohio, You can then crow like a rooster.



Dennis Spisak
Ohio Green Party Candidate for Governor


Http://www.spisak.org/governor/

Ohio Green Party Candidate for Governor Dennis Spisak announced today that in just one week another two states are passing Ohio in moving towards more Wind Turbines to produce renewable energies and jobs.

"California and even Wyoming announced plans to build wind turbine farms to make gains in renewable energy while Ted Strickland and Ohio stands still." said Spisak. "We have the land, work force, and facilities to build such farms, but Governor Strickland continues to work with dirty coal plants to fuel Ohio's Future. This is the wrong direction for the 21st Century." he added.

Utilities got a boost last year, when the new investment tax credits from the federal government were extended to allow public utilities to qualify for the full credit, to help utilities invest in renewable power. Since utilities must get more renewable power onto the grid (in all of the states with Renewable Portfolio Standards), extending the ITC to them, too, is the right means to help them do just that.

PG&E in California has to get 20% of its renewable power on grid by 2010 to meet the California RPS, and has just announced that it has contracted with Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., the U.S. arm of the world’s largest provider of wind power, to purchase and operate a major wind generating plant, to send clean electrons from Kern County’s Tehachapi region to Northern California PG&E customers.

The 246 MW Manzana project has transmission in place on about 7,000 acres favorable wind resources in the Tehachapi region. If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the project could begin producing power by December 2011.


The project would be the third renewable energy project announced in a month for Kern County, a site with abundant resources and transmission lines.

Last month PG&E was awarded R&D funding from the Department of Energy to start on a groundbreaking Smart Grid project; the nation’s second ever compressed-air energy storage (CAES) facility. The first post-carbon fossil-fueled plant in the world to provide hydrogen power to run a gas plant, with carbon capture and storage, is also being built in Kern County: Scientific American: Kyoto Accord to Hydrogen-Power California.

The total capital cost of the Manzana project will be just over $900 million, which includes payments to Iberdrola Renewables; the US division of the Spanish wind giant, to develop and build the facility, along with other costs that PG&E will incur. PG&E will make progress payments as significant milestones are met.

The site would produce up to 670 gigawatt-hours per year, and beginning in 2012; PG&E’s 15 million customers will pay an average $0.25 more per month to start paying back the investment in clean renewable zero carbon wind power.

In Wyoming,Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK PRA) (NYSE:DUK) says it has brought a 99-megawatt wind farm on line in Converse County.
The Campbell Hill project's 66 turbines produce enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes each year.

Duke says the project will supply wind energy to PacifiCorp (AMEX:PPW.PR) (OTCBB:PPWRL) (OTCBB:PPWLO) (OTCBB:PPWLM) (OTCBB:PPWLL) under a 20-year purchase agreement.

Duke Energy also has announced plans to build a 200-megawatt wind power project near Casper next year.

Why Not Ohio? Massachetts Governor looking for more wind turbine power for state.

In a press release last week, Massachetts Governor Deval Patrick announced that National Grid and Cape Wind have agreed to enter into negotiations for a long-term contract under which the utility would purchase the electricity generated by Cape Wind. Such a Power Purchase Agreement will be a critical requirement for financing the proposed wind farm in Nantucket Sound, and getting it into construction and operation in time to qualify for federal incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that would reduce the cost of the project by 30%. 'For both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and launching the offshore wind industry that will achieve those reductions, it is essential for Cape Wind, like offshore wind in general, to move from wishful thinking to reality,' said Governor Patrick. 'A contract with an electric distribution utility like National Grid will move Cape Wind one step closer to reality.' Governor Patrick noted that this is a major milestone for what is expected to be the first offshore wind project in the United States."

"Here you have a Governor who believes in Wind Turbine power to help energize his state, unlike our own Governor Strickland." said Dennis Spisak, Green Party Candidate for Ohio Governor. "Ohio needs a governor like Patrick who believes in Green power. I am that candidate. Governor Strickland and John Kasich only give lip service to becoming a renewable enery state. They still believe in dirty coal to bring Ohio out of this energy recession, a move that will not work." Spisak concluded.

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/