What: Rally to Shut Down Chicago's Coal Plants June 8, 11am Daley Plaza

When: June 8, 2009 11:00 AM

Where: Daley Plaza (Washington & Dearborn)

Meetup Description: Chicago Energy Election & Rally to Shut Down the Coal Plants!

Come join RAN Chicago and eco-justice groups on Monday, June 8, at 11 AM for a rally to shut down Chicago's coal plants and a mock "Energy Election."

Participants at the rally will have the opportunity to vote to keep Chicago’s dirty coal plants open or to invest in clean, renewable energy. Each of the ballots will be depicted by street theater actors, puppets, and musicians.

The June 8 rally will kick-start a summer-long series of Energy Elections in throughout the city. Ballots will be presented at a public ceremony at the end of the summer.

Sign up at our Facebook page as well!
www.facebook.com/event.php

Organized by:
Rainforest Action Network, Chicago Chapter
The Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO)
Pilsen Environmental Rights & Reform Organization (PERRO)

Endorsing Groups:
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Chicago Chapter
Nuclear Energy Information Service
Eco-Justice Collaborative

MORE INFO:

Why we are rallying:

• The Fisk and Crawford coal fired power
plants, located in the residential neighborhoods of Pilsen and Little Village, haven’t been upgraded since the 1950s and are 2 of the dirtiest in the nation.

• Cook County is ranked worst in the nation for health risks related to air pollution.

• Chicago’s asthma rates are twice the national average. Pollution from the plants is attributed to 40 deaths by asthma annually, 550 emergency room visits, and 2,800 asthma attacks a year.

• These plants contribute to the fact that Latino populations in Chicago have a mortality rate five
times higher than that of white populations.

• Coal is a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming.


Our Platform:

• To close the Fisk and Crawford coal-fired power plants located in Pilsen and Little Village (in Chicago) by 2010.

• To create a stable plan to transition the 80 coal plant workers at the plant to green jobs.

• To say NO to dirty coal from cradle to grave.

• To say NO to high asthma and cancer rates, autism hotspots, and dirty air.

• To save 30% of our energy usage and produce hundreds of city jobs through proven conservation technologies, building retrofits, and public education (see #3 below).

• To develop alternative-energy infrastructure with responsibly-placed wind farms, solar and geothermal energy.

Learn more here:
www.meetup.com/RANChicago/calendar/10487241/