REAP Chair to Attend April Climate Change Conference in Bolivia

Releases Op Ed: 'An Opportunity To Stop Burning Coal'

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Renewable Energy Accountability Project (REAP) today announced its support for Bolivian President, Evo Morales' bold plan to recoup the momentum for a worldwide global climate accord by hosting an alternative global climate conference in Cochabamba, Bolivia April 20th - 22nd.

"The Copenhagen Climate Conference was meant to unify the world in bold action to save the planet. Instead, inaction and indifference prevailed in a lemming march to the global warming tipping point -- led in large part by the rich nations of the developed world," said Jim Gonzalez, REAP Chair.

Now, President Morales has challenged governments "who want to work with their people" to attend the First World Conference of the People on Climate Change in Cochabamba, Bolivia.  REAP's main goal in Cochabamba will be to promote a resolution to permanently retire all coal-fired electricity plants worldwide that have been operating for 50 years or more by 2013.  

In the United States, the median age of a coal-fired electricity plant is 44 years. Yet according to data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, these and other fossil fuel plants are responsible for 40% of the human-made global warming emissions generated in the United States.  

"In the wake of the paralysis of Copenhagen and the potential of Cochabamba, it is time to start focusing on the coal electricity monopolies that are the chief culprits of the climate crisis. Retiring decades old coal plants is the most immediate, efficient and effective way to solve the global warming crisis; and to usher in the worldwide green economy," Gonzalez stated.

Gonzalez has penned an opinion editorial "An Opportunity To Stop Burning Coal" in which he outlines the importance of the Cochabamba conference.  The editorial may be read in its entirety by navigating to:  http://www.reapinfo.org/reap3/coal_watch/paralysis.html

SOURCE Renewable Energy Accountability Project