Indeed, it is outrageous that nothing seems to change at St. Joseph's. They almost killed me six years ago. I arrived in the emergency room in excruciating pain and very sick. They came to what for them was the obvious conclusion, with no evidence to back it up--that I must've been a lying drug seeker. They basically threw me out of the ER without doing any scan or test. Later that night I had to be rushed to Mad River, where they did do a scan and tests, and I was admitted for emergency surgery for a hemorrhaging double ovarian torsion. The surgeon at MRCH told me I would've been dead soon without surgery. The pain and sickness were indescribable. I later discovered that the St Joe's ER doctor who "treated" me was later promoted to head of the department. I've since heard similar stories. Something is very wrong there.
Re: “Community Choice Energy Coming in May”
There's nothing "cleaner" about this program.
We'll actually be having less solar with the Community Choice Energy plan than we currently have with PG&E -- 5% vs our current 11%, using the RCEA's own figures. Yet the RCEA keeps showing everyone images of solar panels and telling them they'll be having "cleaner" and more "renewable" power. What we'll actually be getting is more biomass -- industrial wood incineration. Biomass electric is very polluting and inefficient, and emits more CO2 per unit of energy produced than coal.
The main beneficiaries of this new program will be Humboldt Redwood Company and DG Fairhaven. These two plants also happen to be the two largest stationary sources of health-damaging pollution in our county. According to figures from the EPA, these two biomass plants combined emit 61% of our air pollution from stationary sources.
These plants emit a stunning amount of carcinogenic benzene -- 20,000 lbs per year combined, which is 86% of benzene emissions from stationary sources in our county. These plants are also, by far, our largest stationary sources of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, toluene and fine particulate pollution that is linked to asthma attacks, strokes, cancers, and heart attacks.
And this pollution will increase as these plants ramp up production to meet more of our energy needs with the CCE. We'll be having more pollution, not "cleaner" power.
The only reasonable "choice" is to show the RCEA that we value clean air and a healthy environment, and to opt out of this cynical, Orwellian version of a community choice energy plan.