Energy Summit draws vocal protesters - News

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Aug. 10, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Energy Summit draws vocal protesters

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Renewable Energy

Protesters and supporters lined Swenson Ave. today at the start of the National Clean Energy Summit 2.0 at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Photos by John Gurzinski.

About 100 people turned out Monday morning to protest the National Clean Energy Summit.

They waved flags and carried homemade signs denouncing everything from carbon cap and trade proposals to reform for the nation’s health care policy to the presidency of Barack Obama in general.

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By 10:30 a.m. the protestors were in full force. Counter-demonstrators chanting in support of Obama and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., had packed up mostly professionally made signs and headed out of the heat.

The Obama and Reid protesters remained in force on the corner of Swenson Street and Tropicana Avenue near the Thomas & Mack Center on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, the site of the summit.

“How can you help the environment if you bankrupt the economy that has to do it?” asked protester Greg Neff, 50, of Sandy Valley.

Neff hoisted a sign that said, “Don’t Tread on Me,” and chatted with Bill Parson of Moapa, who was there to drum up support to campaign for Reid’s U.S. Senate seat.

Because the event was an energy summit, many protesters focused on the issue of a proposed “cap and trade” program that would regulate carbon emissions. Reid, who is Senate majority leader, has great influence over the outcome of pending cap and trade legislation.

Carbon produced by burning fossil fuels is widely believed to contribute to a gradual rise in the Earth’s temperature, which could eventually alter the climate to the point that it becomes less habitable for humans.

But protesters focused on the potential economic fallout of cap-and-trade programs, saying they would make it hard for the nation’s economy to recover by making energy too costly.

“I’m a fan of green energy but put it in place before you destroy what you have,” Neff said. “If you don’t, you destroy a nation.”

While most of the protesters were friendly while speaking out on issues, some simply flung charges of socialism at Reid and Obama, and at least one small group had a sign that referred to Obama as an, “anti-American Arab.”

Protester Bettye Gilmore of Henderson said it would be unfair to lump all the protesters with fringe activists who attack Obama based on race or to suggest criticism leveled at Obama is driven by corporate and high-level Republican sources who distribute talking points on the Internet.

Gilmore said her opposition to Obama was over the issues, not his status as the first black president of the United States.

“It is not a racial issue. I think Condoleezza Rice would have made a great president, she is a conservative,” said Gilmore, referencing the former secretary of state, who is black.

At the summit, speakers such as former Vice President Al Gore and current Energy Secretary Steven Chu, defended the position that shifting America’s energy to non-carbon producing sources is critical to the long-term health of the economy.

They also said a national-level effort — derided by protesters as socialism or a burdensome tax — is critical to preserving the planet.

“Just what the doctor ordered is a national program to repower America,” Gore said. “Sooner or later we are going to have to come to grips with the fact the climate crisis is threatening the future of our civilization.”

Organizers of the demonstrators who back the energy agenda behind the conference said they counted about 275 supporters on hand. The group included a woman who was laid off from a position as a plumber and whose husband, an ironworker, was also out of work, the organizers said.

They targeted the summit as a demonstration site to show support for the creation of new jobs developing green energy.

“This is really a fantastic opportunity for environmental groups, for labor groups and people looking for jobs,” said Robert Disney of the Sierra Club, who was with the supporters. “For folks to be against it, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

Contact reporter Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. fun to learn wrote on August 10, 2009 11:37 PM: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7065205277695921912 David wrote on August 10, 2009 09:15 PM: Greg: You did not mention Geo Thermal. There is a lot more geo thermal energy than there is Natural gas and it is a lot cheaper. At least you are thinking outside of the Green Box. Green - The new word for Gullible. David wrote on August 10, 2009 09:11 PM: AngryMuse: Oh, by the way, I cannot wait to get my Obama Joker t-shirt. I think I am going to get the Facist one. If you like Socialism, you only have to go a little way north to get it. Why should all of us have to make the change when only you and a small percentage of (Americans) have to move to Canada. Europe is nice this time of year. David wrote on August 10, 2009 08:59 PM: AngruMuse: Obama depicted as the Joker was Racist? Was it Racist when George Bush was depicted as the Joker? How about when Hillary was depicted as the Joker? Oh, wait, that would have been sexist. She did look pretty funny with that wild green hair doo. Maybe it is only racist because you like Obama because the press has yet to vet him. I wish people would wake up and realize how dangerous all of these people are for America. David wrote on August 10, 2009 08:50 PM: What do we need Cap & Trade for? Jimmy Carter gave us the Department Of Energy in the 70's to reduce our 27% dependance on foreign oil. We are now more than 3 time as energy dependant after spending over a trillion dollars in 30+ years. So in 30 years fron now, after paying way more than several trillions of dollars in taxes we will be crying for alternative energy. Why is it going to work this time? The only difference is, we will be paying for nothing out of our own pockets. Greg wrote on August 10, 2009 05:31 PM: There is ample US domestic supplies of natural gas for 100 years to provide a welcome bridge to other technologies for heat and motors. Las Vegas taxi cabs run cleaner and longer on propane, it's better for engine life. We can do the same with the nation's trucking fleet, maybe some sector of vehicle transportation. There is no one solution, there is much to gain from a package of smaller bridge solutions. The country is 234 years old, American society has enjoyed the abundance of fossil fuels since we have been able to extract and employ them for benefit. Today, we are now sending billions annually to places around the globe for those same fossil fuels. Some of the cap and trade issues will not be resolved this year in Congress. Probably post 2010 elections they will receive a long visit again, with more action. So, picket if you want, on either side of cap and trade and other issues, but the math and science will win out in the long run. ENRON on and on wrote on August 10, 2009 05:00 PM: Yeah, Obama and his stimulus crew and the people at this conference are the smartest guys in the room. They're all climbing on board to take the American public for what their worth. It's brillant, really. What makes you think Gore isn't capable of following in the footsteps of Rockefeller, Joe Kennedy, Wall Street/Bankers/Railroad Barons? I don't see anything going on any differently than the 1800-1900's in American history. workerbee wrote on August 10, 2009 05:00 PM: The only reason there are more pro obama people at these rallies is because they either living on welfare,unemployed losers or sent by the unions. The jobs they talk about would be short term low in numbers and cost you, your kid and grand kids for the rest of their lives. I bet not one of these pro cap and traders know a dam thing about it. GOOD RIDENCE HARRY Jeff Davis wrote on August 10, 2009 04:51 PM: These people are seriously retarded. Protest a clean energy conference? The anger and hatred which is being driven by the right wing talk radio community is dangerous and thoughtless. People taking these shows seriously are not capable of generating individual thoughts. They are dumb and angry. This is a combination which considers violence an early option. Be careful America, there's some absolute idiots and they seem to be rallying together. They hate change. It's obvious that the way out society is operating is unsustainable. Change is necessary for our survival but the unaware and uneducated will fight every step of the way. Let's just pray they keep their guns locked up. The new ENRON wrote on August 10, 2009 04:45 PM: This conference is a lie. All of the politicians promoting this program is lying to the American people about what the benefits are. It's going to COST the American people funds they can't afford. While Gore continues to make millions, good for him, but utilities in the conservation business are taxing their employees by furlough and freeze of wages. These people at this conference are ENRON. GORE is ENRON. REID is ENRON, GENERAL ELECTRIC is ENRON, it goes on and on. Read All Comments