Eleven environmental activists may face jail time after blockading the site of a proposed $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Va. The protesters face four misdemeanor charges, each carrying a maximum of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Two of them face additional charges.
The September civil disobedience action was one of more than a dozen demonstrations opposing the plant owned by Dominion, the second largest utility company in the country. Dominion has contributed $135,000 to Virginia’s Democratic governor Tim Kaine and more than $1 million to Virginia’s political campaigns since 1993.
The protests have focused attention on global warming: If approved, the plant would spew 5.37 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. Dr. James Hansen, an eminent global warming expert, has offered to assist the defense if the activists choose to cite the catastrophic environmental threat as a justification for their actions. Hansen noted “special interests have succeeded in misinforming the public.”
