芝加哥社區組織十年來，對兩座位在居住區內，最老又對環境汙染最嚴重的火力發電廠所做的抗爭，日前終獲勝利。大約60個團體和社區居民一同捍衛居住地區空氣品質，讓芝加哥免於「煤」汙染。
愛迪生國際公司（Edison International）子公司「中西部世代公司」（Midwest Generation），在與市長伊曼纽爾和相關芝加哥社區團體協調溝通後，宣布在2月29日會關閉芝加哥地區這兩座火力發電廠。
比爾森地區（Pilsen）的菲斯克火力發電廠年（Fisk Station）底前就會關閉，而在小村（Little Viliage）地區的克勞福德火力發電廠（Crawford station）會在2014年底關閉。
十年來長期領導抗爭的環境法律政策中心（Environmental Law and Policy Center）執行長霍華德告訴記者，「今天的成果有非比尋常的意義，對伊利諾州的火力發電廠和中西部其他電廠都有著警示意味，促使這些會排放對人體有害物質的電廠，思考改善排放問題或直接就關門大吉。」
從環境法律政策中心2010年的報告得知，自2002年以來，這兩座電廠對我們造成的健康和相關環境的損失，一共高達10億美金。
然而，在2015年環境法規實施之前，中西部世代公司寧願先關閉發電廠而不想花心思改善發電設備，其母公司愛迪生國際公司總裁匹薩羅（Pedro Pizarro）2月29日對此表示：「整體的發電產業市場就是不想讓我們有改進這兩座電廠的機會，我們真的只能說力有未逮、時不我與。」
許多研究都發現，火力發電廠像是菲斯克和克勞福德帶來的汙染，可以說是氣喘發作的罪魁禍首，尤其是兒童受害更深，另外心臟病、早死以及不明原因住病治療的案例增加，也可歸咎於電場排放的汙染源。
美國有色人種協進會（NAACP）去年出版一份報告《『煤良心』──把利益擺在伊利諾州民之前》，評議比斯克和克勞福德這兩座火力發電廠是「侵犯環境正義甚為嚴重的兩個大怪物」。
芝加哥居民、綠色和平抗煤運動成員米雪爾（Kelly Mitchell）說：「我們希望全國其他社區，受到這起成功案例的啟發，站出來爭取自己擁有乾淨空氣、全球氣候穩定的權利。」
Community organizers in Chicago are celebrating a victory that has been 10 years in the making - the closure of two of the oldest, most polluting coal-fired power plants in the country - both in residential neighborhoods. Some 60 organizations and groups worked with communities affected by air pollution to make Chicago a coal-free city.
Midwest Generation, a subsidiary of Edison International, announced Wednesday that it will retire its two Chicago power plants as the result of an agreement with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City of Chicago in consultation and community groups.
The Fisk Station in the Pilsen neighborhood will be closed no later than the end of this year, and the Crawford Station in the Little Village neighborhood will be closed by the end of 2014.
Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, a leader in the decade-long fight, told reporters today, "This closing is a watershed. This is an important precedent that turns the tide for coal plants in Illinois and other Midwestern plant that are harming peoples health - forcing them to clean up or shut down."
Pollution from these two plants has caused up to $1 billion in health and environmentally-related damages since 2002, according to a 2010 report by the Environmental Law and Policy Center.
But Midwest would rather shutter the plants than clean them up. Citing environmental regulations that take effect through 2015, Pedro Pizarro, president of Midwest Generation's parent company, Edison Mission Group, said Wednesday, "Unfortunately, conditions in the wholesale power market simply do not give us a path for continuing to invest in further retrofits at these two facilities."
Numerous studies have shown that the pollution from coal plants like Fisk and Crawford contributes to higher numbers of asthma attacks, especially in children, as well as more heart attacks, hospitalizations and early deaths.
Fisk and Crawford ranked as two of the worst environmental justice offenders in an NAACP report released last year. The report, "Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People in Illinois."
Kelly Mitchell, Chicago resident and Greenpeace coal campaigner said, "We hope other communities across the country will find new inspiration today to stand up for their right to clean air and a safe climate.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
