Summary and Strong Response
kevir.wade.srilfrs
naacp_release.docxFor this assignment, you will summarize the NAACP press release (pages 189-190 in A&B). Then you will write a letter to the editor in response to the press release. It is not necessary to respond to every point in the entire press release—and probably not possible. You may respond to only one point if you wish.
NOTE: Since this is a personal response, you may use "I" in your writing. QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF:
· Why does the press release use numbers in the way it does?
· Why does the press release use certain phrases and terms?
This assignment has two parts: a summary of the article and a strong response. To get full credit for this assignment, you must do three things:
1. Summarize the press release in 150-175 words. Be sure you present the thesis and the major supporting points.
2. Write a response to the press release in 200-250 words. In your response, you may agree with one or two points, but you must also show how you "resist" the text by questioning it, or arguing with it or refuting it. It may be helpful to think of your response as a reaction to how the writer was trying to influence your thinking. Pay attention to the words used to name and describe, the details included, and any comparisons made. (The letter-to-the-editor format assumes readers have read the article, so you do not need to summarize it in the letter.)
3. Correctly use attributive tags in your response to indicate which ideas came from the press release and which are your own.
November 16, 2012
“Coal Blooded” ranks plants, power companies on environmental justice scale
(Washington, DC)—The NAACP and its allies today released a research report
titled Coal Blooded: Putting Profits before People, which documents the health,
economic and environmental impacts of coal pollution on those who can least afford
it—low income communities and communities of color.
Coal Blooded ranks 378 coal-fired power plants in the nation based on their
Environmental Justice Performance. The score is based on both toxic emissions and
demographic factors—including race, income, and population density. The six million
Americans living near coal plants have an average income of $18,400, compared with
$21,857 nationwide, and 39% are people of color.
“Coal pollution is literally killing low-income communities and communities of
color,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “There is no disputing the urgency of this issue. Environmental justice is a civil and human rights issue
when our children are getting sick, our grandparents are dying early, and mothers and
fathers are missing work.”
In addition to the rankings, Coal Blooded lays out a framework for individuals,
organizations, and policymakers to make a just transition from coal to other energy
sources. The recent closure of two coal-fired power plants in Chicago is used as a case
study. The report also ranks coal power companies on their Environmental Justice
Performance.
“We are committed to preserving the livelihood of our communities, our country
and our climate,” stated NAACP Director of Climate Justice Programs Jacqueline
Patterson. “Old, dirty coal plants are poisoning our environment, and emissions controls are simply not sufficient. We need to transition from coal and replace plants with
profitable, clean energy alternatives.”
“This report will help put a human face on the life and death issue of coal pollution,” stated Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network Tom
Goldtooth. “Clean coal is an oxymoron. Toxic emissions are harmful to people living
nearby coal plants, and also contribute to the devastating effects of climate change.”
“Coal Blooded is a chance to show the world how dirty these plants are, and to
highlight the impact they have on our communities,” stated Executive Director of the
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization Kimberly Wasserman, who was
instrumental in the shutdown of Fisk and Crawford Generating Stations in Chicago.
“It is exciting to see people come together and speak up on this important issue.”
Pollutants emitted by coal plants have been linked to asthma attacks, lung inflammation, chronic bronchitis, irregular heart conditions, and birth defects. According to
the Clean Air Task Force, coal pollution is estimated to cause 13,200 premature deaths
and 9,700 hospitalizations per year across the United States.
The full report can be found on the NAACP’s website.
