Rarely do I get starstruck, but today Al Gore was in the house! More specifically, in the atrium at MaRS with Premier Kathleen Wynne. They announced a few things that are bad news for coal, and great news for those that like breathing clean air.

First, they are about to close the largest coal plant in North America, Nanticoke. That’s like taking 7 million cars off the road (wouldn’t that be a a quick commute). Second, they are going to use a handy democratic tool called legislation. On Monday, Jim Bradley will propose legislation to make it illegal to burn coal in Ontario. If it passes, that’s a good reason to breathe easy.

Friday Update!

Check out the video here!

See what they have to say in The Toronto Star , the Globe & Mail or Environmental Defence (the gracious hosts of this event). If you’re really in the mood to dig deep, check out their Backgrounder on Coal & Renewable Energy .

And you can also find great stuff right here, like Mike’s post, A Cool Resource, which also shows Ontario’s energy mix. That picture will look a little different in a few years. We have a lot more powerful energy stories if you’re in the mood.

There were so many inspiring quotes, but I’ll leave you with one simple idea, straight from the pocketbook:

The more renewable energy we use, the cheaper it gets. The more fossil fuels we burn, the more expensive it gets.

-Al Gore