Fossil Fuel SHUTDOWN (Awesome News!)

It's so nice to get positive news these days (Thanks to Ode Magazine!)

According to Bruce Nilles with Alternet.org, there are 2 great stories happening in the northeastern part of the U.S. 

First of all, the state of Michigan has DENIED the request for a permit for a coal-powered plant by Wolverine.  Is it fitting to anyone else that an energy company is named after a predator/scavenger?  Anyway, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment said "alternative methods are available that would supply the customers of the four electric cooperatives that make up Wolverine with electricity at a much cheaper rate than the cost of building a new coal plant."

Government oversight protecting people, 1.  Greedy corporation only concerned about bottom line, 0. 

Secondly - and this one is BIG, people - ALL COAL PLANTS IN THE STATE OF OHIO WILL BE SHUT DOWN BY 2012!!!

Let me say it again:
ALL COAL PLANTS IN THE STATE OF OHIO WILL BE SHUT DOWN BY 2012!!!

That's 1 state out of 50.  That's 11.5 million people who will get 100% of their energy from sources other than coal!  And hey, progress out of any state that's not California is newsworthy.  And if one middle-American state can do it, so can another.  I'd like to add that Kansas keeps shutting down Sunflower's requests for permits to build coal power plants. 

Perhaps there's hope for humanity afterall.