Coal is (not) clean
[UPDATE: Link fixed. Picture is frame capture. It does not go to a video.]
I just want to draw your attention to a new website, www.coal-is-dirty.com. You can find an extensive overview on “clean coal” by Jeff Goodell (here).
And if you get bored or have some non-progressive friends, send them to www.coal-is-clean.com.
And while we are talking coal, Sean Casten at Grist has a very good (and long) discussion explaining that “coal is no longer cheap.”
June 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am
coalSwarm has two sets of pages worth noting:
http://www.coalswarm.org/
http://www.sourcewatch.org/ index.php?title=Portal:Coal_Issues
June 9th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Joe: the link to Goodell just returns here, and if the YouTube picture is supposed to be a link, it doesn’t seem to be. Thanks for the other pointers to great material.
June 9th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Thanks for the article and the links Joe, much appreciated. Keep up the great work you do on Climate Progress!
- Kevin
June 9th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Since we’re talkin Clean and Green, don’t forget the ‘bright’ future for ‘clean’ tar sand oil in South Dakota -
Union County approves zoning ordinance for Hyperion -
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/ articles/ 2008/ 06/ 04/ news/ top/ 4e608d46402d5adb8625745e00110beb.txt
Hyperion touted the so-called “green” technology in its proposed energy center, which it claims would be the world’s cleanest. The refinery would process 400,000 barrels of tar sands crude a day from Alberta into low-sulfur gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Wow! Their technology cleans those filthy tar sands and creates clean, low-sulfur fuel.
And almost every midwest refinery is seeking expansion to refine it.
Here is a picture from Alberta after some of ‘the greening’ is underway.
Just imagine what a mess that place was before Chevron cleaned it up!
http://nixonisinhell.files.wordpress.com/ 2007/ 11/ pulling-oil-from-the-tar-sands.jpg
June 9th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I’m more concerned that you would support a group that lies in order to try to make their point that coal is dirty. Why not just say what you mean and not resort to trickery. It causes me to wonder what other liberties you’ve taken.
Coal’s not dirty. Old power plants are dirty regardless of the fuel source. New coal plants replacing old coal plants would be a huge step forward, although it might not be the step to perfection that you desire. Replacing our old coal plants with new coal plants could reduce coal emissions by up to 50% — that’s the largest single improvement that is being discussed today. Here’s the other good news – the electric utilities are willing to foot the bill – no government subsidies required.
If we’re going to solve all of our energy problems, we have to start with truthful dialog. A fake website called “coal is clean” only insults – it doesn’t educate.
I’m in favor of taking the steps necessary to solve our problems and I’m willing to accept new technology involving coal as easily as I will accept wind and solar. I think the latter two create a different form of pollution, but I believe it can be managed.
June 9th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Wise Golden,
“Replacing our old coal plants with new coal plants…” I’d take that in a heartbeat, but usually company ‘A’ doesn’t close because company ‘B’ builds a cleaner plant.
There was a provision for doing just that without building a new facility. It was called New Source Review and actually was on the verge of significant public health and environmental benefits (if you’re a coal exec, read ‘temporary smaller profit margin’) during the Clinton years but got, um… stalled after the 2000 Presidential election.
Anyway, I’ve spent many hours as a citizen activist speaking with elected officials on energy/environmental issues. At best, energy lobbyists give their company’s side of the story. At worst, it can take years to educate reps and senators past the misleading spins and distortions the energy lobby peddles.
At least with the coal is clean site, you get the joke pretty quick.