tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post2708050161504121998..comments2023-10-30T04:06:45.798-07:00Comments on arduous blog: Another Perspective On Clean Coalruchihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-19971288543678597082008-10-13T09:33:00.000-07:002008-10-13T09:33:00.000-07:00I agree and I know that stance isn't popular with ...I agree and I know that stance isn't popular with my environmentalist friends. But until there are real, affordable, and efficient alternatives we really don't have much of a choice. Yes, the process can be improved but I don't think coal can or should be taken off of the table until something else comes along. Not to mention the what the impact would be on communities where coal is the ONLY source of income.<BR/><BR/>Glad that things are going great for you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-61449035009163622782008-10-12T22:06:00.000-07:002008-10-12T22:06:00.000-07:00We maybe at peak oil, but we have hundreds of year...We maybe at peak oil, but we have hundreds of years of coal that we can burn. <BR/><BR/>So unless we can make solar, wind, tidal energy significantly cheaper than coal, taking clean coal off the table is simply unrealistic.<BR/><BR/>Most of all, I think we need strong global cap and trade systems that enables the market to choose the right energy source.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-65774754158742091222008-10-10T02:07:00.000-07:002008-10-10T02:07:00.000-07:00Cath, I think with coal (as with many things) ther...Cath, I think with coal (as with many things) there is no easy answer. I don't pretend to say that CCS is a silver bullet. For one, it's not something that works right now. So .... but yeah, I'm hopeful that one day CCS will be a viable solution.<BR/><BR/>Jerry Critter, I agree that keeping coal economic while eliminating human, environmental, and climactic challenge is incredibly daunting. But if we don't invest in the technology, it definitely will remain impossible, whereas if we do invest in the technology, it might be possible. Given that either way, the world is going to use coal, I think we should be investing in the R&D.<BR/><BR/>Donna, I'm not sure how India and China extract their coal. My point was that regardless, they are going to extract their coal. And so we should work on the R&D to make CCS a possibility, so that we can export that R&D over to India and China.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Stephanie, I know it's tricky, isn't it? I forget a lot of times too. :)<BR/><BR/>E, you're right. For developed countries such as the US, Canada, and Europe, my personal opinion is that we can use LESS energy. Because we are incredibly wasteful with it. After that, it's going to come down to a place by place criteria. The Southwest of the US would concentrate on solar. Hydro where there are rivers. In France, they use nuclear, and seem to be doing okay with it. <BR/><BR/>In the developing world, or the undeveloped world, it's another story. They are going to need more energy. And right now, what they can often afford, is coal. I think, what we need to do is two-fold. First of all: we need to have a Marshall Environmental Plan that would basically give money to developing countries for solar, wind, and hydro power energy. Because currently those energy sources can't compete with coal. That's not going to stop the countries from using coal, but I think it will stem the tide a little. Secondly, we have to engage in the R&D for CCS so that in 25 years time, we can perhaps export that technology as well. But, right now we're just letting them fend for themselves. That's not going to help us at all.ruchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-59177398840402705172008-10-09T17:22:00.000-07:002008-10-09T17:22:00.000-07:00So if coal isn't good then what type of energy do ...So if coal isn't good then what type of energy do you all think we should use? They ALL have drawbacks and none of them are truly renewable/sustainable.<BR/><BR/>Conservation and using less best in my mind. But thats easy to say from an affluent position.EJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10547029683066393031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-51191007695652676692008-10-09T16:58:00.000-07:002008-10-09T16:58:00.000-07:00Trade offs!Hey, we were just talking about this in...Trade offs!<BR/><BR/>Hey, we were just talking about this in one of my classes.<BR/><BR/>And then I forgot whatever else I was going to say. Oh yeah! I forgot again to stop thinking in terms of absolutes. Thanks for the reminder.Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02423273410974405784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-11380826600282729932008-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:002008-10-09T16:56:00.000-07:00I basically agree with you. My problem is with th...I basically agree with you. My problem is with the method they use to extract the coal. From the admitably small reading I've done on the subject, coal could be extracted in a much more environmentally friendly manner, but it's not because some big corps are greedy bullies. Coal USEd to be extracted much more cleanly than it is today. If that's what India & China are doing, more power to them.Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08896172914500564208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-26875840359195376872008-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:002008-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00I agree that the term "clean" should not be used w...I agree that the term "clean" should not be used with coal. There is very little, if anything, that is clean about coal. CCS addresses only one aspect of coal -- what to do with one of the major pollutants of the combustion of coal.<BR/><BR/>There is a whole other set of problems with the extraction of coal in the first place -- both from a miner safety point of view and from an environmental (although not necessarily climate) point of view. <BR/><BR/>To keep coal economic while eliminating environmental, climatic, and human damage is a huge and possibly impossible task.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-24791106553967980552008-10-09T10:51:00.000-07:002008-10-09T10:51:00.000-07:00I've always been very ambivalent about coal. I was...I've always been very ambivalent about coal. I was born in one of the UK's major coal producing areas, my Dad's father and both of my Mum's grandfathers were coal miners, and the devastation of the local environment is matched only by the devastation of the local communities caused by shutting down the mines. So if they can find a way to reduce the impact on the environment while keeping those jobs and communities alive, then yeah, let's do it!Cath@VWXYNot?https://www.blogger.com/profile/01164268321173313605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-19032248465461084862008-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:002008-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00Mamabird, I aim to provide food for thought!Jen, y...Mamabird, I aim to provide food for thought!<BR/><BR/>Jen, you're welcome.<BR/><BR/>Joyce, sounds interesting. I'll have to do some reasearch on FutureGen. :)<BR/><BR/>Crunchy, yeah, looking back at your post, I think we actually more or less agree. I think you're right, and that we *should* be calling it CCS. I guess the problem for politicians is that Carbon Capture and Storage is too wordy for a 15 second sound bite. And you're right that there are risks, for sure. The big one being that CCS might never work. But I guess right now I'm not willing to give up on any possibility. I'd love you to post more about the economic issues with CCS, since I really value your perspective.ruchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-81531721752220455462008-10-09T10:27:00.000-07:002008-10-09T10:27:00.000-07:00I wasn't necessarily arguing against clean coal si...I wasn't necessarily arguing against clean coal since coal is plentiful and cheap and, therefore, a necessary evil. <BR/><BR/>My argument was against calling it "clean". <BR/><BR/>Plus, there are definite economic issues with capture and sequestration that no one seems to mention, as well as the risk of what would happen if all that CO2 gets burped back up into the atmosphere.Crunchy Chickenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10612320939936593420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-88670438388041456712008-10-09T06:01:00.000-07:002008-10-09T06:01:00.000-07:00I agree with you. In Illinois we are trying build...I agree with you. In Illinois we are trying build a FutureGen plant near where I live, which would use coal mined close by in Southern Illinois (not strip mined, but deep vein coal). All the local people have been looking into the envronmental aspects of it for years, because who wants some big polluter in their back yard? This plant would sequester the carbon far underground in a way that is very clean. It offers hope to our coal industry, trememcous power generation in an area that will not be great for solar or wind, and goodness knows we don't have any rushing rivers to dam for hydro. It will be safer than nuclear. I think it simply has to be part of the mix for areas that are coal rich. We do need to learn to conserve as well, but we aren't gong to give up elecricity altogether.Joycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-30097577276148090472008-10-09T04:38:00.000-07:002008-10-09T04:38:00.000-07:00Thank you. I had been wanting to leave comments to...Thank you. I had been wanting to leave comments to this effect elsewhere, but you said it much more effectively than I could have.Jen S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16168211518645780051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9203077889905915553.post-67919177731760814732008-10-09T04:13:00.000-07:002008-10-09T04:13:00.000-07:00Thanks, this was most interesting and I hadn't con...Thanks, this was most interesting and I hadn't considered that angle. Food for thought. Hope all's well!JessTrevhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11000531822628182708noreply@blogger.com