King Coal is shouting itself hoarse and deaf

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

A must-read from Clem Guttata:
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A National Backlash

Right now Big Coal has hat in hand in front of Congress asking for a huge new regulatory structure required in order for carbon capture and storage to have any chance of success.

To get that new regulatory structure enacted, Congress will need confidence that new enforcement mechanisms will favor long-term environmental concerns over short-term industry profit considerations. (CCS is a lot like nuclear waste... a toxic item to be stored forever.)

Pulling stunts like turning a deliberative public hearing into a political rally hurts Big Coal's lobbying efforts in Congress. Proving that the Army Corp of Engineers is unable to do something as simple as run a public hearing does nothing to inspire confidence they can handle permitting processes.

http://wvablue.com/diary/5126/king-coal-is-shouting-itself-hoarse-and-deaf

[madokie]

1. It sure worries me the giant mountain of coal ash being deposited near here

at a coal plant. I've watched the pile grow by leaps and bounds over the close to thirty years they've been there. We have to do better. I believe we can get there, there being energy independent, without the use of more nuke plants either. We could help to buy some time by converting our coal plants to using the gasifier principle due to the fact that all the infastructure is already in place being used every day now. The process would make the plants considerably more energy efficient with a good side of less co2 being produced in the process.

If anyone is interested in reading a little about gasifiers and gasification and the merits of, here is a good place to begin. http://fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/gasification/index.html