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I saw this ad on Saturday. I found it interesting that someone is so opposed to clean coal technology that they felt the need to purchase an expensive ad to bash it, while offering no alternatives. I kept waiting for the end to say something like "clean coal technology doesn't exist, so please support wind power." (or nuclear, or solar, or whatever.)
http://thisisreality.org/
I guess it worked though, it got me to visit their site.
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There are a lot of untruths out there about energy and the two words "clean coal" create one of the most potent ones.
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There are no 'perfectly clean' ways to produce electricity. Everything has an industrial footprint that results in pollution and waste.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, there is a series of technological approaches to reducing the amount of wastes that coal fired electrical production produces. These initiatives are called 'clean coal'.
So what's wrong with doing it ? You're gonna burn the stuff anyway. Might as well runt he combustion products through the scrubbers and filters and whatnot.
BTW- we toured a local coal fired power plant yesterday afternoon with the Cub Scouts. A flower of 1950's technology, and a dusty, dirty, nasty place. It reminded me of the cast iron foundry I worked in in the early 90's. However... lots of realtime monitoring on the pollution control equipment, and the majority of 'improvements' that they've done over the years involves pollution control.
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>>Everything has an industrial footprint that results in pollution and waste.
....but not everything has a CO2 footprint.
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...but not everything spreads toxic mercury throughout the world.
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If the technology they were touting in the "Clean Coal" ads actually existed and was in the process of implementation, then I would say the opponents should be always be offering alternatives. But most of it is no further than pilot tests, if even off the theoretical drawing board. Unfortunately, it looks more like an attempt to divert notice from the practices of the industry over the last 25-30 years. A large number of older coal plants were grandfathered in to not need to meet pollution requirements back then, with the understanding that over the decades after that they would be incrementally upgraded and/or replaced in the normal course of operation. Instead most were kept running with basically minimal emission improvements since then, and when the exemption period ran out a few years ago they lobbied for a further extension saying they could not afford the upgrades. They were supposed to be saving the depreciation and other amounts claimed in the operating expenses towards those over the years. Because of that, the ads look more like an attempt to divert attention from their actual practices, rather than provide any factual information on what the coal and coal power industry actually is doing.
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"Clean Coal Technology" is what is commonly referred to as an oxymoron.
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makk- wrong
Mac- also wrong
You have to include the manufacturing of those lovely solar panels (lots of toxic chems and rare earths) and windmills (steel mills, Aluminum mills, Yucko !)
Hence my point.
It's sort of like those uber vegans running around wearing nice leather boots. Sure, you consume less, but you don't consume nothing.
