The Forum > Article Comments > The time to move on from coal is now > Comments
The time to move on from coal is now : Comments
By Ben Pearson, published 29/12/2006Clean coal is a furphy - the equivalent of 'healthy cigarettes'.
- Pages:
-
- 1
- 2
- Page 3
- 4
-
- All
A fast fix that you talk about "turn off coal-fire power gen now" is impossible and laughable, the status quo is too entrenched, too structurally fundamental to not play a part in the transition to zero emissions. Like it or not - the transition will not be the economic disaster that would result if we turned off our power stations tomorrow.
-Clean coal etc as you have described above is a short term and transitional technology, but valid
-Nuclear is a zero/close to zero (if you take account of the mining) emissions technology that can supply baseload electricity
-Gas-fired power generation results in carbon dioxide emissions also (albeit less than coal-fired)
-renewable generation - wind/solar/geothermal are years and years away from being technically and economically feasible, and will not for, many many years be substantial enough to provide BASELOAD power
In addition, I can't understand why people can't stomach nuclear yet on the other hand are passionate about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I can't understand why people are against reducing emissions from coal fired technology as part of a strategy to reduce overall emissions ie something is better than nothing, yet apply the double standard that some renewables are better than nothing.