I was getting very frustrated during the election and hearing all of the incredible endorsement of 'clean coal'. After doing some research, I discovered that it was indeed a concept, not an actual solution.
I tried to convince some people that....IT DID NOT EXIST...but they bought into that marketing campaign. Let me congratulate the marketing company that put that together. That was impressive.
Here is the REAL "Clean Coal" commercial if you missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHuB7Ovl2o
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Last night on the Diane Ream show on NPR they discussed the Clean Coal initiative. Listening to the clean coal pundits you really believe this could be a good solution to our current energy pollution concerns. But listening closely, it was clear that clean coal is in its infancy, which means it is in an innovative and early state. The jury is truly out as to whether this coal application will use less energy to develop and use, pollute the atmosphere less, or be safe to store underground until the carbon emissions have subsided. There could be any number of potential negative side effects in this technology, as there are with any technology.
ReplyDeleteWhat is good about clean coal is the concept. But with the idea of any concept comes the risks. The question we have to ask is, with the emissions from this clean coal initiative, are we creating a different and/or a more complex pollution source? One stated example was, if the CO2 emissions for this new innovation are stored or diffused though the ground or underneath the surface of the earth will they potentially seep into water sources, crops or the like? What we can say with certainty that with every cause there is an effect. So what will the effects be?
Even with "Green" sources of energy there are known negative effects as well. But if we are to make this comparison, we have to define the effect criteria. That criteria is pollution. Some say wind farms create noise and visual pollution. Do wind and visual pollution have measurable and similar effect on the earth and it's ability to sustain itself? And in that analysis, how does that compare to leeching carbon emission into the earth?
This debate will go on and on but we must always compare all risks that are historically known to be associated with burning coal. They will not magically disappear.