Thanks To Coal

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Tony Heller

I’m just back from a beautiful hike in the forest, and was thinking about how none of those trees would still be there if it weren’t for an abundant supply of fossil fuels.

Once Obama kills off the coal industry, the US will be almost completely dependent on fracking and/or foreign oil. Greens are generally much too stoned to make that connection.

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16 Responses to Thanks To Coal

  2. Truthseeker says:
    May 22, 2014 at 6:47 am

    Fracking is getting a (begrudging) approval from the less loony section of the environmentalists. The US has lots and lots of gas reserves to frack, so changing over to that from coal does not necessarily mean any loss of independence.

    Reply
    • Gail Combs says:
      May 22, 2014 at 10:33 am

      Natural gas replacement of coal (as well as carbon trading, a carbon tax and Global Governance) was the goal of the hoax in the first place! See my other comment tying all the pieces together.

      Of particular interest is Ged Davis. Davis was a VP of Shell Oil and the lead author of the IPCC storylines and scenarios chapter.
      Here is one of the Ged Davis Climategate e-mails:

      Subject: new IPCC-SRES Zero Order Draft
      Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 13:20:19 +0100

      Dear Colleagues:

      I am sending you a copy of Ged Davis’ IPCC-SRES Zero Order Draft on storylines and scenarios….
      *********************************
      Contents

      1. Introduction

      2. Scenarios – overview

      3. Golden Economic Age (A1)

      4. Sustainable Development (B1)

      5. Divided World (A2)

      6. Regional Stewardship (B2)

      7. Scenario comparisons

      8. Conclusions
      …..
      1. Introduction

      The IS99 scenarios have been constructed to explore future developments in the global environment with special reference to the production of GHGs….

      The scenarios we have built explore two main questions for the 21st century, neither of which we know the answer to:
      – Can adequate governance — institutions and agreements — be put in place to manage global problems?
      – Will society’s values focus more on enhancing material wealth or be more broadly balanced, incorporating environmental health and social well-being.
      The way we answer these questions leads to four families of scenarios:
      – Golden Economic Age (A1): a century of expanded economic prosperity with the emergence of global governance

      – Sustainable Development (B1): in which global agreements and institutions, underpinned by a value shift, encourages the integration of ecological and economic goals

      – Divided World (A2): difficulty in resolving global issues leads to a
      world of autarkic regions

      – Regional Stewardship (B2): in the face of weak global governance there is
      a focus on managing regional/local ecological and equity
      …….
      3. Golden Economic Age (A1)

      This scenario family entitled “Golden Economic Age”, describes rapid and successful economic development. The primary drivers for economic growth and development “catch up” are the strong human desire for prosperity, high human capital (education), innovation, technology diffusion, and free trade…..

      The core bifurcation (with respect to GHG emissions) of the scenario family unfolds around alternative paths of technology development in the agriculture and energy sectors. In the energy sector, the central question is how to manage the transition away from the current reliance on conventional oil and gas. In the agricultural sector, the key issue concerns land productivity…..
      All scenarios provide the high quantities of clean and
      convenient energy forms and diverse, high quality food demanded in an
      affluent world. Because technological change is cumulative, it can go in
      alternative, mutually exclusive directions, i.e., changes become “path
      dependent”….

      ….global agriculture could move in the direction of genetically engineered, high productivity crops and “sea-farming,” combined with a quality- and health-oriented diet based on fish and vegetables, both of which are relatively less land intensive. As a result, GHG emissions range widely even for otherwise similar scenario characteristics….. [Say goodby to your hamburger and bacon and eggs]

      3.21 Energy Resources/Technology
      Resource availability and technology are tightly interrelated. The “Golden Economic Age” of high productivity growth results from substantial technological innovation….

      . In the energy area, resources/technologies are key variables in determining the timing and nature of the transition away from currently dominant conventional oil and
      gas.

      Four pathways are possible:
      1. Progress across all resources and technologies.
      2. “Clean coal” technologies: environmentally friendly except for GHG emissions and possible resource extraction impacts.
      3. “Oil/Gas”: smooth transition from conventional to unconventional oil and gas, tapping the vast occurrences of unconventional fossil fuels, including methane clathrates.
      4. “Bio-Nuclear”: rapid technological progress in non-fossil supply and end-use technologies, e.g. renewables, such as solar and biomass combustion, nuclear and hydrogen-fuelled end-use devices, such as fuel cells.

      Then there is Agenda 21 or sustainability:

      4. Sustainable Development (B1)

      The central elements of this scenario family include high levels of environmental and social consciousness, successful governance including major social innovation, and reductions in income and social inequality. Successful forms of governance allow many problems which are currently hard or difficult to resolve to fall within the competency of government and other organisations. Solutions reflect a wide stakeholder dialogue leading to consent on international environmental and social agreements. This is coupled with bottom-up solutions to problems, which reflect wide success in getting broad-based support within communities. The concerns over global sustainable development, expressed in a myriad of environmental and social issues, results in the eventual successful management of the interaction between human activities and the biosphere. [This is what they are driving us towardsDavis then paints a rosy picture of sweetness and light and everyone holding hands and singing Kum-by-ya, ending with]

      4.21 Energy Resources/Technology
      Energy efficiency innovations, and successful institutional innovations disseminating their use, result in much lower levels of energy use relative to historic patterns. The forward-looking nature of societal planning results in relatively smooth transitions to alternative energy systems as conventional oil and gas resources dwindle in availability. There is major use of unconventional natural gas as fuel supply during the transition, but
      the major push is towards renewable resources such as solar and wind. The impact of environmental concerns is a significant factor in the planning for new energy systems.

      Two alternative energy systems, leading to two sub-scenarios, are considered to provide this energy:
      1. Widespread expansion of natural gas, with a growing role for renewable energy (scenario B1N). Oil and coal are of lesser importance, especially post-2050. This transition is faster in the developed than in the developing countries.

      2. A more rapid development of renewables, replacing coal and oil; the bulk of the remaining energy coming from natural gas (scenario B1R)….

      Always good to know what the plans ‘They’ have developed for us without our input or agreement.

      Reply
  3. gator69 says:
    May 22, 2014 at 11:07 am

    It ain’t the drugs, it is the mental disorder.

    Reply
  4. R. Shearer says:
    May 22, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    U.S. EPA proposals for CO2 emissions limits from existing power plants in the U.S. are being introduced next month. We shall shortly seen how sane or insane things have become. The limits for new plants guarantee that no new conventional coal plants will be built.

    Reply
  5. Pathway says:
    May 22, 2014 at 2:08 pm

    It’s worse than that. The EU is cutting down American forests to supply their green revolution.
    http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22630815

    Reply
  6. matayaya says:
    May 22, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    Regarding trees, at least start with the truth. The world is losing its trees. A newly planted seeding does not count as a tree. Also, coal has nothing to do with saving trees. Coal, if anything, is part of feeding the energy appetite for more consumption of trees for all the things we do with wood besides burn it. Here is a global satellite analysis of what is happening to trees. http://globalforestwatch.org

    Reply
    • geran says:
      May 22, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      Regarding trees, at least start with the truth.

      Those trees require large amounts of CO2, which some idiots believe will cause the oceans to boil.

      You figure it out.

      Reply
    • usJim says:
      May 22, 2014 at 5:17 pm

      re: matayaya May 22, 2014 at 4:14 pm

      Translation:

      “Hi I’m matayaya

      I want to save the world, and save the trees, and save the whales, but I could care less about mankind and the blight mankind creates on the planet.

      I do not revere life as the ‘right’ does. They are suckers. They are mislead by their pied-piper leaders and anti-science, backwards views. They are cretins. Just look at the shape of their skulls. You can tell.

      Please click on my link and help me save the world, save the trees and save the whales.

      But mankind? Bleh … ”

      .

      Reply
    • inMAGICn says:
      May 22, 2014 at 7:17 pm

      People in underdeveloped West Africa are denuding huge areas of trees because they lack fossil fuels for basic needs of cooking and heating.

      Reply
    • Phil Jones says:
      May 22, 2014 at 10:16 pm

      matayaya…. The bigger picture here compares 3rd World countries with the USA… Thanks to abundant power via coal we actually have trees and forests….

      Most 2nd and 3rd World countries are ravaging their forests while places like the USA, Canada, and Europe are managing forests, growing them back…preserving what is left.

      Reply
      • Gail Combs says:
        May 22, 2014 at 10:38 pm

        Most forest in the USA are managed forests not virgin especially in the eastern USA. For Loblolly pine, 1st thinning occurs @ age 16-years and harvesting @ 24-years. Most of the forest in my next of the woods is stagger planted.

        Reply
  7. norilsk says:
    May 22, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    Coal is fossilised biomass, making it green.

    Reply
  8. Jimbo says:
    May 24, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I have tried to drill this observation into the minds of Warmists. If you were to ban coal use in poor countries this would INCREASE deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat. Surely not something they want. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. On the plus side the co2 from coal burning power plants is helping to green the planet.

    Reply
  9. Brian H says:
    August 14, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Watch what happens (or happened) to the environment of a population deprived of affordable food and fuel. Stand back, and protect your legs from the swinging hatchets.

    Reply

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