So Called Clean Coal

Cleaning up after the enemy of the human race

Is “we’re going to burn the coal anyway” an argument for carbon sequestration? 40
Posted 1 week, 1 day ago A frequent argument one hears in favor of a heavy focus on carbon sequestration goes like this: fossil fuels are fantastic energy carriers, dense, portable, and cheap. People will burn them up no matter what. So we might as well figure out a way to make them low-carbon by sequestering their emissions. It's a way to buy time as we figure out other clean energy options. It's a seductive argument -- it sounds easier to convince people to clean up what they're already doing than to persuade them to do something entirely different. But I don't think it holds up under scrutiny.
A FARCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

Families not allowed in ‘families for coal’ group 0
Posted 3 months ago
Families Organized to Represent the Coal Economy (FORCE, naturally) is a Pennsylvania-based pro-coal organization. Oh, and by the way, by "families" the group doesn't actually mean families.
A senior moment

More anti-climate-bill letters forged under names of senior-citizen groups 1
Posted 3 months ago
More fake letters opposing climate legislation have come to light, with this latest batch being falsely attributed to senior-citizen organizations.
Rolling out the Astroturf

Forged climate bill letters a ‘blatant fraud,’ says women’s group 0
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Among the forged anti-climate letters that found their way to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) earlier this summer was a message purporting to be from the American Association of University Women.
An ACCCE up the sleeve

Forged letters not the first of ACCCE’s misrepresentations 0
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity says the sending of forged anti-climate-bill letters sent to members of Congress by one of its subcontractors was "an isolated incident." But it seems ACCCE also engaged in some fishy behavior last year during debate over a Senate climate bill.
Hawthorn Group claims it's an innocent victim -- oh, really!?

Forgery Farce 1
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
One of the more macabre aspects of the still-evolving scandal involving the forged letters to Congress on the climate legislation was the disavowal of all responsibility by the Hawthorn Group -- the astro-turf lobbying group that has worked for nearly a decade to snooker public officials about allegedly "clean coal."
ACCCE in the hole

Markey demands info on coal group’s role in forged climate-bill letters 1
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wants answers from the pro-coal group that funded the organization responsible for forged letters sent to House members.
It wasn't me

Blame game continues as more details on forged letters to Congress come to light 0
Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Officials at the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) are claiming to be victims of the forged anti-climate bill letters sent to three members of Congress earlier this summer, but a background document released by the organization reveals that its leaders knew about the fake letters before the House voted on climate legislation.
Coal is the enemy of the human race, pant-wetting terror edition

Blackout: Heinberg on dwindling coal reserves and the siren song of “clean coal” 13
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago
There isn't nearly as much coal left as most people think. "Clean coal" will run down limited reserves even faster. If humanity doesn't begin massive, sustained investment in renewable power sources immediately, civilization could be at risk before the end of the century. And that's without considering the impacts of climate change. Such is the stark conclusion of Richard Heinberg's Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis, which despite its dry tone and technical complexity is one of the scariest f*cking books I've ever read.
I can't believe I ate the coal thing!

Coal industry downplays prospects for CCS as it seeks more handouts in Senate climate bill 5
Posted 4 months ago
The coal industry got a lot of goodies in the House-passed energy and climate bill, but it's pressing for even more in the Senate version.
The skinny on carbon capture and sequestration

What the heck is CCS and can it really help fight climate change? An expert explains 8
Posted 4 months, 1 week ago
People Who Matter say that burning coal is going to continue no matter what, and that using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology at coal plants is our only hope for keeping the planet from charbroiling. But does CCS technology actually exist? Is it practical? Affordable? Who's working on it? We talk to CSS expert Sarah Forbes to get answers.
Breaching the dams

How fast can the US electric sector reform? 8
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Is the electric sector capable of rapid, large scale reform? Many policies implicitly assume the answer to that question is No, especially when it comes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission control.

The result is a policy conversation that hinges on the assumption that it is hard to change. How much must we spend to accelerate new technology? How many decades should we allow for a phase-in of new regulations?

As it turns out, the industry can change -- and indeed, has changed -- at a much faster pace than you might think. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it turns out to be quick and fairly painless to replace meaningful fractions of our power fleet in very short time frames.
Black Tide

Must-read new story on the Tennessee coal ash disaster and the myth of “clean coal” 4
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago
A blockbuster story in the new GQ takes a comprehensive look at the Tenn. coal ash disaster of last December and the mockery it makes of "clean coal." An early contender for Year's Best Journalism.
Southern Utility Blues, part three

Defending coal in climate legislation 3
Posted 6 months ago
How does a legislator negotiate when he believes "clean coal" is the only serious low-carbon option for his constituents and donors? Just watch Rick Boucher.
Dirty South

Climate Central takes on Georgia, coal, and carbon 0
Posted 6 months ago
This week brought a new piece of journalism from the crack staff of scientists and reporters at Climate Central. It's called "Georgia: Coal and Carbon."
Southern Utility Blues, part two

Southern Company, coal plants, and the latest gizmo 0
Posted 6 months ago
Politically connected utilities in the south and midwest want the route of least resistence on climate change, and that's "clean coal."
Southern Utility Blues, part one

Carbon geography 6
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago
What went on behind the scenes as the Waxman-Markey bill was hashed out? New maps of America's carbon emission patterns give a good hint at the politics behind the policy.
Hint: nothing gets built

What happens when you mandate clean coal 0
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago
Another coal plant bites the dust.
Runaway Joe

Debate: Roberts v. ‘clean coal’ flack Joe Lucas 0
Posted 6 months, 1 week ago
Here's an online debate between me and clean coal spokesflack Joe Lucas, originally run by the PBS show NOW.
It don't mean a thing if you ain't got those swings

Undecided reps on House panel hold key to climate bill 3
Posted 6 months, 3 weeks ago
Authors of the House climate and energy bill will be courting undecideds over the next couple of weeks as they try to get their legislation passed by the House Energy and Environment Subcommittee.