Comments on: The reign of King Coal http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/ Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today's issues and tomorrow's problems Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:18:17 +0000 hourly 1 By: RJ http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4434 RJ Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:12:06 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4434 "Are we even allowed to go back to mining coal?" Germany burns coal in its power stations. It must have enough clout to protect the coal industry. In any case, one would expect a Conservative government to actually be able to do something other than roll over and die in the face of EU diktats. "Are we even allowed to go back to mining coal?"

Germany burns coal in its power stations. It must have enough clout to protect the coal industry. In any case, one would expect a Conservative government to actually be able to do something other than roll over and die in the face of EU diktats.

]]> By: mikestallard http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4433 mikestallard Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:45:25 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4433 What exactly is the EU saying? 1. EU energy policy objectives are to promote the use of coal and make domestic production capacity more competitive to achieve a notable increase in solid fuel consumption <a href="http://.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm" rel="nofollow">.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm</a> So they are not completely anti-coal. 2. However, <a href="http://(http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm)The" rel="nofollow">(http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm)The</a> European Union has recognised the urgent need to tackle the climate change issue. It has also adopted a negotiating position of 15% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for industrialised countries by the year 2010 from the 1990 level. Promoting renewable energy is one of the main objectives of EU energy policy. As stated previously, the aim is to double renewables' share of total energy consumed to 15% by 2010 and increase renewable energy sources for the internal electricity market to 22,1% of the total production (Directive 2001/77). In order to achieve such a reduction, the Union will require major energy policy decisions, focusing on reducing energy and carbon intensity. Just thought we ought to get the argument straight...... What exactly is the EU saying?
1. EU energy policy objectives are to promote the use of coal and make domestic production capacity more competitive to achieve a notable increase in solid fuel consumption http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm” rel=”nofollow”>.http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm
So they are not completely anti-coal.
2. However, (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_12_0_en.htm)The European Union has recognised the urgent need to tackle the climate change issue. It has also adopted a negotiating position of 15% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for industrialised countries by the year 2010 from the 1990 level.
Promoting renewable energy is one of the main objectives of EU energy policy. As stated previously, the aim is to double renewables' share of total energy consumed to 15% by 2010 and increase renewable energy sources for the internal electricity market to 22,1% of the total production (Directive 2001/77).
In order to achieve such a reduction, the Union will require major
energy policy decisions, focusing on reducing energy and carbon intensity.

Just thought we ought to get the argument straight……

]]> By: APL http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4432 APL Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:22:31 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4432 JR: "The 1970s Labour government was in the business of closing mines and sacking miners," A bit before my time, but didn't that firebrand of workers rights Wegie Benn, close more than his fair share of coal mines during his tenure as energy minister? JR: "They made a good case, urging that we expand production of domestic coal .. " Not possible! Such a policy is in direct conflict with the European Union carbon emissions requirements. They want to reduce carbon emmissions by 20% by 2020. If you burn coal you get Carbon dioxide or Carbon monoxide if you do not burn it properly - an elementary law of chemistry, if we increase Coal fired power stations we increase carbon oxide emissions. Of course a 20% cut is an absolutely CRAZY target! http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/mar/09/europeanunion.eu For those of us who don't care about 'carbon emissions' or the 'Carbon capture industry', we would be quite happy to see more coal fired power stations. By the way, 'Carbon capture industry' is a misnomer, the Tories slashed and burned their way through the subsidised Nationalised industries during the '80s, why do you advocate creating another subsidised industry now? JR: “The 1970s Labour government was in the business of closing mines and sacking miners,”

A bit before my time, but didn’t that firebrand of workers rights Wegie Benn, close more than his fair share of coal mines during his tenure as energy minister?

JR: “They made a good case, urging that we expand production of domestic coal .. ”

Not possible! Such a policy is in direct conflict with the European Union carbon emissions requirements. They want to reduce carbon emmissions by 20% by 2020.

If you burn coal you get Carbon dioxide or Carbon monoxide if you do not burn it properly – an elementary law of chemistry, if we increase Coal fired power stations we increase carbon oxide emissions.

Of course a 20% cut is an absolutely CRAZY target!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/mar/09/europeanunion.eu

For those of us who don’t care about ‘carbon emissions’ or the ‘Carbon capture industry’, we would be quite happy to see more coal fired power stations.

By the way, ‘Carbon capture industry’ is a misnomer, the Tories slashed and burned their way through the subsidised Nationalised industries during the ’80s, why do you advocate creating another subsidised industry now?

]]> By: Neil Craig http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4431 Neil Craig Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:12:43 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4431 I think carbon capture is one of these nostrums the Luddites always like because they aren't currently feasible. They love nuclear fusion but not fission for the same reason. Nobody in the world is using carbon capture in a commercial way & to work in Britain would require us to dispose of about 150 million tons of compressed CO2 every year. For renewablists who say that disposing of a cubic metre per reactor year of radioactive waste, which loses almost all its radiation in 50 years, is dangerous is hardly consistent with saying that 150 million tons of gas for each year kept underground & subject to what is called catastrophic release, forever, is safe. The degree to which CC would increase costs is unknown but, by the laws of thermodynamics it would certainly be significant & nuclear is already capable of producing far cheaper than coal. I think carbon capture is one of these nostrums the Luddites always like because they aren't currently feasible. They love nuclear fusion but not fission for the same reason. Nobody in the world is using carbon capture in a commercial way & to work in Britain would require us to dispose of about 150 million tons of compressed CO2 every year. For renewablists who say that disposing of a cubic metre per reactor year of radioactive waste, which loses almost all its radiation in 50 years, is dangerous is hardly consistent with saying that 150 million tons of gas for each year kept underground & subject to what is called catastrophic release, forever, is safe.

The degree to which CC would increase costs is unknown but, by the laws of thermodynamics it would certainly be significant & nuclear is already capable of producing far cheaper than coal.

]]> By: Mark Wadsworth http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4430 Mark Wadsworth Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:04:11 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4430 I'm a big fan of coal, I must say (privately owned, of course, by miners' co-operatives if they so wish, seems fair enough to me), but whose side would you take in <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/23270186-4708-11dd-876a-0000779fd2ac.html" rel="nofollow">this spat</a> between John Hutton and Alan Duncan? I'm a big fan of coal, I must say (privately owned, of course, by miners' co-operatives if they so wish, seems fair enough to me), but whose side would you take in this spat between John Hutton and Alan Duncan?

]]> By: adam http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/02/the-reign-of-king-coal/#comment-4429 adam Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:35:04 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1162#comment-4429 Are we even allowed to go back to mining coal. In mid 2007 The EUs Regional development Agency in the SW was working hard to stop new tin mines opening on environmental grounds, i dont know what became of that. I imagine other RDAs, working off Agenda 21 as they do, will react similarly. Are we even allowed to go back to mining coal.
In mid 2007 The EUs Regional development Agency in the SW was working hard to stop new tin mines opening on environmental grounds, i dont know what became of that.

I imagine other RDAs, working off Agenda 21 as they do, will react similarly.

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