I'm going to make an interesting hypothesis here

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Now I'm getting confused. Again, about a year ago ( give or take a month or two ) I remember Obama saying on TV that we needed to have a talk with China and try to convince them to lean towards clean coal technologies, and even sell the technology to them. I'm lost.

I don't know what it is that you're referring to but China is already using coal for a huge proportion of their energy needs. In the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics the government ordered periodic shut-downs of their factories to get a little smog out of the air. China, like the rest of the world, needs to move away from coal.

A year ago Bush was in the White House. I suppose it's possible that he offered to sell China some "clean coal technology" - as soon as such a thing actually exists.

John

[hillbilly]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I don't know what it is that you're referring to but China is already using coal for a huge proportion of their energy needs. In the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics the government ordered periodic shut-downs of their factories to get a little smog out of the air. China, like the rest of the world, needs to move away from coal.

A year ago Bush was in the White House. I suppose it's possible that he offered to sell China some "clean coal technology" - as soon as such a thing actually exists.

John

I remember Obama himself saying that we need to invest in clean coal technoligies, and later start selling the technology to them. I also remember Obama stating he was wanting to start fining the coal co's real hefty if they didn't come up with and convert to clean coal technologies. He said if they didn't, they'd be forced to rethink it or be fined into bankruptsy. It made news in the little book the light company sends out to folks as well.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by hillbilly

I remember Obama himself saying that we need to invest in clean coal technoligies, and later start selling the technology to them. I also remember Obama stating he was wanting to start fining the coal co's real hefty if they didn't come up with and convert to clean coal technologies. He said if they didn't, they'd be forced to rethink it or be fined into bankruptsy. It made news in the little book the light company sends out to folks as well.

I remember that too. All the candidates spoke of clean coal technology. The only trouble is that technology doesn't exist and, frankly, nobody's really sure how to go about developing it.

We have so much coal that it only makes sense to use it but only if we can figure out how to burn it cleanly. Another problem, as you'll know, is what to do about these damned lagoons full of coal ash. Even just sitting there without bursting their seams, these things present a huge cancer risk to the people who live nearby.

John

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Boreas

Another problem, as you'll know, is what to do about these damned lagoons full of coal ash. Even just sitting there without bursting their seams, these things present a huge cancer risk to the people who live nearby.

John

Are you suggesting that coal ash comes before corporate profits?


omg, how dare you

[merrylander]

How about coal gassification?

Oh BTW, if you don't believe in global warming take a holiday to the Maldives while you can because they are slowly heading beneath the waves as the sea levels rise.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by noonereal

Are you suggesting that coal ash comes before corporate profits?

I've spent a fair amount of time in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia coal country, not so much Ohio, Kentucky & Tennessee, and have seen the way coal companies have raped the land and destroyed communities. We all "know" about this but it has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

I lived in Colorado too but never saw the coal region there. That being said, I know a little history. There were two Columbine Massacres in Colorado history. The more recent one we all know about but the first one, in 1927, doesn't get much attention. It occurred in the town of Serene when striking miners at the Columbine Mine were mowed down by State Police and company goons using machine guns and small arms.

Worse was the Ludlow Massacre. Colorado National Guardsmen attacked a "tent city" erected by striking coal miners and their families. Twenty people were killed, more than half of them children.

There were similar instances all over the country. Notable are the Lattimer Massacre in Pennsylvania, 19 killed, and the Battle of Matewan in West Virginia. There's a great movie, "Matewan", about this. It's pretty accurate.

I guess that means "yes", worker and community rights come before proofits.

John

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by merrylander

How about coal gassification?

The Synthetic Fuels Corporation was formed in 1980 (Carter) with Government support. It's brief was to develop alternative fuels and alternative technologies (like coal gasification) to reduce our dependence on imported oil. It was dissolved in 1985 (Reagan) in the face of Right wing complaints that it "interfered with the free market". Sound familiar?

Oh BTW, if you don't believe in global warming take a holiday to the Maldives while you can because they are slowly heading beneath the waves as the sea levels rise.

The Maldives are far from the only ones. For instance there's Tuvalu.

John

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I've spent a fair amount of time in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia coal country, not so much Ohio, Kentucky & Tennessee, and have seen the way coal companies have raped the land and destroyed communities. We all "know" about this but it has to be seen to be fully appreciated.

I lived in Colorado too but never saw the coal region there. That being said, I know a little history. There were two Columbine Massacres in Colorado history. The more recent one we all know about but the first one, in 1927, doesn't get much attention. It occurred in the town of Serene when striking miners at the Columbine Mine were mowed down by State Police and company goons using machine guns and small arms.

Worse was the Ludlow Massacre. Colorado National Guardsmen attacked a "tent city" erected by striking coal miners and their families. Twenty people were killed, more than half of them children.

There were similar instances all over the country. Notable are the Lattimer Massacre in Pennsylvania, 19 killed, and the Battle of Matewan in West Virginia. There's a great movie, "Matewan", about this. It's pretty accurate.

I guess that means "yes", worker and community rights come before proofits.

John

No, no, no, John. You have it ALL WRONG! Only unions engage in violence. I know this, Glenn Beck said so.

You do realize that it is not politically correct among right wingers to portray striking union members as victims of corporate sponsered violence, don't you? Even if it is historical fact.

What's that? You don't really care what they think?
Neither do I

Dave

[d-ray657]

Originally Posted by BlueStreak

No, no, no, John. You have it ALL WRONG! Only unions engage in violence. I know this, Glenn Beck said so.

You do realize that it is not politically correct among right wingers to portray striking union members as victims of corporate sponsered violence, don't you? Even if it is historical fact.

What's that? You don't really care what they think?
Neither do I

Dave

The threshhold is so low on the issue of "union violence" that there are limits on the number of pickets the union can have so as not to intimidate scabs.

Here's another example of management double-speak. The employer does not have the right to fire union members engaged in a lawful economic strike, but it can permanently replace those workers. You're out of a job, but you haven't been fired, you've been permanently replaced.


Regards,

D-Ray

[noonereal]

Originally Posted by Boreas

I guess that means "yes", worker and community rights come before profits.

Does anyone in Washington know about this?