Coal Power

The Minnesota Legislature passed two bills that would lift the current regulation on carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired plants. In Minnesota coal-fired plants are required to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. The plants must not contribute any additional carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The law regulating these emissions was passed four years ago as part of a package to increase alternative energy production in Minnesota. Some claim that the law is too restricting and that coal plant production cannot occur because the offset practices are too expensive. The House and Senate will vote on the bills in April.

The environmental impacts that occur from burning coal for energy are numerous, including more than emissions of carbon dioxide. We need to use alternative energy and clean up the current energy production. Coal is a fossil fuel, and there is only a limited amount of that coal in the earth. We are going to run out of these fossil fuels, and in the meantime, we are damaging the planet by burning them without the most effective clean burning methods. Americans use a great amount of energy and because we are unwilling to give up our current standard of living, we need to plan for the future and plan how to use our current resources in the most appropriate way.

If we are going to continue with burning coal, we need to use the best technology we have to produce the fewest emissions and cause the smallest environmental impact. We have only one planet and we are very dependent on that planet for survival.

Image from the Energy Bulletin.

EPA Files Objection To Coal Plant Air Permit

In a move that shows the that the new Obama administration wants to put the "EP" back in the EPA the agency has filed an objection to the Air Permit issued by South Dakota for the Big Stone II Coal fired power plant on Minnesota's western border. The state has 90 days to make changes to the air permit and the project still needs to have an environmental impact statement approved, so this is not the end for the proposed 580 megawatt plant, but even if it is eventually approved it will have more stringent air pollution controls than if the EPA had not stepped in.

Critics charge the plant will increase NOx and SO2 pollution which contribute to acid rain, increase mercury levels in the region, and add an unacceptable amount of CO2 to the atmosphere. If the price of carbon increases as part of a plan to fight climate change then the price of power from coal will skyrocket, leaving the electric customers footing the bill.

It would be better to think long term and invest in renewable energy sources and in improving the electric grid overall to make renewable sources more economical.

Year End Musings

2008 has come and gone, what will 2009 bring?

I am optimistic for a new President that believes in science and who appoints actual scientists to top positions, but the challenges he will face are daunting. Renewable energy should be a top priority, as well as bringing climate change to the top of the agenda. Unfortunately a couple of La Nina assisted cold winters in North America have given ammunition to those who want to continue business as ususal, but there is a difference between weather and climate, and delay could be catastrophic.

I want to read Mark Lynas' book Six Degrees - I recently saw the National Geographic show based on it and it was very good and very frightening. I like how it showed the differences in the climate and ecology one degree at a time. Think about it - six degrees doesn't sound like much, but if your body temperature was raised by that amount you would be dead.

But it's a new year, and time to be optimistic that our species has more sense than bacteria (which will use up all their resources in a closed environment until they die).

And since it is cold and windy today in Grand Portage with snow everywhere, Here is a photo I took at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica.