Coal to the rescue (mortgage, houses, construction jobs)

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by aeros71

Regarding a wind farm being labeled ugly, I'm always amused by this statement. Let me offer some context as to why. When compared to the devastation of mountain top removal in coal mining and the damage it causes to the surrounding communities, water supplies, etc. a wind farm is the farthest thing from ugly.

[TreeBeard]

The country is now warming up after this winter anomaly. Coal will once again be like Nell tied to the train tracks screaming, "Help me! Help Me!" waiting for its Dudley Do-right in the form of Donald Trump to rescue it.

Sorry Nell, but your time has come.

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Iowa is now powered by nearly 50% wind energy with percentages continuing to increase with very little coal power compared to the rest of the Midwest. Coal will continue to lose market share because it cannot compete in the marketplace with renewable sources that continue to rapidly decrease in cost and lower cost natural gas. No one wants to live next to coal plant. Try living in the Ohio Valley with all the dinosaur coal plants everywhere. It is disgusting, contamination everywhere.

For every unit of wind, and solar you need a unit of fossil fuel, hydro, or nuke as back up. Wind and solar generate nothing if the wind doesn't blow, and sun doesn't shine. When you NEED power, it has to come from other sources.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

For every unit of wind, and solar you need a unit of fossil fuel, hydro, or nuke as back up. Wind and solar generate nothing if the wind doesn't blow, and sun doesn't shine. When you NEED power, it has to come from other sources.

If we put our resources into developing improvements in power storage we can eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

If we put our resources into developing improvements in power storage we can eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

one can always "hope and dream" of new technologies entering the marketplace in the future. To date, however, such massive power storage capability has yet to emerge ... and it's not been for lack of trying. Substantial research dollars and time have been put into pursuit of this technology to date for many years.

In the energy business delivering power now and foreseeable future to the end users, the power companies can't supply power on as-yet undeveloped technologies.

Until such time as renewables can be backed up by those dreams turned into reality, baseline energy production must be backed up by existing proven technology. At the present time, that's fossil or nuclear power generation and fossil fueled power is by far much easier to get permitted/installed and on-line. While new coal plants may not be considered a viable option at this time, existing coal plants most certainly are the backbone of baseline energy production now in the USA ... and will likely be so for quite a while yet to come. The low sulfur coal from sources such as Wyoming is a major factor in keeping those plants on line when it comes to "cleaner" energy production.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Zero emissions is referring strictly to liquids (water). It still emits mercury into the atmosphere and was fought on those grounds by various groups. If the coal industry was so clean it wouldn't have fought the mercury emissions standards the Obama admin put in place (which Trump has lifted allowing them to continue pumping mercury into our air).

they pull most all the Mercury out very little if any goes up the stack...mercury is liquid at the temps the plant runs, and the only thing you see on a cold day is steam no smoke.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

If we put our resources into developing improvements in power storage we can eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

I yet to see a grain combine that would run on batteries 24/7 during harvest.... besides those wind mills need oil in their transmissions .

[Pilot1]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

If we put our resources into developing improvements in power storage we can eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

Why? Fossil fuels are abundant domestically, and efficient. We have centuries of supply domestically, and finding more all the time. Natural gas is extremely plentiful, and clean.

[Ltdumbear]

"Sorry Nell, but your time has come."

I take ANY threat against my only means of livelihood as a threat against my life, and the lives of those I live & work alongside...

...and I intend to defend myself accordingly...as do the rest of us who feel the same.

Vex us not...because although we can survive quite happily 'off' the grid...you urban-spawn clearly cannot...and once the food stops coming-in from here (where most of it is raised & cultivated)...well....YOU do the math, my friend.

This country can ONLY function efficiently when we ALL agree to dissagree, make peace with our disagreements & learn to work TOGETHER.

But if you city-people continue to make 'long-distance/absentee decisions' on what 'is' or 'is'nt' in OUR best interests...

...it's just not going to work.

While I have my own personal thoughts as to 45's painfully-obvious lack of 'vested interest' in how things are (or are'nt) done out here, I maintain that he IS the best choice we have ever had (sitting in that seat) who definately has what it takes to 'cut to the quick' & get things moving.

He may indeed be making money for HIS people, and I cannot fault him for that...but at the same time he is definately shifting focus AWAY from 'sleepy-town suburbia' & HOA trust-fund-trash, and BACK to the blue-collar worker who has EARNED every single damned bloody & cracked callouses they have on thier hands.

For all who don't like it, or who are 'too skeered' to get off the porch & run with the (conservative) big-dawgs...you have three more yrs to decide on who steps into 44's vacuum to reclaim your oh-so-wonderful 'progressive, soul-less, humanistic' agenda.

And good luck with that.

[jody_wy]

Originally Posted by TreeBeard

The country is now warming up after this winter anomaly. Coal will once again be like Nell tied to the train tracks screaming, "Help me! Help Me!" waiting for its Dudley Do-right in the form of Donald Trump to rescue it.

Sorry Nell, but your time has come.

but sure was nice when it was needed this past couple of weeks...