Gateway Pacific Terminal Will Facilitate Coal Exports to China
Those of us who are concerned that our increased production of greenhouse gases is causing global climate change often point to the burning of coal to produce electricity as perhaps the single most disastrous phenomenon occurring in human civilization. And, breaking that down, the largest, thorniest sector of this problem is China, with its huge population demanding more energy for its increasingly Westernized lifestyle.
So where is all this coal coming from? In large measure, the U.S. In particular, Peabody Coal and SSA Marine are moving forward with plans to build the largest coal export terminal in the country in Washington — the Gateway Pacific Terminal.
If you’re of mind to make a comment on this, you may want to check out what CREDO is trying to get done, i.e., urging people to get the Army Corps of Engineers to review the environmental impacts of the project.
I believe most of China’s coal comes from 1) China and 2) Australia.
That said, it’s crazy for us to help others, especially countries building new coal plants, find coal to burn in those plants. Those who welcome the shale gas drilling boom and the low gas prices which are helping it to supplant coal should also consider that less coal burned in the US means more coal for export.
We’re also a major exporter to coal to Europe, where coal use is also increasing.
Yes. The shuffling of coal from the US to other countries has all the appeal of swearing off vodka in favor of gin.
From the article:
“Those of us who are concerned that our increased production of greenhouse gases is causing global climate change often point to the burning of coal to produce electricity as perhaps the single most disastrous phenomenon occurring in human civilization.”
Of course coal should be phased out. However, burning fossil fuels was a necessary step in the industrial revolution. Had fossil fuels not been burned, we would be living about the same way that people lived from ancient times up until the beginning of the industrial revolution. In spite of all the problems resulting from burning fossil fuels, as a result of burning them, we are much healthier than we were before the industrial revolution.
The challenge now is to phase out the use of fossil fuels. They have served their purpose and it is time to move on.
Part of the legacy of the Bakkan is that parts of eastern Montana has dirt-cheap coal….and, the externalities of coal extraction are not included in the damage estimates of its mining and transport to the west coast for barge shipment to China. Since Montana is a sparsely populated, mostly rural state, I’m sure we will see profit-driven coal mining overriding community objections to all the pollutants and coal dust from its transport. I am saddened that big corporations will win again.
A couple of years ago, I was part of an energy panel put on by the Montana Chamber of Commerce (I was plugging photovoltaic power for my state). There was a utility fellow, natural gas, wind and coal representatives were there too. The fossil fuel guys were truly expounding their rhetoric with what they believe…like, “why aren’t ocean levels rising? Why aren’t temperatures rising?” I guess they cling to their own erroneous belief systems to justify their profits and environmental damage as ‘worth it’.
Sad but true.