We're closing coal-powered plants and the rest of the world is building them!

"The Persian Gulf states are switching to coal. "[They] may be sitting atop
massive oil reserves," "But with prices for crude
skyrocketing, it makes more sense to sell it than to use it.

Abu Dhabi (largest of the seven UAE emirates) has announced that it will
switch to coal-fired power plants. Dubai (the second largest) is already
building four of them - with a combined output of 4,000 megawatts.
Beyond the Gulf, Egypt proposes to build its first coal-fired plant
on the shores of the RedSea. Russia has announced plans to build
more than 30 coal-fired plants by 2011.
China connects a new coal-fired plant to its
electrical grid every 10 days - and intends to keep doing
so for several
years.

Less known is China's decision to construct a massive coal-fired
plant in Inner Mongolia that will convert the region's vast coal reserves
into oil. With 10,000 people now engaged in the construction, the plant
will be completed by the end of the year. The coal-to-liquid process used
by this plant will consume twice as much coal and produce twice the CO2
emissions as the simple burning of coal in a conventional power plant.

The Kyoto Protocol, incidentally, classifies the Gulf states as "developing
countries" - meaning that they are under no obligation, oil revenues
notwithstanding, to reduce CO2 emissions.

They have opted for coal for a
single compelling reason: cost. They can produce a megawatt-hour of
electricity using Australian coal, for $17.49(U.S.).
Using natural gas, the cost rises to $41.34.
Using oil, the cost rises further to $79.50.

At the same time, they can sell their oil on the global market for something approaching (or occasionally exceeding) $140 a barrel."

And WE are worried about using curly lightbulbs to save the earth! Pointless!

Thanks for the information but it wont hurt to keep doing what we can

wickens wrote:

Thanks for the information but it wont hurt to keep doing what we can

Agreed - it's called "leading by example"

I found the entire article (and its context )also very interesting.....

http://seekingalpha.com/article/86009-even-persian-gulf-states-are-moving-to-coal

cking wrote:

"The Persian Gulf states are switching to coal. "[They] may be sitting atop
massive oil reserves," "But with prices for crude
skyrocketing, it makes more sense to sell it than to use it.

Abu Dhabi (largest of the seven UAE emirates) has announced that it will
switch to coal-fired power plants. Dubai (the second largest) is already
building four of them - with a combined output of 4,000 megawatts.
Beyond the Gulf, Egypt proposes to build its first coal-fired plant
on the shores of the RedSea. Russia has announced plans to build
more than 30 coal-fired plants by 2011.
China connects a new coal-fired plant to its
electrical grid every 10 days - and intends to keep doing
so for several
years.

Less known is China's decision to construct a massive coal-fired
plant in Inner Mongolia that will convert the region's vast coal reserves
into oil. With 10,000 people now engaged in the construction, the plant
will be completed by the end of the year. The coal-to-liquid process used
by this plant will consume twice as much coal and produce twice the CO2
emissions as the simple burning of coal in a conventional power plant.

The Kyoto Protocol, incidentally, classifies the Gulf states as "developing
countries" - meaning that they are under no obligation, oil revenues
notwithstanding, to reduce CO2 emissions.

They have opted for coal for a
single compelling reason: cost. They can produce a megawatt-hour of
electricity using Australian coal, for $17.49(U.S.).
Using natural gas, the cost rises to $41.34.
Using oil, the cost rises further to $79.50.

At the same time, they can sell their oil on the global market for something approaching (or occasionally exceeding) $140 a barrel."

And WE are worried about using curly lightbulbs to save the earth! Pointless!

Somewhere along the line we were always told we should be thinking globally and acting locally. I believe that is a powerful principle.

As an aside, we cannot take our cues from a regime that cares very little for human rights and appears to care even less about its environment. So we should do everything within our power to protect our piece of earth....Canada...if it's not already too late. ....that includes demanding our own governments at every level pay attention to us....the little guy and not to the multi-nationals whose sole objective is to make money.

If other less enlightened countries ignore the fact that they are doing irrevocable damage to the environment....should we also follow their example or give up and wring our hands. I don't think so.

If there is money to be made or saved , the environment takes a beating.
We in Canada have our own area of shame too- The Oil Sands.
Time will show the magnitude of the environmental disaster being created there. Huge amounts of CO2 created per barrel of oil there. Huge amounts of water used,huge piles of slightly oily sand left over. Oily lakes of water.
Only a few percent of the oil there is available by the present open pit mining method. The majority is much deeper and will be recovered by pumping hot water and steam into the ground to get the oil to flow-very energy intensive.
My point is greed usually wins, and we don't want to change how we live.

So right, Space cadet....but isn't it time to re-think all this?

Space Cadet wrote:

If there is money to be made or saved , the environment takes a beating.
We in Canada have our own area of shame too- The Oil Sands.
Time will show the magnitude of the environmental disaster being created there. Huge amounts of CO2 created per barrel of oil there. Huge amounts of water used,huge piles of slightly oily sand left over. Oily lakes of water.
Only a few percent of the oil there is available by the present open pit mining method. The majority is much deeper and will be recovered by pumping hot water and steam into the ground to get the oil to flow-very energy intensive.
My point is greed usually wins, and we don't want to change how we live.

Space Cadet wrote:

If there is money to be made or saved , the environment takes a beating.
We in Canada have our own area of shame too- The Oil Sands.
Time will show the magnitude of the environmental disaster being created there. Huge amounts of CO2 created per barrel of oil there. Huge amounts of water used,huge piles of slightly oily sand left over. Oily lakes of water.
Only a few percent of the oil there is available by the present open pit mining method. The majority is much deeper and will be recovered by pumping hot water and steam into the ground to get the oil to flow-very energy intensive.
My point is greed usually wins, and we don't want to change how we live.

A good read - "Stupid to the Last Drop" by William Marsden, that deals with the Oil Sands. If you want to see a government's complicity in the complete and absolute annihilation of a chunk of Canada the size of Florida, read this

I just finished it - it's a real eye-popper . . .

Jonas: I LOVE that avatar! Creepy! And very creative!

Yes,..... just an inverted image...lots of those around. I'm going to keep that one for a while....and cultivate my serious side.
As long as I can stand it....like holding my breath under water...can only be done for short periods of time. Just doesn't come natural.

cking wrote:

Jonas: I LOVE that avatar! Creepy! And very creative!