quote:John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Business, will say that "clean coal" has a crucial role to play in filling Britain's energy gap for the future. He will accuse the green lobby of "gesture politics" by opposing any coal-fired plants, putting energy supplies at risk and presenting a false "black and white" choice to the public over coal.
I could be wrong of course but I was under the impression that Maggie closed down the coal mines because they were considered no longer viable. (That and because she enjoyed 'fronting up' to the miners lobby) ...
Now there is the additional environmental concern regarding the pollution that needs to be taken into consideration. We have polarised views again; when don't we . So here you have the government on the one hand claiming that coal can be a 'clean fuel' and the environmental lobby claiming the opposite. I'll admit to a failure to see the argument that China is investing heavily in coal as being persuasive. Mainly because I do not think that China is a standard to try and emulate in either environmental or other social issues.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin
coal can obviously cause smog etc but if it is cooked in a coke oven to remove the impurities it becomes a clean carbon,the mines were only closed due to mrs Thatcher and Arthur Scargill being more interested in thier own interests than "Facts".Coal could be a cheap fuel ,there is still billions of tons available in the uk but my worry would be the expense of drying out cleaning out the old pits;also the environmentalists have a point I remember the Slag heaps in methil Scotland burying houses I believe that there was also a terrible tragedy in Abergavenny Wales .So this should be considered from all angles
Coal - no longer a fuel of the past?
Posted - 10/03/2008 : 08:34:04
. So here you have the government on the one hand claiming that coal can be a 'clean fuel' and the environmental lobby claiming the 
Posted - 10/03/2008 : 09:57:36
