King Coal Goliath about to Lose Its Head to Reality
by David Sassoon - Dec 4th, 2008
The coal industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to convince Americans that the future of energy is in an oxymoron called "clean coal." It was the dumbest thing coal executives ever did, because in the process they made it clear that "dirty coal" is no longer an acceptable energy source. They launched and executed a brilliant campaign against their own interests.
Now the coal industry is about to get finished off by the Reality Coalition. It's launching a campaign today to let everyone know that there actually is no such thing as "clean coal." It doesn't exist. If you can't read the fine print on their ad pictured here, it says:
There isn’t a single commercial coal plant in America today that captures its global warming pollution.
And as we've pointed out here on SolveClimate in many different posts (see below) -- even if they could develop the technology, and that is a big "if", it will still take two decades of hard work. Twenty years. That's why Brian Williams called clean coal an "oxymoron" and "wishful thinking" on the Nightly News.
The Reality Coalition is made up of the Alliance for Climate Protection, League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club. Five organizations -- like the five smooth stones that David took with him to slay the Philistine giant. Their sling is an ad campaign that will be running in print, broadcast and online media outlets.
Since everyone now already knows that "dirty coal" is a bad thing, and will soon know that "clean coal" does not exist, it looks like King Coal Goliath is about to lose its head to Reality.
Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand. And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.....
And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone, and slung it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead. And he fell upon his face to the earth....
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
See Also
In Best Case, "Clean" Coal Is Still Two Decades Away
DOE Timelines Show "Clean" Coal Will Be a Long Time Comin'
DOE Report: Renewables Currently Cheaper Than "Clean" Coal
"Clean" Coal Will Need Clean Water: Billions of Gallons More a Day
The True Cost of Coal Revealed
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