|
Not too cool with coalActor, lawmaker blast energy source, but can we live without it?Peter Marcus, DDN Staff WriterFriday, August 14, 2009 |  | | Actor and conservationist Robert Redford, left, and U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., discuss the west’s role in conservation and renewable energy issues yesterday in Denver. Denver Daily News photo by Jesse Dillon. |
Actor Robert Redford and New Mexico U.S. Sen. Tom Udall speaking in Denver yesterday came down hard on the coal industry, arguing that if it can’t be proven that clean coal can be developed, production should cease.
But an industry spokesman said coal is vastly cleaner than it was decades ago and that America can’t go on without the vital energy source.
The two spoke during a panel hosted by Project New West. A three-day summit is being held at the Colorado History Museum to discuss the direction of the “new West” for the next decade.
A conservationist with long ties to the West — including being a resident of Utah — Redford responded to questions by Udall, D-N.M., over what he considers to be one of the greatest challenges facing the West. The debate quickly turned to coal-fired plants.
“It’s a tough shot because coal has been such a mainstay of American development for so long, it’s pretty hard for some people to change, particularly someone who runs a coal plant or people who are dependent on coal for their own industry,” said Redford, sporting a blazer, button-down, blue jeans and designer eyeglasses. “On the other hand, you’ve got that argument against the future of our planet.”
Udall — the cousin of Democratic Colorado U.S. Sen. Mark Udall — said he believes research should be commissioned by the federal government to determine whether clean coal can truly be produced.
“We’d better find out in a very short period of time, with intensive research, whether or not we can do it cleanly in any respect … and if we can’t do it, then we know we can’t use that,” said Udall, who is a longtime friend of Redford through conservation work the actor has done with members of the Western political Udall family.
The senator said research should be conducted within the next five years, and if clean coal technology cannot be verified, then “we shouldn’t be building any other conventional coal-fired plants.”
Redford added that he does not believe that true clean coal technology is on the horizon.
“My hunch, and it’s just a hunch … I doubt they’ll be able to prove that it can be clean,” he said.
But Stuart Sanderson, president of the Colorado Mining Association, is not sure why a politician and an actor are commenting on the science of a specific industry.
“It would have been helpful to have heard an opinion from a qualified scientist or engineer than an actor and a politician with a tenuous grasp of the facts,” said Sanderson.
He added that while coal use for electricity generation has tripled in the last 30 years, emissions have declined by nearly 50 percent and up to 80 percent in some cases. Sanderson added that research into removing and storing carbon dioxide is already underway.
He said it would be foolish to halt the development of coal for electricity because renewable energy sources — like solar and wind — only account for a fraction of the country’s energy sources.
Costs would skyrocket as a result, said Sanderson.
“The idea of stopping coal use for electricity generation is ludicrous and would literally plunge the nation into darkness, as coal accounts for half of our electricity nationally,” he said.
“Who would suffer most?” asked Sanderson. “Low-income energy consumers — not to mention the coal miners whose high income jobs would be lost.”
| Comments: |
| Dave @ 2009-08-14 08:44:00 | Why do these Democrats want to put more people out of work and put an end to a cheap source of energy. When the theory of Global Warming is nothing but junk science. |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
| Dave @ 2009-08-14 08:45:25 | Why do these Democrats want to put more people out of work and put an end to a cheap source of energy. When the theory of Global Warming is nothing but junk science. |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
| Paul @ 2009-08-14 10:38:31 | Actors who have a hunch and politicians who are nepotists should recognize that their views and understanding of energy, economics, and the environment are limited. They point to half truths and reason from there...and that is what they provide to the public - half truths. It is unfortunate that these people - non scientists - are promoting their agenda publicly. Typical - people with money who don't recognize the fact that they are promoting very expensive energy substitues that will drive the low income energy consumer into the poor house. Exactly what happened last year with gasoline prices. With little oil domestic production and enviro groups fighting every domestic drilling venture. The same pattern will continue until the hollywood enviros realize the error of their ways. we are all at the mercy of other countries, the cost were going to jump and drive the US into an economic slowdown. Cheap fuel is the lifeblood of the American economy. What Redford and Udall don't address is the FACT that each solar panel creates 3lbs of Toxic waste... that obviously has to go somewhere... They believe Al Gore and his global warming alarmist reaction. Do you really believe that in 30 years (a mere 10,000 days) CO2 will drive oceans over millions of square miles of land. Processes such as these throughout history of the earth - throughout massive atmospheric changes in prehistoric time have taken millions of years.
Use common sense when you take this type of global alarmist hype into account in your thinking. |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
| steve @ 2009-08-14 10:45:21 |
How about some Hydrogen Sulfide with you solar panel.
Pretty soon we'll be building another Yucca mountain repository for Solar Panel Toxic Waste.
Thanks to Redford and Udall |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
| Mark @ 2009-08-14 12:27:32 | How exasperating. I sympathise with thier concerns and desire to improve our world - but they have a grasp of reality and facts that is unfortunatly on a level similar to Islamic leaders in Iraq (ie based on their belief system not reality). Is that who we want governing? |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
| john sebastian @ 2009-08-14 15:39:56 | Redford & Udall - priveledge lives and out of touch with reality. |
| Flag this comment as Inappropriate / Spam |
|
