Category Archives for Canada
Alberta Premiere sets sights on fossil fuels
Premiere of Alberta, Rachel Notely, is promising to “address the issue of coal.” Her plan to reduce carbon emissions will effectively apply a tax on large fossil fuel users, piling further economic burdens to the province of Alberta’s already lagging economy. Premier Rachel … Continue reading
Boundary Dam project – proving that coal-fueled energy is clean
This NatGeo article on the Boundary Dam project in Saskatchewan is a good, fast look at one attempt to employ carbon capture and storage technologies as a means of addressing CO2 emissions from coal-fueled energy. Boundary Dam extracts 90 percent of … Continue reading
Canada permits British Columbia’s first longwall
Exciting news! Coalage.com wrote today about the recently approved federal permits for the B.C.-based HD Mining International’s Murray River coal mine. Earlier this month, Minister Bill Bennett confirmed that the company’s $688 million Murray River property in the northeastern region of … Continue reading
Canada provides costly lesson to U.S. on reducing coal use
“There is no question that closing down our most reliable and least expensive source of electricity played a major role in reducing Ontario from a once prosperous “have” province within the Canadian federation to now being a “have not” province, … Continue reading
Coal Alliance
The Coal Alliance is another group that has recently formed to advocate for the use and export of Canadian coal. The Coal Alliance brings together representatives from the coal industry, including mines, marine terminals, railways, industry associations, organized labour and … Continue reading
Study shows carbon storage is secure
A recent study that looked at the security of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) related underground carbon storage is demonstrating injected carbon is staying in deep geological locations. The study reviewed CO2 samples from the soil around EOR injection sites and … Continue reading
Obama may be flexible on carbon permit allocation
From Reuters,
President Barack Obama
on Thursday indicated some flexibility over plans to sell carbon
dioxide permits to industry, but said they must be priced to encourage
reduced greenhouse gas emissions. …"If it’s so onerous that people can’t meet it, then it defeats the
purpose and politically we can’t get it done anyway, so were going to
have to find a structure that arrives at that right balance," Obama
said.
Is reducing CO2 emissions worth the cost?
In late January this year, the The Rosenkranz Foundation hosted a debate as part of the Intelligence Squared U.S. series. Held in New York City, the debate considered the proposition that "Major Reductions in Carbon Emissions Are Not Worth the Money."
The full audio of the debate is available on the NPR website. It is well worth listening to. Also interesting was the response of the audience after the debate. A large number of audience members switched from undecided to supporting the motion that carbon reductions are not worth the money.
It would seem that when more fully informed, the voting public’s minds can be changed on the subject of environmental issues. To the extent that the coal industry allows the issue to remain silent, they may be ensuring difficult times ahead.
Ontario Premier threatens opponents of new (green) energy projects
I recently read an unsettling report of an apparently contradictory move by the provincial government of Ontario to force the development of so-called green energy developments in the province of Ontario.
While promoting his Green Energy Act, Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty, made it clear that he will no longer accept "Not In My Backyard" (also known as NIMBY) arguments from opponents of new green or renewable energy developments. So long as "safety" and "environmental" concerns are addressed, he will not stand for opposition to new energy generation projects.
One step closer in S.C.
The proposed Santee Cooper plant near Florence South Carolina has moved one step closer to becoming a reality. On Thursday (Feb 12th) the utility convinced a majority of the state’s Dept. of Health and Environmental Control Board Members that they had met all the legal requirements for an air pollution permit. The Board voted 4-2 in favor of the permit.
There is more work to be done, however. Santee Cooper still requires a "federal wetlands permit, state water quality certification and several
other state environmental permits before it can begin work." That process could take several months at a minimum.