by Gaazy » Sat Dec 06, 2008 8:42 pm
Yes, china is a major producer. And like Drem said, they are way behind the times and have tons of deaths. Then I guess they just toss some more of their billions of people back in em to replace em. But it wont be like that for long, major coal equipment companies like Joy Global are going in and contracting to them and building mines and supplying equipment and making a killing off them. Ive even sold some equipment that shipped overseas this year. Lots of mines going in. And they are buying tons too.
What im saying is, everyone and their uncle is nonstop crying "boohoo lets get away from the middle east! Energy and oil independent NOW!", but then wont invest in any new technology that will help that? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
and you wont see coal going away anytime soon, no matter how much money the government pours into it. Even if the alternative energy sources they are looking for were here now and efficient enough, you couldnt get rid of the energy source that powers over 50% of the country. God knows how long it would take to transition over.
But none of that was what I was talking about in posting that. This turn coal into gas. While everyone in this country is complaining about gas prices, the government just passes it up and lets someone else do it. I thought this was a country of leaders, innovators, brilliance.
I hear a lot of people saying oh but its such an old technology! Its like 100 years old! Does that mean we need to get rid of other old technologies, like electricity? Its been around a while, maybe we should find an alternative to that too. Hmm, that makes about as much sense. Yes, it burns dirty in most plants. But the technology is right in front of them to change that, and even use the emissions to make more power, gas, and other uses. I wish I could find the article about MIT's clean coal discoveries from last year. They had found somewhat cheap ways to capture, store, and reuse up to 985 of emissions. But the program was put on hold because the government cut their funding off to go towards the retarded, pointless war instead im sure.
I do agree that we need to seek alternative energy sources. To not think so would be completely fucking stupid. But its just as stupid, to me, to ignore whats here in front of them
And as far as the industry suffering, the price of coal is dropping a little, but its not major, and its not going to be. For one, it ALWAYS does this time of year because less power is used in winter than summer (the more people go to gas heat rather than electric, like for AC units). Secondly, what are people gonna do, stop using electricity? I wish people would and save some power, but we already know the people in this country just have to have every light in the house on, just because they can.