Obama on coal-fired power

[Rank Amateur]

http://www.wsaz.com/political/headlines/33726759.html

Like any politician Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth on many issues. Like a GOOD politician he gets away with it.

Now he wants to "bankrupt" the coal power industry by punishing emissions yet "is a strong supporter" of said industry. Riiight. That''s change we can believe in!

 

[zhuzhu]

GOP and its supporters are such professionals at taking things out of context.
We only have one earth. I believe each and every one of us has the responsibility to conserve energy, and make sure industry produces energy responsibly. If setting policies to encourage generation of clean fuel makes Obama a "bad politician", then I fear the future of our children will have a way bigger disaster than what we have today.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Read what I write. I would never write that BHO is a bad politician. Obama is a good politician. Possibly a GREAT one.

If bragging that you will bankrupt an industry which support thousands of families and provides, what, 2/3 of the country''s energy needs gets a person elected I fear for the country as well, but, if that is BHO''s intent, he should stick to his guns and not pretend that he is "a strong supporter" of the coal industry.

 

[strmrdr]

clean coal and nuclear are the only technologies that are available to cover the gap for the next 30-50 years until other technologies become in wide enough use to replace them.
To take coal out of the picture is the ultimate in stupidity.

 

[zhuzhu]

I apologize if I have misinterpreted your first sentence as a big sarcasm. I too, think he is a great politician AND a great person.

On the other hand, I don''t read that "sentence" describing "bankruptcy of coal industry" at such simple face value. He is setting an example as to how a cap needs to be set in order to prevent the environmental damage associated with green gas emission. It is always easier to take things out of context to support one''s personal feelings of politicians, however a great issue is at stake and perhaps should not be ignored. Obama has been a supporter of clean coal power plants.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Date: 11/3/2008 12:42:43 AM
Author: strmrdr
clean coal and nuclear are the only technologies that are available to cover the gap for the next 30-50 years until other technologies become in wide enough use to replace them.
To take coal out of the picture is the ultimate in stupidity.

It''s only stupid if it doesn''t get you votes!

(I''ll bet he''s against nuke power upgrades too while at the same time being a big supporter of the industry and its working-class Americans.)

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 11/3/2008 1:00:30 AM
Author: Rank Amateur
(I'll bet he's against nuke power upgrades too while at the same time being a big supporter of the industry and its working-class Americans.)

Since you are curious about the nuclear power energy plan of Obama's, here it is:

"Safe and Secure Nuclear Energy. Nuclear power represents more than 70 percent of our noncarbon
generated electricity. It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we
eliminate nuclear power as an option. However, before an expansion of nuclear power is
considered, key issues must be addressed including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste
storage, and proliferation. Barack Obama introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to establish
guidelines for tracking, controlling and accounting for spent fuel at nuclear power plants. To
prevent international nuclear material from falling into terrorist hands abroad, Obama worked
closely with Sen. Dick Lugar (R‐IN) to strengthen international efforts to identify and stop the
smuggling of weapons of mass destruction. As president, Obama will make safeguarding nuclear
material both abroad and in the U.S. a top anti‐terrorism priority. In terms of waste storage,
Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not believe that Yucca Mountain is a suitable site. They will lead
federal efforts to look for safe, long‐term disposal solutions based on objective, scientific analysis.
In the meantime, they will develop requirements to ensure that the waste stored at current
reactor sites is contained using the most advanced dry‐cask storage technology available."

 

[arjunajane]

Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone''s decision at this stage.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 11/3/2008 4:22:48 AM
Author: arjunajane
Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone''s decision at this stage.

Funny, that''s exactly what I thought, too! You haven''t exactly shown yourself to be a nuanced, thoughtful poster, Rank Amateur. We get it-you hate Obama!

 

[swimmer]

Date: 11/3/2008 6:21:57 AM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 11/3/2008 4:22:48 AM

Author: arjunajane

Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone's decision at this stage.

Funny, that's exactly what I thought, too! You haven't exactly shown yourself to be a nuanced, thoughtful poster, Rank Amateur. We get it-you hate Obama!

Its OK Amateur, we know you are just mirroring the McCain campaign, throw mud, see if it sticks, no attempt at dialogue over what McCain may or may not stand for at this point in his campaign, just appealing to peoples' baser instincts. If only McCain had shown some leadership lately, you wouldn't be in this position of trying to smear Obama, you could be exclaiming about how great McCain's policies are. As it stands now, all you are left with is fear and anger, the only things he has been preaching. Those of us drinking in the hope seem so happy and excited about this election because we have someone to stand behind, whose platform we understand and are proud of, come on over, we don't discriminate!

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 11/3/2008 6:56:48 AM
Author: swimmer

Date: 11/3/2008 6:21:57 AM

Author: thing2of2

Date: 11/3/2008 4:22:48 AM

Author: arjunajane

Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone''s decision at this stage.

Funny, that''s exactly what I thought, too! You haven''t exactly shown yourself to be a nuanced, thoughtful poster, Rank Amateur. We get it-you hate Obama!

Its OK Amateur, we know you are just mirroring the McCain campaign, throw mud, see if it sticks, no attempt at dialogue over what McCain may or may not stand for at this point in his campaign, just appealing to peoples'' baser instincts. If only McCain had shown some leadership lately, you wouldn''t be in this position of trying to smear Obama, you could be exclaiming about how great McCain''s policies are. As it stands now, all you are left with is fear and anger, the only things he has been preaching. Those of us drinking in the hope seem so happy and excited about this election because we have someone to stand behind, whose platform we understand and are proud of, come on over, we don''t discriminate!

Oh snap! Swimmer, you''re good!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 11/3/2008 6:56:48 AM
Author: swimmer

Date: 11/3/2008 6:21:57 AM
Author: thing2of2

Date: 11/3/2008 4:22:48 AM

Author: arjunajane

Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone''s decision at this stage.

Funny, that''s exactly what I thought, too! You haven''t exactly shown yourself to be a nuanced, thoughtful poster, Rank Amateur. We get it-you hate Obama!

Its OK Amateur, we know you are just mirroring the McCain campaign, throw mud, see if it sticks, no attempt at dialogue over what McCain may or may not stand for at this point in his campaign, just appealing to peoples'' baser instincts. If only McCain had shown some leadership lately, you wouldn''t be in this position of trying to smear Obama, you could be exclaiming about how great McCain''s policies are. As it stands now, all you are left with is fear and anger, the only things he has been preaching. Those of us drinking in the hope seem so happy and excited about this election because we have someone to stand behind, whose platform we understand and are proud of, come on over, we don''t discriminate!

nice post swimmer, alot more eloquently than I could''ve said what I was thinking, lol..

 

[Erin]

In Obama''s home state of Illinois, FutureGen is a US government project involving the construction of a near zero emissions coal fueled power plant to produce hydrogen and electricity while using carbon capture and storage. Originally it was as a public-private partnership to build the world''s first near zero-emissions coal-fueled power plant producing electricity and hydrogen from coal while capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide underground. The project had remained on schedule with the announcement of the host site in 2007, my backyard in Illinois. However, restructuring the project’s financial arrangement has brought the project to a halt.

The sudden concern over cost after an Illinois site was chosen over those in Texas raised questions about the motives for the cancellation. Illinois senator Dick Durbin has called the decision a "cruel deception," and claimed that "when the city of Mattoon, Illinois, was chosen over possible locations in Texas, the secretary of energy set out to kill FutureGen." Mattoon mayor David Cline said "one could question the motivation of the Department of Energy which was ready to move forward with the project until a site other than Texas was chosen.

 

[Rank Amateur]

Date: 11/3/2008 4:22:48 AM
Author: arjunajane
Rank Amateur, I doubt your threads are influencing anyone''s decision at this stage.

No signs in my yard. I do this for fun!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I know he said this in January and it wasn''t published, but I can''t help but think this is very bad timing (for him) since PA is a borderline state--anybody in the coal industry cannot be happy about his plan to bankrupt the industry...

That being said, I was expecting coal stocks to plummet today and they haven''t at all, which makes me happy (since I heavily invest in it). Sounds like nobody is taking him seriously, which would make sense being that nearly half of us depend on coal as a primary source of energy and trying to increase costs during an economic downturn would be borderline insane. I''m all for alternative energy sources...so long as they make energy CHEAPER.

 

[starsapphire]

The climate is not going to change until we all turn off the electricity and start farming and raising our own food, and walking or using horses for transportation. There will be no pollution then. Until someone does that, the whole thing about the environment is moot.

 

[zhuzhu]

Date: 11/3/2008 1:43:23 PM
Author: starsapphire
The climate is not going to change until we all turn off the electricity and start farming and raising our own food, and walking or using horses for transportation. There will be no pollution then. Until someone does that, the whole thing about the environment is moot.

Is that your excuse for turning your back on ANY technology-based, innovation-driven policies to save our earth?

 

[luckystar112]

The president of the Ohio Coal Association is NOT happy.

"Regardless of the timing or method of the release of these remarks, the message from the Democratic candidate for President could not be clearer: the Obama-Biden ticket spells disaster for America''s coal industry and the tens of thousands of Americans who work in it.

"These undisputed, audio-taped remarks, which include comments from Senator Obama like ''I haven''t been some coal booster'' and ''if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them'' are extraordinarily misguided.

"It''s evident that this campaign has been pandering in states like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to attempt to generate votes from coal supporters, while keeping his true agenda hidden from the state''s voters.

"Senator Obama has revealed himself to be nothing more than a short- sighted, inexperienced politician willing to say anything to get a vote. But today, the nation''s coal industry and those who support it have a better understanding of his true mission, to ''bankrupt'' our industry, put tens of thousands out of work and cause unprecedented increases in electricity prices.

"In addition to providing an affordable, reliable source of low-cost electricity, domestic coal holds the key to our nation''s long-term energy security - a goal that cannot be overlooked during this time of international instability and economic uncertainty.

"Few policy areas are more important to our economic future than energy issues. As voters head to the polls tomorrow, it is essential they remember that access to reliable, affordable, domestic energy supplies is essential to economic growth and stability."

 

[mimzy]

Date: 11/3/2008 1:43:23 PM
Author: starsapphire
The climate is not going to change until we all turn off the electricity and start farming and raising our own food, and walking or using horses for transportation. There will be no pollution then. Until someone does that, the whole thing about the environment is moot.

you're right. let's throw all these advancements toward cleaner energy and energy reduction policies out the window because they will ONLY reduce emissions by 10,20,50,70%. we might as well just make things as cheap and easy as possible since the world is going to sh*t anyways. let's close the recycling plants to make room for more landfills since it's not like they totally eliminate garbage and we might as well just all buy SUVs because they are so cheap right now, since we are going to drive anyways!!

to claim that because there will always be pollution that the "whole thing about the environment is moot" is both sad and ridiculous. just because things will never be perfect doesn't mean that they can't get better, and to not even try is dismally irresponsible.

 

[LAJennifer]

Date: 11/3/2008 2:11:04 PM
Author: luckystar112

The president of the Ohio Coal Association is NOT happy.

''Regardless of the timing or method of the release of these remarks, the message from the Democratic candidate for President could not be clearer: the Obama-Biden ticket spells disaster for America''s coal industry and the tens of thousands of Americans who work in it.

''These undisputed, audio-taped remarks, which include comments from Senator Obama like ''I haven''t been some coal booster'' and ''if they want to build [coal plants], they can, but it will bankrupt them'' are extraordinarily misguided.

''It''s evident that this campaign has been pandering in states like Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana and Pennsylvania to attempt to generate votes from coal supporters, while keeping his true agenda hidden from the state''s voters.

''Senator Obama has revealed himself to be nothing more than a short- sighted, inexperienced politician willing to say anything to get a vote. But today, the nation''s coal industry and those who support it have a better understanding of his true mission, to ''bankrupt'' our industry, put tens of thousands out of work and cause unprecedented increases in electricity prices.

''In addition to providing an affordable, reliable source of low-cost electricity, domestic coal holds the key to our nation''s long-term energy security - a goal that cannot be overlooked during this time of international instability and economic uncertainty.

''Few policy areas are more important to our economic future than energy issues. As voters head to the polls tomorrow, it is essential they remember that access to reliable, affordable, domestic energy supplies is essential to economic growth and stability.''

Also, Chris Hamilton, Senior Vice President of the West Virginia Coal Association said Obama''s comments about bankrupting builders of coal-fired plants are unbelievable.

"His comments are unfortunate," Chris Hamilton told the West Virginia Record Sunday, "and really reflect a very uninformed voice and perspective to coal specifically and energy generally."

 

[starsapphire]

Date: 11/3/2008 1:56:40 PM
Author: zhuzhu

Date: 11/3/2008 1:43:23 PM
Author: starsapphire
The climate is not going to change until we all turn off the electricity and start farming and raising our own food, and walking or using horses for transportation. There will be no pollution then. Until someone does that, the whole thing about the environment is moot.

Is that your excuse for turning your back on ANY technology-based, innovation-driven policies to save our earth?

No, I was simply stating, that we are going to have to find ways to deal with our lifestyles, and the pollution that is created from it. I think for anyone to say that they plan to make an industry cowtow to certain standards so tough that it will possibly bankrupt them is irresponsible.

 

[VRBeauty]

Not to worry, Rank Amateur:

In the waning days of his administration, the shrub is doing his best to undermine environmental laws, forcing through changes that didn't withstand public and judicial scritiny earlier:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/opinion/04tue1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin