Friends, there is a lot of talk about global warming. Unfortunately, in the main, that is all there is.
Every time I hear the issue being discussed or read articles about global warming I hear that jobs mustn’t be lost, that great coal deposits can’t be wasted, that clean coal is the objective. Though there is no such thing at this point in time (and quite likely there will be no such thing in the future either), coal is still being used at a frantic rate in advanced economies and developing economies alike, as is petroleum.
But the truth as I understand it is that we shouldn’t be using fossil fuels at all. No, fossil fuels should be left in the ground and we should be quickly seeking alternative energy sources before we pass the point of no return assuming we haven’t already done so.
But nowhere in the world are fossil fuels being left in the ground! Mining for oil and coal continues apace as does exploration for them. People are now looking at mining oil shale and tar sands.