The Oil Drum: Local

bmmcnett,
ther's a lot of cheap coal of excellent quality in Wyoming, and a whole lot of lignite in Texas and other states thats 40% water with all kinds of heavy metal pollutants. If you're talking about fairly clean burning cheap coal near the eastern centers of population, or in England ,you are definitely right.

I advocate what the Demicans and Republocrats would consider unthinkable. We need to tell the power companies that all coal must be phased out in 10 years, so stop building coal plants and focus on another base load generation like nuclear, while building wind and solar as fast as possible. Same way with refineries. Tell them they are shutting down in 10 years, but they can have as much of the wind, tidal, geothermal and solar business that they can build. Take all the auto mechanics and long haul truckers and retrain them for free as wind turbine manufacturers and mechanics, solar installers and workers in solar plants, railroaders and short haul truckers with freight from Alan's electric railroad plan.

If people have a sense of purpose and a personal plan they will become excited and make all kinds of willing sacrifices. There was a real sense of purpose when I was a kid and everyone was working to put a man on the moon. And with real leaders, not deciders, we can have a sense of purpose again. Bob Ebersole