Real climate leadership means keeping dirty fossil fuels in the ground!

Greenpeace USA with Edizon Regencia and 3 others via Facebook.com

17 hrs · Edited ·

Today, President Obama is in the Alaskan Arctic to talk about climate change — just two weeks after opening the door for Arctic drilling.

Stay tuned and help us show POTUS that real climate leadership means keeping dirty fossil fuels in the ground!

Help President Obama get the message. Take action >>http://bit.ly/WHletter

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KAYAKTIVISTS TOOK TO THE SEA IN CALIFORNIA

Greenpeace USA via Facebook.com

7 hrs · 

Amazing! Kayaktivists took to the sea in California last weekend to say no to offshore oil drilling. Their actions helped to raise awareness of the irreversible damage of oil spills and reminded the world of the dangers of drilling in critical places like the Arctic.

Activists Take to the Sea to Help Stop Future Oil Spills

Activists in Santa Barbara, California took to the sea to take a stand against offshore oil drilling. Surfrider Foundation, in collaboration with Patagonia,

HTTP://BIT.LY/1JJHPDH

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We're blocking Shell's ship!

Friend, We're blocking Shell's ship!  Ask President Obama to deny Shell from drilling in the Arctic. As I write this, I'm preparing to suspend myself from a bridge, blocking Shell's icebreaker from leaving Portland, OR for the Arctic. And if you got this email, that means I made it. Shell is almost ready to drill in the Arctic but its icebreaker containing a vital piece of drilling equipment hit something, causing a gaping hole. So it had to come down here to Portland to get patched up. We are now what stands in between Shell and an Arctic oil catastrophe.   While I’m holding up the ship, you can take action by asking President Obama to cancel Shell's drilling plans and protect the Arctic! Shell isn’t just threatening polar bears and walruses with its drilling plans. By tapping into a new source of oil ironically only accessible because of melting ice it’s threatening the entire world with worsening climate change. I’m prepared to stay up here as long as possible, and so are my friends. We have enough supplies to last several days, and we’re not letting Shell's ship through. I’m inspired by the courage of everyone who has acted so far: from the Alaska Native communities who have been resisting driling for years, to the thousands of kayaktivists who met the rig in Seattle, to the millions who have spoken out against this terrible plan. Every minute Shell is delayed is more time for us to convince the Obama administration to cancel the company’s drilling plans. Take action now! The fight to save the Arctic is heating up, and we can win. There’s only a very short window of time that Shell can drill, and this once leaky icebreaker already threatened the whole operation. Shell has been here before. In 2012, the company conducted Arctic drilling tests, spectacularly crushing a containment dome (the same piece of vital equipment aboard this leaky icebreaker) and crashing a drilling rig into the Alaskan coast. But Shell still thinks it can safely drill and, for some reason, the Obama Administration agrees. The government just allowed Shell to clear a major legal hurdle. So that leaves it up to us to stand up against the oil giant. Shell is almost ready to drill. Tell President Obama it’s not too late to change his mind and stop Shell before the last ship reaches the Arctic. And that’s why we’re out here. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to stay, but we’re going to delay Shell for as long as we’re able. And we’re going to make sure the world is watching so everyone knows about Shell's dirty plans to spoil the Arctic and heat up our world. Join me today and tell President Obama to stop Shell and leave a clean climate legacy. For the Arctic, Georgia Hirsty Greenpeace climber P.S. We'll be here blocking Shell as long as we can. Follow along live and join the call to President Obama to protect the Arctic and our climate.
Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-722-6995

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We're blocking Shell's ship!

Friend - We're blocking Shell's ship!  Ask President Obama to deny Shell from drilling in the Arctic. As I write this, I'm preparing to suspend myself from a bridge, blocking Shell's icebreaker from leaving Portland, OR for the Arctic. And if you got this email, that means I made it. Shell is almost ready to drill in the Arctic but its icebreaker containing a vital piece of drilling equipment hit something, causing a gaping hole. So it had to come down here to Portland to get patched up. We are now what stands in between Shell and an Arctic oil catastrophe.   While I’m holding up the ship, you can take action by asking President Obama to cancel Shell's drilling plans and protect the Arctic! Shell isn’t just threatening polar bears and walruses with its drilling plans. By tapping into a new source of oil ironically only accessible because of melting ice it’s threatening the entire world with worsening climate change. I’m prepared to stay up here as long as possible, and so are my friends. We have enough supplies to last several days, and we’re not letting Shell's ship through. I’m inspired by the courage of everyone who has acted so far: from the Alaska Native communities who have been resisting driling for years, to the thousands of kayaktivists who met the rig in Seattle, to the millions who have spoken out against this terrible plan. Every minute Shell is delayed is more time for us to convince the Obama administration to cancel the company’s drilling plans. Take action now! The fight to save the Arctic is heating up, and we can win. There’s only a very short window of time that Shell can drill, and this once leaky icebreaker already threatened the whole operation. Shell has been here before. In 2012, the company conducted Arctic drilling tests, spectacularly crushing a containment dome (the same piece of vital equipment aboard this leaky icebreaker) and crashing a drilling rig into the Alaskan coast. But Shell still thinks it can safely drill and, for some reason, the Obama Administration agrees. The government just allowed Shell to clear a major legal hurdle. So that leaves it up to us to stand up against the oil giant. Shell is almost ready to drill. Tell President Obama it’s not too late to change his mind and stop Shell before the last ship reaches the Arctic. And that’s why we’re out here. I don’t know how long we’ll be able to stay, but we’re going to delay Shell for as long as we’re able. And we’re going to make sure the world is watching so everyone knows about Shell's dirty plans to spoil the Arctic and heat up our world. Join me today and tell President Obama to stop Shell and leave a clean climate legacy. For the Arctic, Georgia Hirsty Greenpeace climber P.S. We'll be here blocking Shell as long as we can. Follow along live and join the call to President Obama to protect the Arctic and our climate.
Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-722-6995

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They viciously slaughtered 110 whales and now they want to take between 100 and 200 more.

Captain Paul Watson 2 hrs ·  SHARED VIA FACEBOOK.COM Update From the Faroes 1705 Hours (Faroes Time) The Grind on the island of Vagur at Borg Beach is underway. On this same beach on June 10th they viciously slaughtered 110 whales and now they want to take between 100 and 200 more. It does not look like the whales can escape. The BRIGITTE BARDOT has been stopped by the Danish Navy.Two Sea Shepherd crew from the BARDOT have been arrested by the Danish Navy. All the courage and determination in the world cannot overcome the power of a Naval Frigate and an armed patrol ship. The police are on the beaches protecting the armed mob of whale killers from any acts of kindness that might occur. What is about to happen in a few minutes is a disgrace to humanity, to the Faroe Islands and to the nation of Denmark and every Danish citizen. It is a disgrace to Europe and is a blatant violation of European Union law. Within minutes the screams of the whales will pierce the air, the shouts of sadistic joy from the killers will attempt to drown them out. The knives will stab, the lances will penetrate innocent flesh and the entire families of whales will be extinguished in pools of hot blood as calves die alongside their mothers and mothers watch in horror as their children are mutilated in a human orgy of slaughter. Is this what you are all about CREDIT:YOUTUBE.COM Denmark. Is this the image you wish to present to the world. The red on your flag represents the blood of innocent, self aware, intelligent sentient beings. And they are dying for what? The Faroese do not need to eat their flesh. They are dying in the name of archaic traditions that no longer have any place in the 21st Century, they are dying so that the men of the Faroe Islands can validate their existence in a circus of cruelty and sadistic pleasure.

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REMEMBER THE UNSTOPPABLE POWER OF CONTAGIOUS COURAGE

BY KUMI NAIDOO

shared from

Thirty years ago, groups of individuals in New Zealand were preparing to leavetheir families, their jobs and their homes to set off in small boats across the Pacific Ocean into a nuclear weapons testing zone. They hoped that their presence there would be enough to stop nuclear bomb tests.

The French Government conducting the tests must have known it could not win against such a show of people power. So a few minutes before midnight on July 10, 1985, French secret service agents struck in Auckland harbor, New Zealand. They bombed and sank the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, one of the ships that was due to lead the flotilla into the nuclear test zone. The French agents murdered Fernando Pereira, a photographer and crew member.

The government was mistaken if it believed that this would knock the courage out of a movement of millions. One of our supporters said it best: you can’t sink a rainbow.

Thanks to public protest, nuclear tests in the Pacific were abandoned. People power made history. Not all of those people clambered into boats. But they all took a stand. Some by writing, some by marching, some by signing a petition. Some volunteered, some donated, some challenged their friends and family. Others changed minds simply by telling people where they stood. Each one of those single acts, by people just like you and me, reached into hearts and minds and ultimately brought an end to nuclear weapons testing.

Today, we all face a different threat: climate change. Just as nuclear weapons threatened global catastrophe 30 years ago, climate change threatens all of us now. Global warming means more flooding and bigger storms. We see severe weather events hitting the news with greater regularity. Millions of people suffer them first-hand, some losing their homes, livelihoods and even their lives.

It is already undermining security and is set to further exacerbate scarcities and tensions that fuel conflict.

But even as the world’s seas are rising, the tide is turning. The ranks of the clean energy revolution are swelling. Between January and May this year, around three-quarters of new electricity capacity in the U.S. was solar and wind. In Norway, the country’s politicians voted unanimously to sell off coal investments from the $900 billion Government Pension Fund, the largest sovereign wealth fund on the planet. Just last month, the Pope called on the world’s rich nations to tackle climate change in a 180-page call for action. And, in the Netherlands, 900 Dutch citizens won a stunning legal victory in which the court ordered the Dutch state to cut more carbon pollution in the next five years.

Increasingly, people are standing up to the coal, oil and gas companies whose polluting products are fouling the air we breathe, the seas we fish and swim in, and the habitats on which we depend. It’s partly due to the events of 30 years ago, where a wide and diverse group of people showed courage in standing up to the nuclear threat in the Pacific, that we know that people power can win.

In a few days’ time Shell could start drilling for oil in the Arctic. Millions of people are taking a stand to protect this beautiful place and to say ‘no’ to yet more fossil fuels and yet more global warming. Some people have shown courage by climbing Arctic-bound oil drilling rigs, or by clambering into kayaks and daring to paddle in front of these huge vessels; others by joining marches, writing letters and signing petitions – just as people did 30 years ago to stop Pacific nuclear weapons testing.

People in the Pacific region are also standing up against climate change and the polluters. Filipinos are calling on the country’s Commission on Human Rights to investigate the big carbon polluters for human rights violations linked to the impacts of climate change. In Australia people are standing up to protect the Great Barrier Reef. On the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, the third Rainbow Warrior will be campaigning to protect the Reef—the largest living thing on the planet—from the coal industry.

The French Government didn’t realize the strength of a people-powered movement. They thought two bombs could blow the movement away. They were wrong.

There are small and large acts that each of us can take to make the world a safer, cleaner, healthier, better place. To end the era of dependence on dirty fossil fuels and usher in the age of renewables, where all the world has access to clean energy. Stand up for what you believe in in whatever way you can; celebrate those who do the same. It makes us all stronger.

As we remember Fernando Pereira, and dedicate this anniversary to the courage of the crew of that first Rainbow Warrior, we are asking everyone to share their own story of courage to this site: http://courageworks.tumblr.com.

Read about people just like you and me who oppose injustice and environmental abuse, and who are seized with infectious optimism for change, and a better future.

Being courageous is not always easy. But courage is contagious.#CourageWorks and the world has never needed all of us to find the courage to take action as much as it does now.

#COURAGEWORKSRAINBOW WARRIORRAINBOW WARRIOR BOMBING

KUMI NAIDOO

Born in 1965 and hailing from South Africa, Kumi Naidoo has been Greenpeace’s International Executive Director since November 2009. Follow Kumi on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/NaidooKumi

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Our nation’s biggest tuna brand is continuing to kill sharks.

Friend -  Bumble Bee's tuna comes with a side of dead sharks Tell Bumble Bee to ensure that its tuna is shark-safe and sustainable. Our nation’s biggest tuna brand is continuing to kill sharks. The massive fishing operations that catch tuna for Bumble Bee use huge nets and long lines of hooks, methods that snare tens of thousands of sharks and other marine animals every year. Bumble Bee is in the process of being acquired by one of the largest seafood companies in the world. Investors are paying close attention and all eyes are on their business. If America’s consumers — people like YOU — rise up to demand change now, the company will have to take action. Send a message today to demand that Bumble Bee stop selling tuna tainted by dead sharks and start fishing sustainably. Sharks are disappearing from our oceans at a terrifying rate. And destructive fishing practices are only making things worse. Most shark species are slow to reproduce, so it takes a long time to rebuild populations harmed by human activities —and every animal lost to industrial fishing gear sets their recovery back. Bumble Bee’s tuna can be linked to horrifying practices like longline fishing — where thousands of baited hooks attract not only tuna, but sharks, turtles, and other wildlife. When the lines are pulled up hours or days later, huge numbers of dead or dying sharks are simply tossed overboard. It doesn’t have to be this way — sustainable, shark-safe fishing methods already exist, and some of Bumble Bee’s competitors are already on board. Tell Bumble Bee to make the switch today! Every year, tens of thousands of sharks and other wildlife are killed by tuna vessels. And the companies that hire these vessels, like Bumble Bee, are turning a blind eye to the slaughter. Bumble Bee is an industry leader, but right now it’s leading in the wrong direction. If Bumble Bee cleans up its act by adopting sustainable shark-safe fishing methods, other companies will follow. Shark-friendly tuna is a reality. Tell Bumble Bee that destroying the oceans is bad for business. Sharks are top predators that help keep the ocean ecosystem in balance. By convincing tuna companies like Bumble Bee to save sharks and fish more sustainably, you’ll be helping to restore that balance. Supporters like you have made great strides to protect sharks in the past few years. Thanks to the tireless work of shark activists and outspoken supporters, the shark fin trade is shutting down in states across the US, and both US and European Union vessels have been banned from shark finning — the cruel practice of fishing sharks just to cut their fins off and throwing the rest of the animal overboard. But there’s still a lot of work to do — and transforming the tuna industry would make a HUGE difference to sharks and other wildlife across our oceans. Let’s keep the victories coming. Take action today to make America’s tuna a little more shark-friendly. For the oceans, Kate Melges Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace USA P.S. When consumers like you speak out, companies listen. Take action today and tell Bumble Bee that it’s time to make its tuna truly sustainable.

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Compass, your quarterly update from Greenpeace, is available!

Friend - Your first issue of Compass, your quarterly update from Greenpeace, is available! Take action for the Arctic — Hitch a ride with Greenpeace activist Andreas Widlund and send a message to Shell, the company bent on drilling in the Arctic, no matter the risk! Save the whale shark — Learn how canned tuna companies are putting whale sharks at risk and check out Greenpeace's canned tuna ranking so you can be an informed supporter! Go solar at school — Imagine if every school was powered by renewable energy. It's within our reach and you can make it happen! Celebrate your support — Thanks to your support, Greenpeace remains steadfast in our commitment to stop commerical whaling. Take a look back at 40 years of action to save the whales. I hope you'll check out this issue of Compass — It's filled with all sorts of amazing stories for you! From the inside scoop on the 7 million people joining forces to protect the Arctic, to tigers and deforestation in Indonesia and what we're doing to achieve zero deforestation by 2020. Enjoy your special issue of Compass — Greenpeace’s E-Magazine for members like you — on your personal computer, iPhone or iPad. Your generosity makes so much possible. I hope you’ll take a minute and check out all the work you support today! With sincere thanks for everything you do, Sebastian Jannelli Greenpeace USA P.S. Your summer issue of Compass — Greenpeace’s E-Magazine just for members — is ready and waiting for you! I hope you enjoy learning more about all the work that you help make possible.
Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-722-6995

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DISTRICT COURT REJECTS WHALERS CLAIM FOR REMEDIAL SANCTIONS

June 19, 2015

District Court Rejects Whalers Claim for Remedial Sanctions

File photo: Sea Shepherd small boat crew distracts
the Yushin Maru No. 2 from aggressively tailing
the Steve Irwin
Photo: Sea Shepherd/Billy DangerA federal district court in Seattle has rejected a request by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) to impose stiff remedial contempt sanctions upon Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, founder Captain Paul Watson, and six former members of the Sea Shepherd Board of Directors, and declined to try to force Sea Shepherd to seek repossession of former property.

This ruling comes on the heels of more than two years of litigation over whether Sea Shepherd, Watson, and the former board members were in contempt of a December 2012 preliminary injunction imposed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The injunction required Sea Shepherd to stay at least 500 yards away from ICR’s whaling fleet while it illegally killed whales in the Southern Ocean. Sea Shepherd USA discontinued all involvement in the Southern Ocean whale-protection campaigns after the injunction, but the campaigns were continued by foreign Sea Shepherd entities, including Sea Shepherd Australia and Sea Shepherd Netherlands.

After rejecting the recommendation of a special master, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that Sea Shepherd USA was in contempt of the preliminary injunction as a result of the actions of these foreign entities, in part because it had transferred one ship, the MV Bob Barker, to Sea Shepherd Netherlands after the injunction was issued. The Ninth Circuit also directed that Sea Shepherd pay ICR for its “damages” as a result of the alleged contempt during Operation Zero Tolerance in 2012-2013.

Although Sea Shepherd recently settled the action for contempt damages in the Ninth Circuit, ICR also filed a separate action in district court seeking so-called “remedial sanctions” that ICR asked to be imposed on Sea Shepherd to “ensure future compliance with the Injunction.” ICR specifically asked the court to impose remedial sanctions of $2 million upon Watson, $2 million upon Sea Shepherd, and $500,000 upon six former members of the Sea Shepherd Board of Directors. In addition, ICR asked the court to require Sea Shepherd to retake control and possession off the ships and equipment that the organization granted to foreign Sea Shepherd entities, including three ships granted long before the injunction.

The MV Brigitte Bardot was granted to Sea Shepherd Australia in December 2010. The MV Sam Simon was granted to Sea Shepherd Australia in October 2012. The MV Steve Irwin was granted to Sea Shepherd Netherlands in March 2012. The MV Bob Barker was granted to Sea Shepherd Netherlands, which already had a partial ownership interest in the vessel, in January 2013, shortly after the injunction was issued.

U.S. District Judge James L. Robart reviewed ICR’s requests and found them largely without merit. He noted in his ruling that “the court finds that the Institute’s requested sanctions are inappropriate because they either seek to coerce behavior beyond the scope of the Ninth Circuit’s injunction or impose excessive fines.”

The court found that ICR had not established that Sea Shepherd would have any basis for attempting to retake possession of its previously owned vessels because “there is no indication that the vessels and equipment are not being used by their respective owners ‘to support [an] ongoing mission of global marine wildlife conservation,” as the original grants required.

Judge Robart declined to impose any sanctions against the former Sea Shepherd Board of Directors. He also rejected ICR’s request that Sea Shepherd and Watson pay remedial sanctions of $2 million each. Instead he imposed a suspended fine of $5,000 on Watson and $10,000 on Sea Shepherd, only to be awarded if either party were found in contempt of the Ninth Circuit’s ruling in the future. These suspended fines will be lifted entirely if Watson and Sea Shepherd file affidavits within a month indicating their intent to abide by the injunction.

“Sea Shepherd and Paul Watson always intended to abide by the injunction, and fully intend to abide by the injunction in the future, so they will have no problem making this representation to the court,” said Claire Loebs Davis, an attorney representing Sea Shepherd and Watson in the ICR litigation.

The dispute arises from Japan’s long-running violation of the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC’s) ban on commercial whaling. Since the 1980s, Japan has granted “scientific research” permits to ICR, allowing ICR to kill more than 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary each year, including humpback whales and endangered fin whales. Last year, the International Court of Justice confirmed what Sea Shepherd has long maintained – and the world has long known – that Japan’s research rationale is a sham, and its whale hunts violate international law.

SOURCE

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BREAKING: Shell's rig leaving Seattle for the Arctic was confronted by kayaktivists. #ShellNo

"Every minute that brave protesters can delay Shell’s Arctic drilling plans is another chance for President Obama to reconsider his disastrous approval of oil drilling in Alaska." - Greenpeace USA Executive Director, Annie Leonard

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What is (so-called) “clean coal”?

Greenpeace Philippines

What is (so-called) “clean coal”?

PHOTO CREDITS GETTY IMAGE

Coal is a highly polluting energy source.  It emits much more carbon per unit of energy than oil, and natural gas. CO2 represents the major portion of  greenhouse gases. It is, therefore, one of the leading contributors to climate change.  From mine to sky, from extraction to combustion -- coal pollutes every step of the way. The huge environmental and social costs associated with coal usage make it an expensive option for developing countries.  From acid drainage from coal mines, polluting rivers and streams, to the release of mercury and other toxins when it is burned, as well as climate-destroying gases and fine particulates that wreak havoc on human health, COAL is unquestionably, a DIRTY BUSINESS.  

It is a major contributor to climate change - the biggest environmental threat we face. It is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, emitting 29% more than oil, 80% more carbon dioxide (the main driver of climate change) per unit of energy than gas.

Mercury is a particular problem. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), mercury and its compounds are highly toxic and pose a 'global environmental threat to humans and wildlife.'  Coal-fired power and heat production are the largest single source of atmospheric mercury emissions.  There are no commercially available technologies to prevent mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.

PHOTO CREDITS AP

"Clean coal" is the industry's attempt to "clean up" its dirty image - the industry's greenwash buzzword. It is not a new type of coal.  

"Clean coal" technology (CCT) refers to technologies intended to reduce pollution.  But no coal-fired power plants are truly 'clean'.

"Clean coal" methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another which are then still released into the environment.  Any time coal is burnt, contaminants are released and they have to go somewhere.  They can be released via the fly ash, the gaseous air emissions, water outflow or the ash left at the bottom after burning.  Ultimately, they still end up polluting the environment.

"Clean coal" methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another.

Communities after communities have lamented the hosting of coal-fired plants. They are often ignored due to governments' preference for polluting power plants yet they often bear the burden of adversely altered lives.

Despite over 10 years of research and $5.2 billion of investment in the US alone, scientists are still unable to make coal clean. The Australian government spends A$0.5 million annually to promote Australia's 'clean coal' to the Asia Pacific region. 

"Clean coal" technologies are expensive and do nothing to mitigate the environmental effects of coal mining or the devastating effects of global warming.  Furthermore, clean coal research risks diverting investment away from renewable energy, which is available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now.

The first CCT programs were set up in the late 1980s in response to concerns over acid rain. The programs focused on reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX), the primary causes of acid rain.  Now the elusive promise of "clean coal" technology is being used to promote coal as an energy source.

A price worth paying?

Many of the 'clean coal' technologies being promoted by the coal industry are still in the development stage and will take hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars and many more years before they are commercially available.  "Clean coal" technologies are also extremely expensive in terms of day to day running costs.  The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates the capital costs of a typical IGCC plant (an experimental low-emission coal power station) to be US$1,383/kW, $2,088/kW with carbon sequestration.  This compares with US$1,015/kW for a typical wind farm.

Summary

"Clean coal" is an attempt by the coal industry to try and make itself relevant in the age of renewables. Existing CCTs do nothing to mitigate the environmental effects of coal mining or the devastating effects of global warming. Coal is the dirtiest fuel there is and belongs in the past. Much higher emission cuts can be made using currently available natural gas, wind and modern biomass that are already in widespread use. Clean, inexpensive.  This is where investment should be directed, rather than squandering valuable resources on a dirty dinosaur.

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