Comments (38) (Please sign in to comment)

1. 

   Radish said, 10 months ago

   The federal government is reviewing the first of at least six port facilities proposed in Washington and Oregon to ship coal from the Powder River basin of Montana and Wyoming to thirsty markets in Asia. If all the facilities are built, at least 100 million tons of coal a year could carry coal in trains through the Northwest before being shipped to Asia.
2. 

   MortyForTyrant said, 10 months ago

   @Radish

   You import oil and export coal. What is wrong with this picture?
3. 

   dtroutma said, 10 months ago

   How lovely to ship coal, so badly needed at home (right) through my neighborhood to fuel China. Gee, it’s just like the natural gas being shipped through as well, to fuel California, or will that too be chilled, reduced, and shipped overseas? It’s really interesting to watch our “fossil heroes”, pocketing the money, and making us their whores, does “pimps” ring a bell??
4. 

   MortyForTyrant said, 10 months ago

   There is no such thing as “Clean Coal” outside of advertising, at least not in the United States. Having worked in a German coal-fired plant I can tell you that – with great effort and high cost – you can make the stuff coming from the chimney pretty clean but you have to deal with a lot of toxins in the filters and the ashes. And don’t even get me started on CO2. We need to convert to alternatives, worldwide, now, or we will be royally screwed in a few years…
5. 

   avarner said, 10 months ago

   About 57% of the power in the USA on average comes from coal. When you flip the light on & it doesn’t work – you may make the connection. With wind & solar not ready for prime time – we are truly screwed if this war on coal continues.
6. 

   Gypsy8 said, 10 months ago

   The U.S. gets around 50% of its electricity from coal, China about 80%, and India 70%. That’s three of the largest countries in population highly dependent on coal generated electricity and responsible for about 42% of global emissions. Yet many environmentalists and faux-environmentalists attack the Canadian oilsands for producing “dirty oil”, which are responsible for only 1/10th of 1% of global emissions. But that’s another story. World development of nuclear generated electricity seems unavoidable if the dependence on carbon sources is going to be reduced.
7. 

   Chillbilly said, 10 months ago

   This comments section brought to you by a few dozen electrical appliances.
8. 

   Dycel said, 10 months ago

   @avarner

   Unless we convert these plants to natural gas!

   Just think if we actually got the alternative energy programs the President asked for we could stop making our planet a disaster zone.

   Unfortunately it’s more important to deregulate those who hedge energy against true supply and demand needs.
9. 

   Dycel said, 10 months ago

   Another item of interest is the current solar energy companies who will install solar on your home and give you electricity for half of what your local purveyor charges.
10. 

    ReasonsVentriloquist said, 10 months ago

    @MortyForTyrant

    We export oil too.
    .
    Soon we’ll be exporting LNG, although the port is in LA and it should be closer to L.A.
    .
    “L.A.? That’s lower Alabama isnnit?… Mayzio, take me home, to the bridge!”
11. 

    bobwinners said, 10 months ago

    Some of those mountains should be flat topped and much lower.
12. 

    masterskrain said, 10 months ago

    @bobwinners

    Don’t worry…they soon will be!
13. 

    ahab said, 10 months ago

    ‘Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” Lyrics fit well with this toon! Hot ashes for trees?
14. 

    Michael wme said, 10 months ago

    The US is no longer a net importer of oil.

    Most say it’s because of natural gas from fracking, so use of oil for power generation and heating has been greatly reduced.
15. 

    ahab said, 10 months ago

    When the extraction industry finishes with this country, they will have to change the lyrics to America the beautiful , amber waves of grain,to America the toxic pit , and dusty clouds of coal-fly-ash! In Mitt’s home state they are getting lots of money from out-door enthusiasts. However,Republicans and Governor Herbert in Utah want to take the federal lands of all Americans that are in Utah, and give it to their rich developer cronies and BIG COAL, and BIG OIL, for short term riches(theirs) . The outdoor Industry Association comes to Salt Lake City for its convention, and spends about 40 million dollars. Herbert told em to kiss his butt, and he will continue conservative attacks on the environment, they can leave for all he cares. He loses 40 million annually for a political stunt that is unconstitutional.http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245-162-57485133/outdoor-trade-show-gives-utah-governor-ultimatum/
16. Load the rest of the comments (23).