MetaFilter posts tagged with Coal

Brass in the blood: UK coal miner brass bands, and bands world-wide

filthy light thief — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:19:47 -0800

In the United Kingdom, many brass bands were started by colliery owners, and funded in part by the coal miners themselves. Some of those bands live on, after the coal pits have been closed for years. These bands are facing hard times, with limited funding and waning interest in the music, but some youth join bands to continue family traditions, and the government provides some funding to numerous bands. If you'd like to know more about brass bands in the UK and around the world, Internet Bandsman's Everything Within (IBEW) has tons of material, links to bands in the UK and elsewhere as well as a list of extinct bands and vintage brass band pictures, local events and radio shows, recordings, and plenty more.

Scienc-y people do useful stuff, again.

qinn — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 17:50:35 -0800

This might change things. It might also really annoy people who have been putting scads of money into carbon capture.

I love a sun-powered country, A land of deepening mines, of ragged nuclear plants, of biomass and hydropower

Mezentian — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 22:36:17 -0800

While developed countries are pondering whether they should sign up to The Kyoto 2 Protocol and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5% by 2020, based on 2000 levels which may be of questionable impact, the tiny Pacific territory of Tokelau has ditched its primary source of electricity generation, costly diesel imports, in favour of 100% renewable solar power, becoming the first nation in the world to do so, at a time when the global energy systems of the 21C are struggling towards decarbonisation. Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and several other Pacific Nations plan to achieve 100% electricity generation from renewable energy between by 2020. Energy sourcing, supply and security are vexing issues for most nations, especially against the backdrop of climate change. This week Australia's Government issued an Energy White Paper that acknowledged the need to shift to clean energy sources, (but that some say underestimates solar.) China issued its own White Paper in October discussing developing hydropower, solar power and wind power generation, nuclear power, biomass and other types of renewable energy. In Europe, economic powerhouse Germany is exported more electricity this year than ever before, despite beginning to phase out nuclear power. While Germany is getting out of nuclear, India is seeking new sources of uranium (from Canada and Australia) to solve its power woes (previously) despite reports India's nuclear regulations are not up to scratch. Japan is understandably nervous about relying on nuclear power into the future, and it is assessing greater gas-fired power from LNG imports, and geothermal for some added energy security. What the US election means for North America's energy output is unknown. The CEO of one coal company just decided to lay off 150+ workers on the news of Obama's re-election , fearing change and the "coal war" which aims to reduce coal-fired power in the US, while others feel "dirty" energy interests will keep renewables on the sidelines. Wind and solar companies feel good about the result. In other news, four teenage girls from Africa claim to have invented a urine-powered generator that will provide six hours of power from one litre of liquids (via The Guardian).

“Americans don’t look at us as human beings. They look at us as tools for work.”

adamvasco — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:06:36 -0800

Journalist Chris Hedges and Illustrator Joe Sacco have co-authored Days of Destruction, Days of Revolt about life in the ‘sacrifice zones’ in the American Dream.
Camden, New Jersey where:
The poor have to help the poor, because the ones who make the money are helping the people with money.
And from West Virginia: The Story of Rudy the Miner, with text.
An interview with Hedges.
(Mountain coal rape previously 1; 2).

David versus Goliath... again...

nickrussell — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:58:39 -0800

Big oil companies make more than $300 million every day. "Why should Americans prop up these companies with tax dollars and have to pay ridiculous fuel prices?" Self-described 'Democratic socialist' Bernie Sanders (Vermont) introduces a bill to cut $113B of fossil fuel subsidies. Activist Bill McKibben notes that these companies receive $59 back for every $1 spent lobbying whilst other citizens groups find further insult in that many of the largest recipients of subsidies do not pay Federal taxes. A 2012 Yale study found that 70% of Americans across political party lines oppose Federal subsidies for oil, coal, and natural gas. However, this is not a new battle. As early as 1986, fossil fuel subsidies were attacked by Ronald Reagan and pared back as part of the Tax Reform Act (TRA) of 1986.

The Black Damp

timsteil — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:47:46 -0800

On the morning of November 13, 1909 there were around 500 men and boys working in the St. Paul mine in Cherry, IL. It would be more than six months before the last body was recovered. The Cherry Mine Disaster remains one of the worst in US history claiming 259 lives, and decimating the male population of a small town. One small group, realizing there was no way out, sealed them selves off, from the fumes, hoping for rescue. A song from a grandson, a book from a granddaughter. The people of Cherry, still remember.

Bloomberg Fights Coal

beisny — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:40:10 -0800

"Ending coal power production is the right thing to do, because while it may seem to be an inexpensive energy source the impact on our environment and the impact on public health is significant..." New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, has announced a donation of $50 million dollars to The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.

Asian pollution temporarily slows global warming

stbalbach — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:00:23 -0800

Although the past 12 years have seen the warmest 10 years on record, temperatures have remained fairly steady, even while CO2 emissions grew by nearly a third. Temperatures should have been increasing during this period, rather 1998 was tied with 2010 for hottest on record. Now a study suggests why (pdf): sulfur emissions from Asian coal plants (China mostly) are so high they mimic the effects of a volcano which can cause short term cooling by reflecting light back into space. Insidiously, the long-term warming caused by CO2 (coal) has been masked by short-term cooling of sulfur (coal).

What happens when you flip the light switch?

tallthinone — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:49:48 -0800

“If you try to do what they do in West Virginia in the Berkshires, the Catskills or the Sierra Nevadas, or in Utah or Colorado, people would just put you in jail. Over the past 10 years, they’ve blown up and leveled an area of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia that is larger than the size of Delaware. They’ve blown up the 500 biggest mountains in West Virginia. They explode everyday 2,500 tons of dynamite, or ammonia nitrate explosives. It’s the equivalent of a Hiroshima bomb once a week.” In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. This is the story of The Last Mountain.

Who cares?

cmoj — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:43:43 -0800

Coal cares! "Puff-Puff™ inhalers are available free to any family living within 200 miles of a coal plant, and each inhaler comes with a $10 coupon towards the cost of the asthma medication itself." Not really. Coal Cares was really brought to you by a group called Coal is Killing Kids (that apparently doesn't have a website) with the help of the (oft previouslied) Yes Men. Peabody's press release, however, is apparently real.

Beautiful photo essay.

maiamaia — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:46:32 -0800

AP photographer Kevin Frayer moved to New Delhi in 2009. Here he captures a community of coal scavengers who live and collect coal illegally for a few dollars a day in the village of Bokapahari, India

ending corporate welfare

kliuless — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:49:08 -0800

Get the Energy Sector off the Dole - Why ending all government subsidies for fuel production will lead to a cleaner energy future—and why Obama has a rare chance to make it happen.

Bloody Harlan

TrialByMedia — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:24:01 -0800

In 1972, miners at Duke Energy's Brookside coal mine in Harlan County, KY voted to organize with the United Mineworkers of America. When the company refused to accept a contract, the workers went on strike. Filmmaker Barbara Kopple went to Harlan County to document the strike for a film on the Miners for Democracy movement, which was attempting to gain control of the UMWA in the wake of the brutal murders of Joseph Yablonski and his family. Kopple soon decided that the story of the Brookside strike was more compelling and spent over a year filming in Harlan County to create one of the finest documentaries ever made. Harlan County USA is streaming for free on Hulu until the 30th of December.

Coal Without Carbon

kliuless — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:33:49 -0800

Dirty Coal, Clean Future
To environmentalists, "clean coal" is an insulting oxymoron. But for now, the only way to meet the world's energy needs, and to arrest climate change before it produces irreversible cataclysm, is to use coal—dirty, sooty, toxic coal—in more-sustainable ways. The good news is that new technologies are making this possible. China is now the leader in this area, the Google and Intel of the energy world. If we are serious about global warming, America needs to work with China to build a greener future on a foundation of coal. Otherwise, the clean-energy revolution will leave us behind, with grave costs for the world's climate and our economy. (more here and responses here, here and here)

The other toxic energy spill

mediareport — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:20:41 -0800

Coal Ash: the other energy spill. A five-part investigative series from the Institute for Southern Studies about the toxic residue left after coal is burned.
1. Coal's Dirty Secret Coal ash is "the second-largest industrial waste stream in the U.S." but is not regulated by the federal government
2. Disaster in East Tennessee Effects of the December 2008 rupture of a dike releasing "a billion gallons of muddy, gray coal ash loaded with arsenic, lead and other contaminants" are still being felt
3. Power Politics Coal ash was given a special exemption from hazardous waste regulation in 1980; attempts since then to tighten the exemption have failed
4. Dumpsites in Disguise Toxic coal ash is increasingly being recycled into building materials and other uses, again largely unregulated
5. What's Next for Coal Ash? The EPA has offered two proposals; one treats coal ash like hazardous waste, the other like "ordinary solid waste."

Picturing Climate Change

netbros — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:54:23 -0800

Ahead of the global climate talks, nine photographers from the photo agency NOOR photographed climate stories from around the world. Their goal: to document some of the causes and consequences, from deforestation to changing sea levels, as well as the people whose lives and jobs are part of that carbon culture. Warming threatens lifestyle of Russian herders | Refugees flee drought, war in East Africa | Greenland’s shrinking ice hurts natives Rising ocean levels threaten Maldives Boon from Canadian oil sands comes with price Amazon rain forest cut for cattle Beetles kill in Canada's warming forest Coal dependence darkens Poland's skies Burning coal deposits pollute lives in India

What part of ‘execute my f*ing trade’ don’t you understand!?

empath — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:07:41 -0800

“Uhh,” he stuttered, “wait. Are you delivering… coal? To… uhh, us?” “Well, yeah! Twenty-eight thousand tons of the good ol’ black gold!” The workman sarcastically furrowed his brow adding, “I mean, we did get the right address, har har. This is Æxecor? And this is Pier 53? And you are Brad, the fella who ordered it, right?” It was that moment that Brad’s palm almost immediately made contact with his forehead. He realized that something must have really gone awry: instead of virtually trading 28,000 tons of coal, Brad had somehow ended up with 28,000 tons of real coal.

Yesterday's Energy of Tomorrow...and more

Miko — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:05:33 -0800

Peak Oil, 1925. In 2000, 20% of new buildings will be solar equipped. By the late 1990s, 90% of the world's energy will be nuclear-generated. These and other erroneous projections are being collected as part of the Forecast Project on the website Inventing Green: The Lost History of Alternative Energy in America.

Black Lung Rising.

grabbingsand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:09:41 -0800

Black Lung Rising. "When coal miners suffering from black lung reach the point where they can no longer dig coal and they meet guidelines such as working the required number of years exposed to coal dust, they become eligible to file a black lung claim to obtain monthly benefits to live on ... When the decision is made to award a miner monthly benefits, the coal company has the right to appeal that decision, and often does." "Coal miners will tell you that they love their job. They come to terms with the dangers involved. They are loyal to their company and do the work needed to supply the fuel that lights up this country. "All they ask in return is that justice be served."

Coal Ash Spill

homunculus — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:00:33 -0800

Environmental disaster in Tennessee. On Monday, 5.4 million cubic yards (over 1 billion gallons; the Exxon Valdez oil spill was about 11 million gallons) of toxic coal ash sludge broke through an earthen retaining wall of a holding pond at TVA’s Kingston power plant, damaging 12 homes and covering over 400 acres up to six feet deep.

There must have been some magic in clean coal technology

Johnny Assay — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:36:41 -0800

Just in time for Christmas, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity brings you the Clean Coal Carolers! Their repertoire includes such classics as Frosty the Coal Man, Deck the Halls (with Clean Coal), Clean Coal Night, and Oh Technology. Of course, the Scrooge-like bosses of the ACCCE, suffering from an incredible lack of Christmas spirit, took the Carolers off their website only a couple of days after they were posted — but thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can still revel in the festive sounds of the season. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find their reworkings of "Adeste Fideles" or "Jingle Bells" online. Some things, alas, may be lost to the ages. Yes, I heard about this on Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Wanna make something of it?

China coal powerplant myths debunked

stbalbach — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:44:25 -0800

MIT report debunks China energy myth. A detailed analysis of powerplants in China by MIT researchers debunks the widespread notion that outmoded energy technology or the utter absence of government regulation is to blame for that country's notorious air-pollution problems.

China's power sector has been expanding at a rate roughly equivalent to three to four new coal-fired, 500 megawatt plants coming on line every week.. most of the new plants have been built to very high technical standards, using some of the most modern technologies available.. [but] market pressures encourage plant managers to buy the cheapest, lowest quality and most-polluting coal available, while at the same time idle expensive-to-operate smokestack scrubbers or other cleanup technologies.. "the kinds of technology currently being adopted in China are not cheap. They're not buying junk, and in some cases the plants are employing state-of-the-art technology." The Chinese state has substantially improved its ability to implement and enforce rules on technology standards. It has been slower, however, to develop such abilities for monitoring the day-to-day operations of energy producers.

Part of the continuing story of Chinese lack of oversight plaguing the food industry, lead in toys, etc..

Coal.

brownpau — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:51:56 -0800

Coal. Cheap, Abundant, Clean.

China and India have reported massive finds of frozen methane

stbalbach — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:10:44 -0800

China and India have reported massive finds of frozen methane clathrate off their coasts and, along with Japan and other countries, are spending large sums to develop it into a new source of fossil energy. This is important for developing countries as there may be more frozen methane in the world than all the oil, gas and coal combined, and it is available right off their coasts. Some believe it can be extracted in a carbon neutral manner, but methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and the scarily named clathrate gun hypothesis provides some fuel for thought about digging this stuff up.

Mountaintop Removal Mining

homunculus — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 19:45:14 -0800

Appalachian Apocalypse. Mountaintop removal mining (previously) has a devastating effect on the environment and local populations. The Bush administration wants to loosen regulations and expand the practice. [Via Wired Science.]