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Related: About this forumUS President Declares War on Coal
http://watchingamerica.com/News/240160/us-president-declares-war-on-coal/Obama wanting to curb emissions of power plants is good news: This could be a way to end the climate-related political coma the world is momentarily witnessing. However, he is risking a lot shortly before the Congressional election, as he is coming into conflict with the infrastructures that have shaped his country.
US President Declares War on Coal
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
By Michael Bauchmüller
Translated By Daniel Eck
3 June 2014
Edited by Gillian Palmer
Last week, the American Environmental Protection Agency produced a new report on climate change, which was full of familiar findings: melting glaciers, rising sea levelsalso in the Gulf of Mexico. More forest fires, more extreme weatherthe report was relentless. In respect to global warming, Americans need to use less energy for heating and more energy for air conditioning. The question is what the source of this energy should bethe core of the problem lies in its consumption. It is irrelevant whether it is for warmth or cold.
The EPA has delivered an initial response this Monday. The agency that is in direct contact with Barack Obama wants to curb greenhouse gases emitted by American power plants. They are to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. For many of the 600 coal-fired power plants this will mean the end; in some places coal extraction will also die out. Obamas office is declaring war on coal, nothing more.
The opportunity for it is convenient. For some time now, the U.S. has been experiencing a gas boom. A large amount of shale gas, which was gained through the controversial fracking technology, has shown us that we can actually function without coal; moreover, gas creates a more favorable climate. Indeed, negative emissions have seen a decrease of 10 percent since 2005, and a stronger decrease from power plants. This is not because, but in spite of Obama: In spite of him failing in climate politics so far, and despite all the big, ultimately inconsequential announcements he made.
This Motion Could Have Consequences on Climate Politics Worldwide
The most recent announcement, however, could have consequences both nationally and internationallynationally because it could lead to a long-awaited policy change in relation to energy politics. Indeed, U.S. states now have to think about how and with what they will be producing energy in the medium term, whether its use would both be greener and more efficient. It would be a conversion to long-term energy strategies after decades of not paying attention to the future.
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US President Declares War on Coal (Original Post)
unhappycamper
Jun 2014
OP
pipoman
(16,038 posts)1. But supports pumping unknown mystery chemicals
By the hundreds of thousands of gallons into the earth. .
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)2. People who actually know about the energy industry, or industries, would not say that.
Your statement is flat wrong, Obama does not support that, it is a status quo, nothing new, and steps are being taken to more carefully regulate the admixtures in fracking fluids, but working to kill big coal is a significant reform in the energy industry.
Between his support for solar, including Solyndra, and Tesla and others, we see a hybrid between a progressive and a realist doing more than any president since Carter to do the right thing.
NickB79
(19,258 posts)3. U.S. Hopes Boom in Natural Gas Can Curb Putin
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/world/europe/us-seeks-to-reduce-ukraines-reliance-on-russia-for-natural-gas.html?_r=0
And then you have Vice President Biden: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-horn/vice-president-joe-biden_b_5201051.html
Quite the status quo there
WASHINGTON The crisis in Crimea is heralding the rise of a new era of American energy diplomacy, as the Obama administration tries to deploy the vast new supply of natural gas in the United States as a weapon to undercut the influence of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, over Ukraine and Europe.
The crisis has escalated a State Department initiative to use a new boom in American natural gas supplies as a lever against Russia, which supplies 60 percent of Ukraines natural gas and has a history of cutting off the supply during conflicts. This week, Gazprom, Russias state-run natural gas company, said it would no longer provide gas at a discount rate to Ukraine, a move reminiscent of more serious Russian cutoffs of natural gas to Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
The crisis has escalated a State Department initiative to use a new boom in American natural gas supplies as a lever against Russia, which supplies 60 percent of Ukraines natural gas and has a history of cutting off the supply during conflicts. This week, Gazprom, Russias state-run natural gas company, said it would no longer provide gas at a discount rate to Ukraine, a move reminiscent of more serious Russian cutoffs of natural gas to Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe in 2006, 2008 and 2009.
And then you have Vice President Biden: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-horn/vice-president-joe-biden_b_5201051.html
With the ongoing Russian occupation of Crimea serving as the backdrop for the trip, Biden made Vladimir Putin's Russia and its dominance of the global gas market one of the centerpieces of a key speech he gave while in Kiev.
"And as you attempt to pursue energy security, there's no reason why you cannot be energy secure. I mean there isn't. It will take time. It takes some difficult decisions, but it's collectively within your power and the power of Europe and the United States," Biden said.
"And we stand ready to assist you in reaching that. Imagine where you'd be today if you were able to tell Russia: Keep your gas. It would be a very different world you'd be facing today."
The U.S. oil and gas industry has long lobbied to "weaponize" its fracking prowess to fend off Russian global gas market dominance. It's done so primarily in two ways.
"And as you attempt to pursue energy security, there's no reason why you cannot be energy secure. I mean there isn't. It will take time. It takes some difficult decisions, but it's collectively within your power and the power of Europe and the United States," Biden said.
"And we stand ready to assist you in reaching that. Imagine where you'd be today if you were able to tell Russia: Keep your gas. It would be a very different world you'd be facing today."
The U.S. oil and gas industry has long lobbied to "weaponize" its fracking prowess to fend off Russian global gas market dominance. It's done so primarily in two ways.
Quite the status quo there