Comments on: What to do about climate change. https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/12/what-to-do-about-climate-change/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 09:51:21 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/12/what-to-do-about-climate-change/#comment-47039 ER Fri, 13 Aug 2021 13:48:52 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=88644#comment-47039 Other than the poisonous impurities that lurk in coal, which contribute substantially to air pollution, the major problem with it is that coal is almost pure carbon, and it oxidizes into almost pure CO2. All the other fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, of the form CxHy. When you burn them you get CO2 and H2O. Coal is cheap and plentiful compared to other fossil fuels, but we should make every effort to avoid burning it. We should think of it as a reserve energy source, saved for the day when we start running out of petroleum and natural gas. Perhaps by then, we will have developed the technology to burn coal in a more clean and responsible manner. But we shouldn't be burning it now. There is no such thing as "clean coal". That's just another Big Lie. Other than the poisonous impurities that lurk in coal, which contribute substantially to air pollution, the major problem with it is that coal is almost pure carbon, and it oxidizes into almost pure CO2. All the other fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, of the form CxHy. When you burn them you get CO2 and H2O. Coal is cheap and plentiful compared to other fossil fuels, but we should make every effort to avoid burning it. We should think of it as a reserve energy source, saved for the day when we start running out of petroleum and natural gas. Perhaps by then, we will have developed the technology to burn coal in a more clean and responsible manner.

But we shouldn’t be burning it now. There is no such thing as “clean coal”. That’s just another Big Lie.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2021/08/12/what-to-do-about-climate-change/#comment-47038 ER Fri, 13 Aug 2021 03:37:51 +0000 https://habitablezone.com/?p=88644#comment-47038 The carbon tax can start out small, and be gradually increased so businesses can plan for the higher prices in the future and the economy can adjust to it gradually. And if sufficient nations sign on, they can collectively punish those countries that won't cooperate by imposing sanctions on trade. So if China won't tax its coal, Exxon won't sell them oil and Wal-Mart won't buy their consumer goods and electronics. The carbon tax can start out small, and be gradually increased so businesses can plan for the higher prices in the future and the economy can adjust to it gradually.

And if sufficient nations sign on, they can collectively punish those countries that won’t cooperate by imposing sanctions on trade. So if China won’t tax its coal, Exxon won’t sell them oil and Wal-Mart won’t buy their consumer goods and electronics.

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