http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/30/bank-of-america%e2%80%99s-coal-investments-revisited/ The Understory is the official blog of Rainforest Action Network. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:17:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/30/bank-of-america%e2%80%99s-coal-investments-revisited/comment-page-1/#comment-229963 Tom Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:33:24 +0000 http://understory.ran.org/?p=1140#comment-229963 Unfortuneately, the facts rarely enter into these debates. 1) Oil is peaking. Over the next 150 years or so oil production will decline as we exhaust oil supplies. At first, the price will skyrocket until an alternative is found. At some point all the oil will belong to whoever pumps it and even the wealthy won't be able to buy oil at any price. Wars have been fought over much less. Based on history, the most likely country to "discover" a viable alternative to oil is the United States. Virtually all modern energy technologies were invented here in the United States. 2) Solar: It currently takes more energy (electricity) to manufacture solar panels than they can reasonably be expected to generate in their useful lifetimes. 3) Hydrogen: Only available from water and natural gas. The water molecule has one of the strongest bonds of any molecule requiring large amounts of electricity to split (to the point where it takes more energy to split the molecule than is contained in the hydrogen) and natural gas has many of the same future availability problems as oil. This technology will never be viable. 4) Nuclear: This is a very good idea. The United States can do this better than the French. It will take years to build enough plants however and the greenies will fight it every step of the way adding to the delay and cost of new plants and the eventual cost of the electricity generated by them. 5) Coal: Clean coal technology is a reality today. The really interesting future technology is liquified coal. With that and something akin to a diesel engine (clean diesel technologies are currently being explored by the Europeans) we can power our transportation needs for at least a couple of centuries (oil/tar sands will probably contribute as well). Both the United States and China have very abundant coal resources. If you love your country and want to see freedom, liberty and prosperity continue to exist on this planet, you'll focus your energies on helping to develop liquified coal and clean coal technologies (as well as clean diesel technologies). Not, stifle investment in coal. The facts indicate that it may be our savior in the long run. Unfortuneately, the facts rarely enter into these debates.
1) Oil is peaking. Over the next 150 years or so oil production will decline as we exhaust oil supplies. At first, the price will skyrocket until an alternative is found. At some point all the oil will belong to whoever pumps it and even the wealthy won’t be able to buy oil at any price. Wars have been fought over much less. Based on history, the most likely country to “discover” a viable alternative to oil is the United States. Virtually all modern energy technologies were invented here in the United States.
2) Solar: It currently takes more energy (electricity) to manufacture solar panels than they can reasonably be expected to generate in their useful lifetimes.
3) Hydrogen: Only available from water and natural gas. The water molecule has one of the strongest bonds of any molecule requiring large amounts of electricity to split (to the point where it takes more energy to split the molecule than is contained in the hydrogen) and natural gas has many of the same future availability problems as oil. This technology will never be viable.
4) Nuclear: This is a very good idea. The United States can do this better than the French. It will take years to build enough plants however and the greenies will fight it every step of the way adding to the delay and cost of new plants and the eventual cost of the electricity generated by them.
5) Coal: Clean coal technology is a reality today. The really interesting future technology is liquified coal. With that and something akin to a diesel engine (clean diesel technologies are currently being explored by the Europeans) we can power our transportation needs for at least a couple of centuries (oil/tar sands will probably contribute as well). Both the United States and China have very abundant coal resources.
If you love your country and want to see freedom, liberty and prosperity continue to exist on this planet, you’ll focus your energies on helping to develop liquified coal and clean coal technologies (as well as clean diesel technologies). Not, stifle investment in coal. The facts indicate that it may be our savior in the long run.

]]> http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/30/bank-of-america%e2%80%99s-coal-investments-revisited/comment-page-1/#comment-220496 Dee Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:36:36 +0000 http://understory.ran.org/?p=1140#comment-220496 Until Merlin, the wizard shows up, coal as an energy source is here for the long haul. We just don't have the finances in this country to create green energy in the next 25 years. Also, we are so deep in debt with the war and everything else that our day of crumble like the Roman Empire may be earlier than the estimated year of 2040. Until Merlin, the wizard shows up, coal as an energy source is here for the long haul. We just don’t have the finances in this country to create green energy in the next 25 years. Also, we are so deep in debt with the war and everything else that our day of crumble like the Roman Empire may be earlier than the estimated year of 2040.

]]> http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/30/bank-of-america%e2%80%99s-coal-investments-revisited/comment-page-1/#comment-215618 Monica Kuehn Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:48:23 +0000 http://understory.ran.org/?p=1140#comment-215618 Brave, and thank you. Every action adds up to remind these people they're human and make choices - and to make better ones. Brave, and thank you. Every action adds up to remind these people they’re human and make choices – and to make better ones.

]]> http://understory.ran.org/2008/06/30/bank-of-america%e2%80%99s-coal-investments-revisited/comment-page-1/#comment-215082 Activists Visit Bank of America HQ « UNC-Charlotte Earth Club Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:12:47 +0000 http://understory.ran.org/?p=1140#comment-215082 [...] headquarters and handed out fliers to passersby. Abigail from Rainforest Action Network blogged about [...] [...] headquarters and handed out fliers to passersby. Abigail from Rainforest Action Network blogged about [...]

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