Vernon Haltom on "Clean Coal"

(This video was originally supposed to be uploaded on CNN's iReport Network. For reasons unknown it has not been able to be uploaded. After many attempts and hours of troubleshooting it is now here on youtube instead.)

Vernon Haltom, co-director of Coal River Mountain Watch,
responds to CNN's Energy Fix question about "Clean Coal."

Here are some quotes from the interview:

"To put it bluntly there is no such thing as "clean coal technology." Its is an industry buzz word that the media has picked up on."

"Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) will not solve the climate crisis."

"In West Virginia, every year, the coal industry uses the explosive equivalent of 31 Hiroshima style atomic bombs."

"No one in America should be a refugee in there own homes."

"Coal is a finite resource. It is going to run out."

"The coal-to-liquids process is horribly polluting, it is horribly expensive, and it would make no significant difference on the price at the pump or on foreign oil dependence. What it would do is take your tax dollars to prop up a dying industry."

www.crmw.net
www.coalriverwind.org
www.penniesofpromise.org
www.sludgesafety.org

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• CNN
• Energy
• Clean
• Coal
• ccs
• wv
• mtr
• flooding
• renewable
• coal
• selenium
• manganese
• ctl
• crmw
• wind
• solar
• Mountain
• Carbon
• Capture
• Mountaintop
• Removal
• Appalachia
• pollution
• spoil
• spill
• valley
• fill
• Justice
• Kayford
• Marsh
• Fork
• Elementary
• refugee
• River
• Watch
• Climate
• Crisis
• Bomb
• Hiroshima
• explosive
• finite
• resource
• foreign
• oil
• dependence
• tax
• dollars
• taxes
• industry
• Pennies
• Promise

[rahtsaritnam]

You don't understand. Coal KILLS PEOPLE. If there is a way to provide stable energy rather than blowing up mountains and killing people and the world around them, then don't argue with it.

And when all the coal from those mines has been mined, then...what?...move to more mountains and destroy that area as well?

Why stay ignorant? Support wind/solar/geothermal. Invest long term, and listen to the people. You think you know anything whatsoever? Why don't you go visit Coal River Mountain...

[D7aaron]

Does your house have wood, cement, brick, vinyle siding? All these things are polluting at some time in the process of making them. I admire your passion but disagree with your logic and I dont think you've thought about the future of WV.

[D7aaron]

Using your logic I could conclude that solar panels are bad because metal and silica has to be mined to make them. Wind power has the same problem. Come on be honest what is your reaal problem? Do you have a beef with Massey? The residue captured will be put back in the earth where it came from. If children are going to school near such a site why dont they move the scool?

[D7aaron]

I agree that mountain top removal may not be the best way to get coal but most coal is still mined. If we do away with coal our economy will suffer horribly. WV is the 3rd poorest state in the US and clean coal is the only way we can survive. Who will fund our schools? Who will give the assistance to make up for the loss of tax revenue? Poor West Virginians, thats who. Pollution is a bad thing but some pollution is enevitable. Even cow farts send methane in the air.