Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at the opening of the Caval Ridge coal mine that coal is 'good for humanity' and world prosperity. Abbott made the comments, which is expected to produce 5.5 million tons of coal per year. It's located in the northeast state of Queensland, which exported a record 158.5 million tons of coal in the January-September period.
“Let's have no demonization of coal," Abbott said “Coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in Australia, and right around the world," he said. It "is essential for the prosperity of the world," he added. "Energy is what sustains our prosperity, and coal is the world's principal energy source and it will be for many decades to come." The mine's opening "is a good day for Queensland and it’s a great day for the world because this mine will keep so many people employed, it will keep so many businesses powered and it will make so many lives better and that’s what we celebrate today."
America’s President Barack Obama in contrast made an important health statement in launching his new climate change plan. Obama focussed on the immediate negative impacts of pollution from power stations on people’s health. In his speech, Obama noted that under his proposal to reduce pollution from coal-fired power stations by 30% by 2030, 100,000 asthma and 2100 heart attacks would be prevented in the first year, rising to 150,000 and 6700 attacks respectively.
Combustion of coal produces a cocktail of toxic gases, including sulphur dioxide and Volatile Organic Compounds, as well as particulates, the smallest (PM2.5) being inhaled and absorbed into the human body. Those people in towns and cities which use coal-fired stations to supply electricity suffer the greatest exposure. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to increased respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, worsening of asthma, irregular heartbeat and increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and premature death. Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing illness are more vulnerable.
In Europe, 18,200 premature deaths, 8500 new cases of chronic bronchitis, and more than 4 million lost working days each year, due mainly to respiratory and cardiac disease, are attributable to air pollution at a cost of 42.8 billion euros a year. In China air pollution caused more than 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010, mostly due to coal combustion. These amounted to 15% of total deaths. In Australia studies on the health effects are meagre but it can be extrapolated that of the 3000 deaths per year from air pollution, coal is responsible for 1500.
US economist William Nordhaus’ reearch conclusions has not been contested by any other economists hen he found that coal-fired power generation was found to produce health and environmental damages from 0.8 to 5.6 times its value added. In other words, the damage caused is worth at best 80% of the net value of the industry and at worst 5.6 times greater. These remarkable findings indicate that at best, coal-fired power generation has no net economic value to the communit. In the US a study by Epstein at Harvard Medical School found the costs of coal-fired electricity would increase by up to 300% once health and other environmental costs were included. In 2009, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering estimated the health costs resulting from coal generation to be $2.6 billion per annum (or $13 per megawatt hour) primarily relating to ambient air pollution in Australian cities. The US Environmental Protection Association (EPA) in a 2011 assessment of the effects of the Clean Air Act’s finding that the US economy had saved around $30 for every $1 invested in reducing pollution. A remarkable rate of return! Overall the economic value of these improvements is estimated to reach almost $2 trillion in 2020.
The coal-powered energy industry is a huge economic burden. The health and economic case has been made for the rapid phase-out of coal without even mentioning greenhouse emissions. When these are added to the equation the case is doubly compelling, for coal is responsible for a third of world emissions with further climate-related health and economic costs from drought, flood, famine, heat stroke and injury.
Taken from here
“Let's have no demonization of coal," Abbott said “Coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in Australia, and right around the world," he said. It "is essential for the prosperity of the world," he added. "Energy is what sustains our prosperity, and coal is the world's principal energy source and it will be for many decades to come." The mine's opening "is a good day for Queensland and it’s a great day for the world because this mine will keep so many people employed, it will keep so many businesses powered and it will make so many lives better and that’s what we celebrate today."
America’s President Barack Obama in contrast made an important health statement in launching his new climate change plan. Obama focussed on the immediate negative impacts of pollution from power stations on people’s health. In his speech, Obama noted that under his proposal to reduce pollution from coal-fired power stations by 30% by 2030, 100,000 asthma and 2100 heart attacks would be prevented in the first year, rising to 150,000 and 6700 attacks respectively.
Combustion of coal produces a cocktail of toxic gases, including sulphur dioxide and Volatile Organic Compounds, as well as particulates, the smallest (PM2.5) being inhaled and absorbed into the human body. Those people in towns and cities which use coal-fired stations to supply electricity suffer the greatest exposure. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to increased respiratory symptoms, decreased lung function, worsening of asthma, irregular heartbeat and increased risk of heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and premature death. Children, the elderly and those with pre-existing illness are more vulnerable.
In Europe, 18,200 premature deaths, 8500 new cases of chronic bronchitis, and more than 4 million lost working days each year, due mainly to respiratory and cardiac disease, are attributable to air pollution at a cost of 42.8 billion euros a year. In China air pollution caused more than 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010, mostly due to coal combustion. These amounted to 15% of total deaths. In Australia studies on the health effects are meagre but it can be extrapolated that of the 3000 deaths per year from air pollution, coal is responsible for 1500.
US economist William Nordhaus’ reearch conclusions has not been contested by any other economists hen he found that coal-fired power generation was found to produce health and environmental damages from 0.8 to 5.6 times its value added. In other words, the damage caused is worth at best 80% of the net value of the industry and at worst 5.6 times greater. These remarkable findings indicate that at best, coal-fired power generation has no net economic value to the communit. In the US a study by Epstein at Harvard Medical School found the costs of coal-fired electricity would increase by up to 300% once health and other environmental costs were included. In 2009, the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering estimated the health costs resulting from coal generation to be $2.6 billion per annum (or $13 per megawatt hour) primarily relating to ambient air pollution in Australian cities. The US Environmental Protection Association (EPA) in a 2011 assessment of the effects of the Clean Air Act’s finding that the US economy had saved around $30 for every $1 invested in reducing pollution. A remarkable rate of return! Overall the economic value of these improvements is estimated to reach almost $2 trillion in 2020.
The coal-powered energy industry is a huge economic burden. The health and economic case has been made for the rapid phase-out of coal without even mentioning greenhouse emissions. When these are added to the equation the case is doubly compelling, for coal is responsible for a third of world emissions with further climate-related health and economic costs from drought, flood, famine, heat stroke and injury.
Taken from here
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