Regis Philbin
Jul 10th, 2007, 06:35 PM
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0924442620070709?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true
Gore coal pledge "short-sighted": union
Mon Jul 9, 2007 7:39PM EDT
Power. Price. Service. No Compromises.
By Steve James
NEW YORK (Reuters) - America's main coal mining union said on Monday former Vice President Al Gore's Live Earth concert pledge to fight for a ban on new coal-fired power plants was "short-sighted."
And the main trade group of mine operators backed the union, saying it was premature to call for an end to coal-fired electricity generation when the technology to reduce greenhouse gases is still being developed.
Gore urged fans at the concerts held around the world on July 7 to commit to a seven-point pledge to cut carbon emissions and to lobby governments and employers to do more to save the planet.
The third point on the pledge states: "To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2."
Approximately 50 percent of current U.S. electricity is generated by coal-burning plants.
Phil Smith, a spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), said the union had no official comment on the pledge, but that it supported the concept of carbon capture and sequestration.
Gore coal pledge "short-sighted": union
Mon Jul 9, 2007 7:39PM EDT
Power. Price. Service. No Compromises.
By Steve James
NEW YORK (Reuters) - America's main coal mining union said on Monday former Vice President Al Gore's Live Earth concert pledge to fight for a ban on new coal-fired power plants was "short-sighted."
And the main trade group of mine operators backed the union, saying it was premature to call for an end to coal-fired electricity generation when the technology to reduce greenhouse gases is still being developed.
Gore urged fans at the concerts held around the world on July 7 to commit to a seven-point pledge to cut carbon emissions and to lobby governments and employers to do more to save the planet.
The third point on the pledge states: "To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2."
Approximately 50 percent of current U.S. electricity is generated by coal-burning plants.
Phil Smith, a spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), said the union had no official comment on the pledge, but that it supported the concept of carbon capture and sequestration.