Tell them what Architecture 2030 says about coal:

Because coal is the only fossil fuel plentiful and supposedly cheap enough to push the planet to 450 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Because reaching 450 ppm (or possibly less) triggers potentially irreversible glacial melt and sea level rise. Because 53% of Americans live in and around coastal cities and towns and, beginning with just one meter of sea level rise, many of these cities and towns will be inundated. Scientists are forewarning that at approx. 450 ppm CO2 in the atmosphere, we will trigger potentially irreversible glacial melt and sea level rise “out of humanity’s control.” We are currently at 385 ppm, and are increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 at approx. 2 ppm annually. At this growth rate, we will reach 450 ppm in 2035 . . . In the US, there are over 600 existing coal plants and 151 new coal plants in various stages of development.

Tell them that there is a smarter and better way. And a cleaner way. Tell them that mining coal is not only ugly, it’s dangerous for miners and everyone else.

Tell them to take a close look into a train car full of coal (as I did yesterday) and to ask themselves if coal looks like the fuel of the future.

I thought about coal as I noticed a train loaded with coal go by (I took these photos). I thought about how little most people know about coal yet how politicians and their constituents don’t have the dangers of coal on their radar. Some of these dangers are set forth in my earlier post, The Banality of Burning Coal.

I’ve been told by a man who works with the biggest electric company in St. Louis that each coal burning plant eats an entire train full of coal each day. That is confirmed by Wikipedia:

Coal is delivered by highway truck, rail, barge or collier ship. A large coal train called a “unit train” may be two kilometers (over a mile) long, containing 100 cars with 100 tons of coal in each one, for a total load of 10,000 tons. A large plant under full load requires at least one coal delivery this size every day.

Most people I speak with resist serious energy conservation as a matter of principle. Many conservatives belittle conservation, as though it is a matter of weakness. They scoff at conservation. When I bring up global warming, they deny it. When I bring up peak oil, they have no logical response. They resist energy conservation as if they were 3 year olds whining that they don’t want to try a new sort of food that their parents put on their plates. It’s an irrational emotional resistance (not that emotions are always irrational) that is endangering our economy. Conservation is one-half of the solution out of this big mess.

It’s time to raise everyone’s consciousness regarding the dangers of coal (and other fossil fuels) and the beauty and efficiency of energy conservation. Next time someone scoffs at conservation, ask them to explain why conservation is a bad idea. Ask them why Americans shouldn’t immediately take steps to cut our wasteful and dangerous energy usage in half. Ask them why we shouldn’t drive smaller cars (or bicycles) and why we shouldn’t turn out lights we aren’t using and why we shouldn’t dry clothes outside. There are numerous other things you can do, right now.

Dare to take the time to ask your friends who resist conservation why we shouldn’t try to become smart and efficient in our use of energy so that we don’t have to resort to dirty and dangerous carbon-based fuels. All of these things add up to big things like national security and healthy economy. Not being dependent on oil. You’d think that conservatives could understand this.

Tell your friends and acquaintances that there is a better way to create and use energy, but that this way would require the United States to have some sort of energy policy. Tell them that the United States has no energy policy. See if they know what a great deal it is to invest in conservation, including the development of zero-carbon-footprint buildings:

Investment in building energy efficiency is surprisingly effective. A single investment of $21.6 billion would replace 22.3 conventional 500 MW coal-fired power plants, reduce annual CO2 emissions by 86.7 million metric tons, save 204 billion cu. ft. of natural gas and 10.7 million barrels of oil each year, save consumers $8.46 billion in energy bills annually (less than a 3-year simple payback) and create 216,000 permanent new jobs.

Tell them to go here to read more about coal.