Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
What, given some arbitrary cost of CO2 emissions? The cost is infinite as entropy ensures that all is lost.
If any of that were true, we'd see exactly what you propose happening.
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In 1991,the USDOE National Wind Resource Inventory figured,that North Dakota,Kansas,and Texas wind could cover total US electrical demand.
50-mile offshore wind is good for 70% of total electrical demand.
As of 2008,turbines were generating $300,000 revenue/year.They pay for themselves in 10-years,and go on for over ten more years with 'free' fuel.
Each turbine pays $3000-%10,000 royalties/year to the landowner.
Each turbine must be inspected each month.Drones are doing this for $400 vs $1,500 for a 'rope climber.'
In 2008,Texas had 23-coal-fired plants worth of wind production.
Today,Texas wind is covering over 10% of total Texas electrical demand.
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*over 100,000 have been killed in coal mine disasters.
*200,000 have been killed by black lung.
*500,000 lives have been shortened by coal-air pollution.
*Today miners are facing Progressive Massive Fibrosis (PMF) for which there is no cure,from quartz/silica dust from hard rock coal mining.
*Fine particulate matter PM 2.5 aerosols are killing 3.45-million people a year,worldwide,of which coal mining is partly implicated.Americans are dying from it.
*Mill tailings present dangers from:
*methyl mercury
*lead
*arsenic
*hexavalent chromium
*selenium
*beryllium
*cadmium
*magnesium
*groundwater pollution
*lake and stream pollution
*birth defects
*asthma
*cancer
The average plant produces 51,000,000,000 -pounds CO2/year
Add in the pollution from mining and shipping up to 1,500-miles one-way, from the Powder River Basin.
Coal has become so unattractive and uncompetitive,that it can no longer attract investment capital.