The Folly of Cap and Trade

Cap and trade won't work

So, the United States is going to save the world by killing its coal industry. The USA consumed 22.5 quadrillion Btu in 2006.

China consumed 24.9 quadrillion Btu in 2006.

China is expected to consume 57.3 quadrillion Btu in 2030.

If we zero out USA consumption, the net effect for those two contries alone is an increase of 10 quadrillion Btu of coal in 20 years.

Indeed, coal consumption by the non-OECD countries already exceeds OECD consumption and is expected to double OECD consumption in the next 5 years.

As we learned nearly 20 years ago with the fall of the Iron Curtain, Western coal burning is far cleaner than non-Western.

Rather than jeopardize our own economy, we could export the clean coal technology we already have to non-OECD countries, save the world and actually create green jobs.

West Virginia already exports safe mining (China loses up to 50 times as many people in coal mining deaths each year than the USA).

Why not clean coal?

Cap-and-trade will not save the world, unless you think ruining the USA does that.

Hat tip to Roger Pielke Jr. My link to his blog does not mean that Pielke endorses (or does not endorse) my point of view.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 15th, 2009 at 9:59 am and is filed under All.