Eugene Coyle wrote:
It is possible to get more energy out of the coal you dig than the energy used to dig the coal.
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But not when you include the *whole* process. The worker who has to utilize a vehicle to get to the mine, energy used to run the equipment that processes the coal from the raw material, the energy expended delivering to the point-of-consumption, and more... It's referred to as "true costing", and it's always been important, as important as it is generally disregarded, because it doesn't fit neatly into an Excel spreadsheet. The cost to the environment and health from the processing (filthy industry, and carcenogenic) is another related factor. Tell me the coal industry will make it all shiny clean for us with *their* money, even if it were possible. As Shane Mage opined:
Of course monopoly capital, totally invested in nuclear/petroleum/coal, will never in time consent to the massive Manhattan Project-scale investments needed for the solar/wind/hydrogen transition. Either it gets overthrown or, as Michael said (4) we're screwed.
Leigh http://leighm.net/
