The various "planet saviours" celebrated big time last December during the UN FCCC's COP 21 in Paris, saying they signed a deal that will further limit fossil fuels like coal. But look at the chart -- coal power is projected to experience the biggest rise and share to total global energy use. See WUWT, Is our certain fate a coal-burning climate apocalypse? No! July 21, 2015.
In Tony LV's article today in The Standard, Coal is not least costly technology, he argued that
"When we factor in the environmental, health and social
impacts of coal on communities—as we should—operating coal-fired power plants
bear costs that are unfortunately paid for by people who will be affected the
most by the ill effects of CFPPs. These costs are not often accounted for in
the electricity price because they are considered externalities."
Really? The clear alternative to coal aside from more natural gas (another fossil fuel) is frequent brownouts, frequent electricity outage. And what happens if there is frequent brownout? (a) More crimes at night as criminals love darkness, (b) more road accidents, (c) more fires as more people use candles, and (d) more air and noise pollution as more people buy and use gensets that noisily run on diesel.
Why? Because electricity from coal comprises more than one-half of actual power production in Luzon grid including Metro Manila in the first half of 2015. Another fossil fuel, natural gas, produced nearly one-third of the grid's actual power generation. In the Visayas grid, coal produces almost 40% of power generation there.
Source: Sec. Zenaida Y. Monsada, ENERGY PROSPECTS FOR THE PHILIPPINES,
EPDP Conference 2016, 12-13 January 2016, New World Hotel, Makati City.
Tony LV also wrote,
"In a previous column, I described how these
pollutants harm the environment; the same also result in adverse health impact.
Long-term effects of pollutants from CFPPs include respiratory, cardiovascular
and neurological diseases."
Really? As of 2014, Vietnam and Malaysia have nearly 2x
coal power consumption than the PH. Taiwan and Indonesia have nearly 4x and 6x
coal consumption than PH. S. Korea has nearly 8x and Japan nearly 12x coal
consumption than PH.
Not to mention also huge coal power consumption by Germany, Russia, India, USA and China.
Do we see massive health problems on those countries that
have more coal plants than the PH? If one is into emotionalism and alarmism,
the answer is Yes. If one is into realism and facts, the answer is No.
Among the silent goals of anti-coal alarmism and
emotionalism is to have more climate junkets, endless global junkets, for many
years and decades, as "planet saviours" and climate negotiators. Even
Japan considers high tech coal plants as saving the planet. More than 1,000 new
coal plants in Asia alone coming up. http://wattsupwiththat.com/.../japan-building-coal.../
-------------See also:
Energy 53, Expensive electricity + mandatory renewables, Philippine case, January 17, 2016
Energy 54, Need for cheaper, reliable energy sources, January 18, 2016
Energy 56, Cost effectiveness of different energy sources, February 05, 2016
BWorld 38, Climate change and the need for cheap energy, January 14, 2016
BWorld 39, Coal and renewables complement each other, January 26, 2016
