Coal if well known as a significant source of green house gas and its use has many efficient substitutes. The primary use is electrical power generation. The move in the US to replace the use of coal as a primary energy source is a corner stone it is drive for GHG reductions.
So why is it OK for the US to ship the displaced coal to China at a rate of 6 to 7 million tonnes per year while claiming victory on its GHG reductions. To make matters worse they are using the cross border agreements in place for rail traffic to ship it to the newly expanded Port of Vancouver for load out.
Hypocrites
Today President Obama denied approval for the XL pipeline as it was not in the US interests. So why is coal shipments through Canada in Canadian interests. US jobs saved in Montana and Wyoming that would have been displaced with the coal while hiding the shipments through one of the most noted environmental activist locations in Canada.
Shame on Canada
https://dogwoodinitiative.org/beyondcoal/learn-morehttp://thetyee.ca/News/2014/08/21/Coal- ... -Approved/Bituminus coal conversion rates for the US region that is shipping coal through the Post of Vancouver is average 207. At the now reported ship rate of 12 million tons of coal per year that equates to about 2.5 billion tons of CO2 per year emitted in China. The world emission rates for GHG as CO2 are 32 billion tones per year so these US coal shipments would equate to around 5% of the GHG emissions related to CO2 emissions. The entire tar sands in Canada has been estimated at .02% of the worlds GHG emissions so who is fooling who. Dirty Oil or Dirty Coal. It is time that we stop the "poster child" syndrome and deal with the real culprits. This "not in my back yard" approach must stop. US investors in the rail companies and US investors in the Port of Vancouver Coal Port expansion are reaping the returns while the "enviro" flag is flying high over the tar sands.
Rail shipments will now prevail in oil shipments as they are with coal shipments, with the ruling on XL. So again who is benefiting? Propaganda is still a powerful tool and the well informed Environment community looks to be the stooges.
There is shame all around.