The push to cut man-made CO2 emissions is exemplified by the current flood of advertisements for “clean energy” to replace all fuels that burn carbon within 10 years. The ads are aimed primarily at eliminating the use of coal as a power source.

Coal makes up about 95 percent of the carbon based fuel reserves in this country. It currently provides more than 50 percent of all our power at a cost 20-50 percent of natural gas or oil fueled power. (It also can be liquefied to fuel our cars at a price of $30-$50 dollars a barrel.)

The imposition of any sort of “pollution” charges such as a carbon tax, cap and trade limit, or requirement to capture and store CO2 exhaust is particularly burdensome on coal users since it produces more CO2 than natural gas or oil. However, the idea it can be replaced by some sort of clean energy in the foreseeable future is absurd.

Nuclear power can eventually take its place if environmentalists will stop obstructing. In the meantime all these plans to assess fees for CO2 emissions will do nothing but needlessly increase costs for consumers, something our economy desperately needs to avoid.

Bill Hirt

Bellevue