Coal plants, climate change, pollution

McGuinty Plans to close coal stations misguided

By Dr. Tim Ball and Tom Harris,

www.nrsp.com

Monday, June 18, 2007

Ottawa, Canada, –The Natural Resources Stewardship Project (NRSP) takes issue with Premier Dalton McGuinty's announcement today that the province's coal-fired electricity generation stations will be closed by 2014.

Coal is an inexpensive, abundant and increasingly clean source of crucial electricity in Ontario.  Cost estimates for cleaning the real pollution still emitted from coal stations vary, but one cent per Kilowatt-hour is a reasonable approximation, according to calculations by Carleton University Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. J. Terry Rogers.  The carbon dioxide emissions from Ontario coal stations would be more costly to remove but are not something we should be concerned about since their contribution to global climate change is insignificant.

"The Premier's June 18th statement that "We're doing our part to fight climate change in an ambitious and realistic way by shutting down coal plants …" makes no sense at all." said Dr. Tim Ball, NRSP Chair.  "Instead of wasting billions "fighting climate change", we should be focusing on continuing to reduce real pollution from the coal stations and this can be done at a reasonable cost with today's technology."

Premier McGuinty asserts that 20% of the reduction in carbon dioxide "will come from research and development of new technologies."  This too is unrealistic.  NRSP Allied Scientist Dr. David Wojick, an engineer and policy analyst based in Virginia and Sioux Lookout, Ontario explains, "Research funded now is unlikely to make any difference in 2014. Research usually takes a decade or two to pay off."

Government statistics reveal that levels of most common air pollutants - sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter and mercury - have steadily declined for the past three decades in urban areas. Only ground level ozone has not fallen, remaining roughly constant in most locations.  Dr. Wojick explains the current situation well, "Where air pollution is most severe, in and near metropolitan areas, it is primarily due to our millions of cars, not distant coal-fired power plants. But cars vote and power plants don't, so the Ontario government is pulling a publicity gimmick - phase out coal to solve the air pollution 'problem' - instead of addressing the real energy supply dilemma we will soon be facing."

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