Zero-Emission Fossil Fuels

[Crunchy]

Sure, zero emission coal would be a win for everyone.  Except for those of us who object to coal sludge in our water, I mean.

Even if you whip ALL the emissions associated with fossil fuels, it is a notoriously dirty process to get them out of the ground in the first place.  Mercury, lead, sulfur, arsenic, selenium, and a whole host of other contaminants you wouldn't want to get within a long mile of if you could help it are intrinsic to the extraction processes.

Granted, renewables have their own problems.  We all remember the horror of the big Wind Spill Of 2005 - flags fluttered as much as 100 feet way and at least half a dozen birds were momentarily startled.  Tragic.

Boru

wind power is a big problem for birds actually, it kills thousands of birds a year. But the problem with it is that there isn't enough of it to power much of anything. If are willing to not use electricity then wind power is great.

Bird deaths as a "big problem" is an urban legend. House cats kill about 10,000 times more birds each year than wind turbines. And wind turbines can generate huge amounts of power in the right locations. Denmark generates about 40% of its power with wind. It's clearly not a total solution but it can be a good source of supplemental power in the right locations.