Flannery - Coal Not "Clean", Australia's Geology Wrong For Sequestration

[hatrack]

AUSTRALIAN of the Year and leading scientist Dr Tim Flannery has questioned the viability of clean coal technology, saying it may be made redundant by cheaper and greener energy resources. Dr Flannery today told the Australian Workers Union (AWU) biannual meeting on the Gold Coast there was a need to switch to low emission energy sources.

He was greeted with hearty applause from the 200 delegates - something which surprised the scientist who has been accused in the media of wanting to shut down the nation's coal industry. He dismissed the claims as entirely untrue but admitted he had some reservations about the viability of clean coal technology, which is Queensland Premier Peter Beattie's preferred option to reduce gas emissions.

He said Australia did not possess the right geological conditions to support the clean coal process, which injected carbon dioxide emissions into the ground rather than releasing them into the atmosphere. "Globally there has got to be some areas where clean coal will work out, so I think there will always be a coal export industry (for Australia)," he said.

"Locally in Australia because of particular geological issues and because of the competition from cleaner and cheaper energy alternatives, I'm not 100 per cent sure clean coal is going to work out for our domestic market."

EDIT

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21225432-661,00.html

[phantom power]

1. Right. Somewhere there's a hole they can stuff CO2 into. Clap harder, guys.