Analysis: Coal fight looms, Keystone-like, over U.S. Northwest
By Patrick Rucker | Reuters – 9 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Call it the Keystone of coal: a regulatory and public relations battle between environmentalists and U.S. coal miners akin to the one that has defined the Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline.

Instead of blocking an import, however, this fight is over whether to allow a growing surplus of coal to be exported to Asia, a decision that would throw miners a lifeline by effectively offshoring carbon emissions and potentially give China access to cheaper coal.

Having long ago lost their bid to prevent the extraction of fossil fuels, environmental groups aim to close transport routes that bring those carbon fuels to market, pulling local and state politicians into the fight alongside regulators.

Mining interests won a battle last week when the Army Corps of Engineers called for a quick study of plans to open the first coal port on the west coast at Oregon's Port of Morrow on the Columbia River, a review that will weigh impacts of hauling coal, not burning it.

More at: Analysis: Coal fight looms, Keystone-like, over U.S. Northwest - Yahoo! News

Us selling something to the Chinese instead of vice versa? Sounds ok to me.

__________________
Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Maybe we ought to sell it in their WalMarts in 5 and 10 pound bags. They got WalMarts don't they?

__________________
Jim

Hey, I am surprised it has taken so long for your administration to catch on that the main reason that Australia has not had the economic problems you guys have is that we have been digging coal out of the ground & sending it to China as fast as we can. Australia's 2 biggest exports are coal & iron ore ~ both off to China.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Better a bad economy than one based on selling a product whose extraction rapes the environment to a country who'll burn it and thus destroy the environment even more.

Economic progress (actually regress - coal is a 19th-century energy source) shouldn't take precedence over protection of Gaia.

Suddenly we wish to take the moral high ground ~ some one who wants the US housing market to die more with hard working families loosing the shirt off their back just so you can make a quick $$.

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

I want a clean environment and stable climate for MYSELF, my family, and my friends to enjoy. Environmentalism can be motivated by selfishness.

This doesn't make me give a wet fart about the finances of people who were stupid enough to buy or overextend during the 2001-2007 bubble. The housing crisis didn't screw the working class, as much as screwing the stupid class.

They broke two rules:
(a) read before you sign
(b) don't pay more per month to buy than to rent the same property
(c) (some people bytch that immigrants got unfair loans) - if you don't speak the language, hire a translator and/or retain a good lawyer

Ta-dah!

Take a bow.

If you are a true environmentalist you should kill yourself to prove it. (in a non toxic way of course!) I wonder where they think the electricity to charge their electric cars will come from? I'm all for selling coal to China- maybe we could add the mercury from our burnt out CFL lightbulbs to it too just to get even for that whole drywall deal!

__________________
1984 300TD 1981 240D

Were it up to me ... Nuclear, hydro, wind, and solar, probably in that order.

And yes, I'd happily live next door to a nuclear reactor. The radiophobic not-in-my-backyard idiots should be beat senseless with a plutonium hemisphere.

Hmm only a complete cretin (look up the meaning) would be unable to count past two !!

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

The housing bubble and collapse was caused by greedy people who decieved the rest of us and it has hurt everybody but the super wealthy of course have suffered less.

Around here there were homes built and sold to people who were lifelong renters for much less than the rental price for a comparable home. They were building homes for less than local builders could buy the materials for and it included the lot.

I never could figure how they were making any money at all. I always figured they must have been making it on the mortgages somehow.

Turns out they were, apparently.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Its not quite that simple:
Greedy people---YES!!!
Greedy managers of financial institutions who wanted to earn bonuses.
Greedy potential buyers who failed to meet traditional standards for borrowing.
Corrupt politicians who strong-armed banks into making those loans under threat ---all for crass political gains.

Yes--greed all around; not just on the part of the lenders.

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I fail to see how folks wanting to own a home is greedy.

And I fail to see any evidence of politicians forcing lendors to loan.

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

People from Crete have arithmetic problems?