Guest essay by Eric Worrall
President Obama has just announced a 3 year moratorium on leasing federal land for new coal mines, pending a review of the impact of coal on the global climate.
According to Scientific American;
Obama Halts Federal Coal Leasing Citing Climate Change
The U.S. temporarily halts coal leasing on federal lands to reassess its policy in light of global warming
The Obama administration on Friday brought a temporary halt to new coal mining leases on federal lands while it conducts a three-year review meant to bring coal leasing in line with U.S. climate policy.
The moratorium comes just days after Obama said in his State of the Union Address that he would push to change the way the government manages its oil and coal resources to reflect the costs they impose on both taxpayers and the planet. The moratorium takes place immediately, but does not halt coal mining and production currently underway.
“How do we manage the program that is consistent with our climate change objective? There is no short answer,” Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said during a news conference. “It is also clear that we need to take into account the science we have now on the environment and climate change.”
About 40 percent of all the coal produced in the U.S. comes from mines on federal public lands, mainly in the West. As of the end of 2014, there were 308 active coal mining leases on more than 464,000 acres of public lands in Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Montana and Colorado, with an additional 10,500 acres in Kentucky, Alabama and West Virginia.
Burning coal and other fossil fuels for electricity is the largest single source of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change, accounting for about 31 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gases.
Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/obama-halts-federal-coal-leasing-citing-climate-change/
Obviously this is a potentially devastating development, for American families who depend on jobs in the US coal mining industry.
However there is another less obvious impact; As a result of failed green energy policies, Europe is becoming increasingly reliant on imports of cheap goal coal from America. If that supply of cheap coal is now threatened, the result might well be an economically damaging spike in already sky high European energy prices.
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Just saw an article in today’s Denver Post. Coal’s a big deal in Colorado. Apparently there is some fine print that makes it a big ho-hum
Maybe, maybe not. I’ve seen that trick pulled before, back when I was a political activist; “we have to do this for appearances, but really we plan to…”.
Its anyone’s guess what the real plan is – if in fact it turns out to be a double cross to the people who were given the secret assurances, the people whose opposition was appeased by the assurances will be left out in the cold, because all the politician has to do is stick to their “public commitments”, and deny that any secret assurances were ever provided.
Eric: Gosh, that’s awfully cynical. I have formulated my own theory, which is really scientific, because it’s based on observed data and produces repeated results with robust predictive capacity. Here it is: Progressive Dems will lie to test how far the progressive press is willing to go to report the content of the lie while avoiding exposing the lie. (Yeah, yeah, R’s lie too, blah blah-I have a theory about that as well, but for another post.) And we still have not seen the high end anomaly (ooh, just thought of that one! Sounds pretty scientific, eh?).
My data is the public record (“if you like your doctor, your plan, costs will go down…”; “Internet video…”; “Only one device for my convenience…”; “CAGW happening out your window, causing drought, rain, snow, and drought… and rain…and…). Repeatedly reported by press, but never analyzed by prog. press. Therefore, I submit the following prediction (if I’m wrong, will become a projection, but not much risk of that)- President will declare that, as a result of his actions (Paris, stopping Keystone, Michelle’s veganism), we’ve turned some corner, and seas won’t rise, earth saved, yada yada (yes, I’m predicting “yada yada”). And prog. press will cheer, reporting little-known satellite measurements showing the warming has slowed while stressing other statements (use Holdren for this) re: critical to keep sacrificing. Time will tell.
And how exactly is Obooboo planning on enforcing his moratorium after January 2017?
Dozens of lawsuits. It’s a wedge the Greens will use to tie up the process. Imagine. A compliant judge issues an injunction pending the review, etc. Then, even if the next President reverses the original Executive Order, more litigation, etc. It could be years, literally, before resolution.
It’s not very likely the Congress will pass a law baring the courts from review under Article III’s ” with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.”
It’s not very likely the states will persuade the Federals to divest themselves of current Federal land in favor of the States which would shift all property within a State to be owned by that State(s).
It’s actually more likely the States may call for an Article V convention.
Bottom line is the action, imho, it this will survive long after Obama becomes a permanent organizer in his Office of the Post-President, complete with Seal. Under any alternative. There’s just too many activist judges in the Federal system.
Hi from Oz. Two things: Given the low price of coal at the moment, I cannot see anyone rushing to open a new coal mine in the US. And if they did, there is probably plenty of coal-bearing private land to choose from. Sounds to me like just another clever “sounds good but doesn’t mean anything” announcement by Obama. Roll on 2017.
Correct, Boyfromtottenham. New leases, so all else is BAU.
This is an event in principle only, unless the next president continues it. The price of coal in the US is so low right now that the entire industry is on the verge of bankruptcy with once healthy companies dropping like flies (PCX, JRCC, ANR, Arch, the list goes on). I would be surprised if there is even a single company seeking to open a new mine in the US at this time.
Must be the first thing he’s done that involved principles, then.
All commodity prices are low because the global economy is collapsing. Very little new wealth is being created which is why all governments are cash strapped and borrowing themselves into oblivion. A good to look at it to get a good understanding of what’s happening, is look at it as being one big Detroit.
So like his golf game, “not up to scratch”.
Obama is becoming increasingly psychotic.
He’s got more flexibility now, after the election …
..After the next election, he will have even more flexibility !! Living in a fantasy world must be so much fun !
The question is whether Obama did something that President Cruz (or Trump, or Rubio) cannot readily undo.
Obama’s ” legacy ” will be erased with a stroke of Cruz’s pen.. ( and phone ) LOL
Cruz was born in Canada of American parents so I understand? The reason why George Romney couldn’t be president because he was born in Mexico of American parents.
Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father. The Naturalization Act of 1795 clearly states that a person born outside the U. S. is an American citizen at birth if one of the parents is an American and the father has previously resided in the U.S. Cruz’s parents meet those requirements. The only question that needs to be answered is : did his mother ever claim Canadian citizenship or vote in Canada. If so, and there does not seem to be any evidence of this although I do not know how much investigation has been done.
If someone uses the Naturalization Act of 1790 in their argument please advise them that this act was repealed and replaced by the Naturalization Act of 1795.
For the record I am not a Cruz supporter but the truth is the truth. And personally I wish the Congress would pass a Constitutional Amendment to clear this up. My suggestion would be to clearly state that in order to be President a natural born citizen MUST be born within the borders of the United States and both parents must be American citizens, natural or naturalized. The only exception would be if the person was born outside the U S to parents both of whom are American citizens and who are outside the U S as an official of the U S government on official government business.
If he was a citizen at birth, then he is a natural born citizen.
There are only two types of citizens, naturalized and natural born.
It’s a complete myth that you have to have been born in the US to be eligible for president.
Unless Hilary C gets in…..
The only place Hillary gets into is Leavenworth.
Most Democrats would still vote for her, even in Leavenworth.
Actually, polls are suggesting that Trump vs Clinton, 20%+ of dems would vote Trump
” Europe is becoming increasingly reliant on imports of cheap goal from America ” ?????
Europe may someday share our ” GOALS ” , but I think you meant ” COAL ” !!
I could be wrong ! LOL
.
Or was that a reference to European hockey ( cheap goals ) ???
Obama’s ” legacy ” will be erased with a stroke of Cruz’s pen.. ( and phone ) LOL
Come on Eric Worral or Mods, which is it …cheap American coal or cheap European goals ?? Inquiring minds need to know !!
Um thanks 🙂
Dang, ” cheap European goals ” would have been funnier !!
He he – maybe I was thinking about European energy prices when I wrote it…
Well, for Europe there is always Russian or Qatari gas. Better than American woodchips or solar panels at 50+ degrees north. Of course, there could be a pipeline war or two in all that…but we seem to be getting better at ignoring geopolitics in the search for “clean” energy.
Then there’s the South Australian option. Reduce your region to green beggary but have coal generating neighbours to take the hit for your carbon. (That neighbour needs the money to pay for an unused desal plant costing millions a week – because the usual media kiddies said there’d be drought forever, just before the last big La Nina dump.)
Have we reached Peak Adult?
With all the crying and bed-wetting, we’ve reached Peak Adult Diaper.
+1-
The present freeze across Europe will have Europeans fingering their Coal Reserves.
Here is a good look at the current cold spot…http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/overlay=temp/orthographic=179.35,92.44,497/loc=130.160,88.173
What more studies (reviews) are needed? We’ve been told that the current Administration knows all the evils of coal, and the EPA will shut down all coal-fired plants. Or are they now going to study the evils of mining the coal, rather than the evils of the coal itself? Or is this just three-years more gravy train for those who conduct such reviews?
Curiously, this seems to me to be the elephant in the room: not climate change. I am not usually cynical but my nose twitched when I saw the word “review”. It always smells of money.
Real atmospheric pollutants from coal such as particulates, NOX and sulfur must be attended to. Not doing so, as the Chinese are experiencing, especially with the smog in Beijing, is not acceptable. The US uses precipitators to remove the real pollutants).
Compelling evidence CO2 has no effect on climate is presented in a peer reviewed paper at http://eae.sagepub.com/content/26/5/841.full.pdf+html
The two factors that caused average global temperature change for at least the last 300 years or so (97% match since before 1900) are identified at http://agwunveiled.blogspot.com
“The only renewable that matters: the Taxpayer.”
A priceless summation IMO
From http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2016/01/we-dont-need-1.html
A political stunt. US does not need new mines at present. And can be undone by executive order of the next Pres. Vote wisely if you are a US citizen.
Idiot…!
Why stop with crowd- pleasing, but meaningless half- measures, Mr. President? Show us that you are a man with the courage to live up to his convictions. Go all in and order the halt of all fossil fuel usage in the United States.
While you’re at it- go ahead and issue a presidential order to ban all private ownership of firearms. You can do it. Your political base will love you even more.
I’m surprised he hasn’t yet ! Maybe he’s using it as an Ace up his sleeve to get a third term ?
He’s still hoping that that thing in Oregon will grow into a large scale right-wing revolt — or that he can provoke one another way. He’s got 12 months left for his “Reichstag fire” to happen so he can promote himself to dictator-for-life. But I don’t think it will happen — even Trump voters have more brains than he does.
Are you ever curious how Jarrett gets her strategic orders ?
Surely, we all don’t sit around and believe that VJ and BO think these things up on their own.
Who are they talking to ?
We’re about to see $1 a gal, or lower, gas prices…..and our pet idiot wants to figure out what coal does….after closing the coal plants
I obviously need to adjust my meds
A year from now, Obama won’t be President. He should be prosecuted for his crimes against humanity, and sentenced to work in–a coal mine.
Poetic Justice ??
He’ll miss the 2:00 AM phone call because of an unstable grid.
================
Four more days before you can say that.
Devo agrees . And they have a comment on our pres, too.
Along with his new theme song:
Sorry a chain gang with the others like Holden, Jarrett (equal opportunity after all) all in the same line. And along a Highway breaking rocks where everyone can see it, some where down in a pit he’d be slacking his ass off!
Obama said ISIS is “contained” the day before the attacks in Paris, he said ISIS was not a threat in the U.S. hours before the San Bernardino attacks happened and in his State of the Union address on Tuesday he said “Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction” by the close on Friday the Stock market dropped over 550 points. He also said in his speech both sides have to “work together” to get things done just days after vetoing the health care bill.
Everything Obama touches turns to…Shiite’ !!
I see what you did there! 🙂
…Dang…busted !! 🙂
And the Sunni shines out of his backside…. !!
He also made fun of Republicans for being afraid of widows just hours before the female Paris terrorist blew herself up trying to kill cops (only killed a K9).
What you should have learned is you can’t trust Wikimedia for image captions. Looks more like a central Queensland coal mine.
yep
https://www.acfonline.org.au/news-media/news-features/priorities-queensland-healthy-environment-not-massive-coal-mines
It’s Kalgoorlie. How thick do you think those Central Queensland coal measures are? (FG- coal isn’t a hard rock. The term “hard rock mining” is used to distinguish between coal and other mining)
Ahhh Latitude- you’d trust an ACF propaganda picture over Wikipedia?
(ACF- Australian Conservation Foundation)
The big pit in Kalgoorlie mines gold- though I believe some coal is mined near Esperance.
Buying up all the previous small leases (many of which has become nonviable after 100 years of mining) to allow this “super pit” in Kalgoorlie is the lesser know of Alan Bond’s two great legacies.
Not a coal mine…… . gold and other minerals.
http://www.australianmining.com.au/News/Kalgoorlie-s-Super-Pit-mine-life-extended-to-2029
gnome…..read krm’s question again
That black shiny rock looks a lot like coal to me. But it is far away.
It’s a moot point. Why would you use a picture of a working Australian coal mine in an article about the death of American coal mining? A better picture would be of a ghost town. America has plenty of those.
http://www.peachridgeglass.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/GhostTown_GoldKing.jpg
Seems he is trying to make things as hard as possible for the Democrats next election
The immigration raids are driving the party faithful into a tizzy. Now this? Just write off all 25 coal producing states?
Its going to be fun to them run on this administrations record.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/12/politics/white-house-immigration-democrats/
mmichael
narcissistic sociopath comes to mind………
lol if not from the usa then from russia for a cheaper price
The actions of a 5th Columnist. Who is he working for? Where is the FBI? Where is the House Committee for Unamerican Activities?
Where is the House Committee for Unamerican Activities?
Disbanded.
You know, I’ve heard stories where whole factories are built in India but are never opened for operation. Indian politicians won’t allow them to be connected to the utilities because the politicians don’t think that those are jobs worthy of Indian labor.
Why is Obama taking us down a similar path?
There is a thinkspeak amongst the elite that perceives current corporate bastions are the equivalent of slavers. Mr Lucas let it slip in an interview. He was alluding to Disney but I can imagine stuff like this gets said about other american institutions in elite circles. It will get lost in the sauce of info but it is worth reading again if you havent seen it. This type of attitude towards bleeds thru much of the “disapproval” of americana.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/31/10693122/george-lucas-star-wars-white-slavers-interview
Wasn’t his pal Soros buying up coal companies recently?
Is this some sort of wrangling for a UN gig in a couple of years? Or some sort of money funnel like the Clintons do with their bullshit?
In any event – I detect shenanigans.
Shenanigans??? Such a cynic.
I wonder how this affects Indian reservation coal?
I hear there is a test, but it will be open book.
Obama, a truly new breed of politician.
Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do to your country.
A House on the beach in Hawaii perhaps and pay the Navy for security