@Alex_AniPac makes a point, in response to this post, on the question of B.C. coal shipments and, therefore, our responsibility for climate change impacts:
Well, isn’t the coal we mine in BC and Alberta metallurgical coal (for steel) not thermal coal (for power plants)? If you want to ban exports of thermal coal from the US, go ahead. You don’t need to kneecap the Canadian economy to do that.
It’s a nuanced difference:
In general terms, based on the rank, coal can be classified as either “thermal” coal or “metallurgical” coal. Thermal coal is lower in carbon content and calorific value, higher in moisture value, is the world’s most abundant fossil fuel and is primarily used to produce energy. Metallurgical coal is less abundant than thermal coal and is primarily used in the production of coke which is an important part of the integrated steel mill process.
In any event, Fraser Surrey Docks proposes a new terminal for the export of thermal coal.
The bigger point, I suppose, is that our economy, jobs and the benefits that follow remain a higher priority. Which, to put it another way, means this:
Metallurgic coal is burned in the process of making steel. Carbon dioxide is released as a result. Steelmaking is a greenhouse gas producing activity. Nature is unimpressed by these nuances.
To play devil’s advocate, as individuals and society, we always need to to the math for “jobs and benefits” versus the “environment”.
Heck you even blogged about it, with your “offset indulgences” posts. i would agree that travel, especially air travel to NZ/Australia, is very carbon intense. I would also agree there would be a lot of professional development and personal enjoyment to the travel you blog about. Would the offsets that you blogged about be sufficient compensation? Travelling less by air would be the best answer carbon-wise, but I would think something would be lost as well…
Nature may be unimpressed by the nuance, but I am sure that the general public would be.
The people who read this blog (and Mr. Rees’s (I’m a fan btw!) are probably, safe to say, pro transit, urbanist etc.. but… anti-steel??? You go to far…. It is basically fundamental to our civilization no? Whether the Broadway line ends up being a streetcar, or subway, it is safe to say that steel will be involved right? And probably steel made in Japan, or Korea, or China.
By the way, every so often CN runs coal train, the comes off of the BNSF, that runs up from the West Coast, through Kamloops, and up to Prince Rupert and its Ridley Terminal (which has been expanding at a good clip).
I suspect preventing the expansion of Vancouver’s port capacity, may just push the traffic to Rupert.