Saturday, June 23, 2007
Coal Fire
"Coal fire
I got coal fire
I got coal fire
And we ain't got no water"
sang Lee Perry more than 30 years ago. A wonderful tribute to one of nature's wonders: coal has been the backbone of our industrial civilisation. There was an entire genre - coal music - dedicated to its glorification. I cannot help remembering greats such as Sam Coke and Smokey Robinson with a (smog assisted) tear. But what now? What of coal's fall from grace? My question is: why is there so much negativity surrounding the use of fossil fuels?
"Another question is, is it possible to build an entire post from this very weak soul/coal pun?"
If you'll excuse me, Dinky, I'm trying to build up a head of steam here. So to speak.
Coal, oil and town gas were good enough for our parents' generation. Why are they so "out" all of a sudden? Geological evidence suggests that coal has been a part of our everyday lives for the past 350 million years. Surely we should be celebrating our heritage, not sweeping it under the carpet.
I read that environmentalists quoted by the BBC had the temerity to suggest that owning a private jet (admittedly a 750 seat Airbus A380 superjumbo) was like "buying a filthy coal-fired power station just to use to charge up your mobile phone." Woah, woah, woah! What's with the filthy dig? What's with the contrasting the supposedly trendy mobile telephone gadget of today with a coal-fired power station? I can still remember a time when a lump of coal was the coolest possible thing to be seen with. OK, I made that bit up. Anyway, you can read the story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6768237.stm
We would appreciate our readers writing to the BBC to formally protest their decision not to seek balance in their article by canvassing the views of a supporter of fossil fuel burning. We will be doing the same.
Lee Perry's mixing console at the Black Ark was well-known to be powered by a separate coal-fired power station.
Meanwhile, watch out for our new range of branded t-shirts, badges and hats supporting the burning of coal, oil and gas. We hope to get some prototype designs out in the next few weeks.
Coal fire... It's burning, burning, burning in my soul.
Dave
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6768237.stm
We would appreciate our readers writing to the BBC to formally protest their decision not to seek balance in their article by canvassing the views of a supporter of fossil fuel burning. We will be doing the same.
Lee Perry's mixing console at the Black Ark was well-known to be powered by a separate coal-fired power station. Meanwhile, watch out for our new range of branded t-shirts, badges and hats supporting the burning of coal, oil and gas. We hope to get some prototype designs out in the next few weeks.
Coal fire... It's burning, burning, burning in my soul.
Dave
Labels: general circulation models, KEYWORDS: temperature, precipitation
