The Colowyo coal mine in Craig is owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Re: “Abandoning coal not necessary if carbon is managed through technology,” July 17 letter to the editor.
The letter from the mayor of Craig reflects a heartfelt concern for his coal-dependent community. The significant message of his letter, though, is hidden in plain sight: As he notes, technologies are needed to manage coal — a tacit acknowledgment that burning carbon endangers us all.
The mayor’s direction is the wrong one for Craig and for other mountain communities. Why? Coal is already on its way out; carbon capture and sequestration is too expensive and inefficient to solve the climate problem; there will be renewable energy jobs for some displaced coal miners; and the number of coal miners in the country is really quite small. Keeping them employed can in no way balance the huge risks we face from greenhouse gas pollution.
We need public policies to help coal-dependent communities make the transition to a post-carbon future, and I support the mayor in his concern for his town.
Robert Beck, Denver
This letter was published in the July 23 edition.
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