Backtracking on energy

Our guide on one trip in Patagonia talked of a new resurgence in coal production because of some of the political problems being experienced regarding alternatives. This reminded me of some of the issues of building a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth, previously discussed in this blog here and still very much at issue. Some of the details about why can be found on this 'nonewcoal' site. 'Clean coal' is by many accounts a fallacy so whether in Chile or UK planning to use more coal seems a backward step compared with opting for investing in more renewable energy in the longer term. Also regarding renewables, I found it sobering to read George Monbiot's recent article about his conversation with Shell's Chief Executive, Jeroen van de Veer. Whereas in 2000 the company allegedly claimed to be making large scale investment in renewable energy and was at that time very open about the amounts being invested, they now seem to be very vague about just how much they're investing and Monbiot fears that this reluctance to be more sepcific is because their spending in renewables has fallen sharply. While Monbiot doesn't blame Shell or its Chief Exec for doing what the market demands if discharging their duty to shareholders, he's critical that they create the impression that they have a different agenda. He's also critical of government for letting companies seek profit without taking much account of the consequences of doing that for people and environment.