Opinion | Will we turn away from fossil fuels in time? in much of the country, it’s already cheaper to build and operate an entirely new solar or wind plant than to continue operating an existing coal-fired plant

4 comments

1. We should keep in mind money isn’t the only thing. There are alot of people who work in coal and natural gas and related professions between extraction, refinement, distribution, and use. And if you want to dump coal, you need to find these people jobs. And you need to understand that the companies involved in these industries, and the unions, and many of the workers will not be happy and will resist every step of the way. There are alot of people whose families have been mining coal for 200 years or more. It’s more then a job, or even a profession, to many of these people. It’s a core part of their sense of self.

2. We have already failed to turn around in time to avoid the loss of summers at the lake and ski season, treasured communities and forest parks being incinerated, and hundreds of people dying to heat in places like British Columbia. But if we act now our children may still have a life worth living.

3. People who own coal mines don’t see it that way.

4. The problem isn’t the cost of renewables, it’s the vast profits being made from fossil fuels. That’s where the battle will be, prising away the greedy paws of big oil and gas.