Sunday, August 26, 2007

Coal, China, India and Global Warming/CO2 

Sunday, August 26, Parade Magazine, had a brief article on long burning (read years)coal-mine fires in India and China. These fires are difficult if not impossible to extinguish. "In China alone, up to 200,000,000 TONS (400,000,000,000 pounds) of coal go up in flames every year - this may equate to America's TOTAL carbon dioxide gasoline emissions. ...India's mine fires waste up to 10,000,000 more tons. Counties and land in both countries have become uninhabitable. And the problem is expected to get worse."

This aspect of the global warming/CO2 problem has not gotten much attention, yet. Some experts now are asking if controlling these Asian mine fires might be a key to reducing global warming....and controlling these mine fires would be more efficient that offsets. (Economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth).

Both India and China are exempt from having to apply Kyoto Protocol CO 2 emission standards but they are interested in getting help extinguishing these fires. What can be done?

Western technology to the rescue. CAFSCO has developed a nitrogen-laced foam fire retardant that was used to extinguish a coal-mine fire in West VA. IF this retardant can be applied to the Chinese and Indian fires, this could have a positive effect on global warming not to mention air quality, protecting humans and land, etc. Of course we would continue planting trees but eliminating a large CO 2 source would give the planet more time for other activities that take longer to show results.

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