[Greens-Media] Koperberg breaks ranks on 'clean coal' myth and tells the truth

[John Kaye]

Koperberg breaks ranks on 'clean coal' myth and tells the truth
 
Media Release: 24 September 2007
 
The admission by NSW Environment and Climate Change Minister Phil Koperberg that clean coal is 'almost an oxymoron' undermines the NSW government's continued support for the capture and storage of CO2 from coal burning power stations, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye.
 
Dr Kaye said: "The Iemma government's climate change response is dependent on the 'clean coal' myth.
 
"It has allowed them to talk about expanding the coal industry while maintaining their climate change credentials.
 
"Environment and Climate Change Minister Koperberg has shot a massive hole through the pretence that coal burning power stations can be low emissions sources of electricity. 
 
"The Greens congratulate Minister Koperberg for his candour and honesty. 
 
"'Clean coal' is a marketing term and carbon capture and storage is an unproven technology that is unlikely to work and in any event will be very expensive.
 
"Now that a senior minister in the Iemma government has spoken the truth, it will be impossible to put the genie back in the bottle.
 
"The NSW government has to drop its support for clean coal as a policy response option and face up to the reality that burning coal to produce electricity will continue to be a massive source of CO2 for many years to come.
 
"The spotlight is now on the Premier and the Minister for Energy Ian Macdonald. Will they join their colleague in admitting the awful truth about 'clean coal' or will they persist with this dangerous myth?" Dr Kaye said. 
 
>From http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/24/2041447.htm:
 
NSW Environment Minister Phil Koperberg said: 
 
"NSW specifically identifies renewable as being the target issue, it does not extend to carbon capture or what is sometimes quite strangely known as clean coal, which is almost an oxymoron."
 
For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455 
 
 
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John Kaye
Greens member of the NSW Parliament
phone: (02) 9230 2668
fax: (02) 9230 2586
mobile: 0407 195 455
email: john.kaye at parliament.nsw.gov.au
web: www.johnkaye.org.au
 
mail: Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000