Thursday, August 3, 2017

Tom Harris' Latest Deception About Coal

Tom Harris, the fraud and paid shill of the fossil fuel industry, recently posted a letter to the editor in the Durango Herald, "N.M. lawmakers should question utilities’ coal exit."

Here is my response to this latest bit of deception:



I wish to respond to the letter of August 1, “N.M. lawmakers should question utilities’ coal exit” to inform the readers of the deceptions of the letter. The International Climate Science Coalition is not “non-partisan” as claimed. It is a fossil fuel advocacy group and is heavily associated with climate changer denier organizations. The writer has a long employment record of working as an advocate for the fossil fuel and tobacco industries. His job is to place pieces in the news media undermining climate science and promoting fossil fuels, especially coal.

Coal is called an “affordable supply of energy.” But, the only way coal can be affordable is if everyone else pays for the pollution. Mercury pollution, coal sludge, sulfur dioxide leading to acid rain which destroys wildlife and lakes and streams, particulate pollution that causes lung disease and other health issues, CO2 leading to climate change. These are all problems associated with burning coal. The only possible way for coal to be affordable is if someone else pays for the damage.

Meanwhile, jobs in renewable energy in New Mexico are booming with thousands of jobs already created in the state. The job market is expanding at double-digit rates, creating jobs for the people of New Mexico and increasing the tax revenue for the state. Strange how the fossil fuel advocate never mentioned that.

I am a professor of physics and have conducted research in planetary geophysics, including climate science, for over 25 years.

Dr. Christopher Keating

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