Al Gore and coal

When I read the AP story on the Al Gore climate change concert, I saw something where Gore urged against the use of coal. Nice, but impractical for the short term, I thought. Apparently the United Mine Workers of America, of all people, agrees with me.

For those interested, here are the seven points of the pledge that Gore wants people to sign:

I PLEDGE:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;”

3. To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4. To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of my home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5. To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6. To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests; and,

7. To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

It's interesting, isn't it, that two of the seven points mention coal directly.

Now don't go thinking I'm a wannabe member of "Friends of Coal," but something seems amiss here.

I agree we need to conserve and to plant more trees and all that. But you have to look at the entire picture and come up with a workable plan. A good part of Gore's seven-point pledge is a rehash of the Kyoto treaty, and we all know how that went.