Playing Host to Climate Conference, Poland Promotes Coal

The quality of this piece is displaying lack of understanding of Polish politics. President Duda has no power to enforce anything because in Polish government system all power is with prime minister and not the president. This was poor attempt at getting votes in the region for next election. Here I cite Routers. Real information agency. "Poland’s Deputy Environment Minister Michal Kurtyka told Reuters he is working toward an ambitious deal that respects “the letter and the spirit” of Paris and said it was the energy ministry, not the president, who set policy." The lack of professionalism displayed by author of this text is rather frustrating. What don't you say what out prime Minister said not President on the way out and without any power.

And they don't just use coal, China has helped them develop their mines and helping build coal burning power plants...such hypocrites to host this Summit.

The pollution that coal produces and its contribution to the greenhouse effect also threatens pubic health. Coal particulates are particularly dangerous, because they lodge in the lungs and cause premature deaths. Regrettably, the early deaths of Poles due to coal pollution is unrecognized by the Polish government as a negative externality, whose cost will far exceed the contribution made by coal to the Polish GDP. One wonders why the voices of the Polish scientists and public health professionals are not heard. Perhaps the level of intimidation and threats deters open discussion. If we had an administration that took environmental issues seriously, we could offer advice. Instead the indifference to the effects of pollution here eliminate any serious response to pollution elsewhere.

Investing in coal is about as smart as investing in telegraph machines or typewriters. The push for coal in any country is most likely based on money exchanges under the table.

Tariffs on countries that do not take sufficient steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels seems like a reasonable thing to do.

Mr. Duda sounds like someone else I know of. Unfortunately, because the US has looked the other way, other countries feel liberated to do the same. It is a death wish which ignores scientific facts and no one escapes the consequences.

We can't expect Poland to lead the world on climate change. The US must take the lead on transitioning to a clean energy economy. Fortunately a group of Republicans and Democrats in the US House have introduced the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 7173) which would create jobs, improve our health, and put money into most families pockets - all while quickly reducing emissions. The bill sets a price on pollution and allocates all the money to households to spend as they see fit. And if people must burn coal, it allows for carbon capture and sequestration, if that indeed proves affordable. Definitely a policy worth pursuing.

I’m Polish, I’ve never been to the USA I just read the papers out of curiosity, one of the advantages of having the internet. All I can say is the mining sector in Poland is highly unionised, the unions are highly connected to the current party in charge. It’s all about interests. The party wants the coal miners votes, the coal miners want to keep their high subsidies without which they will all collapse. The coal industry in Poland has been reduced by 75% over the last 20 years. It’s demise is unstoppable. There is much cheaper higher quality coal available from Russia and there is much cheaper green energy from Germany. We don’t want to import either. When a new political party takes over the current status quo will change and hopefully we will invest in green energy not in dirty coal. It’s not really a question of if the coal industry will fail, it’s a question of when, or even better how quick!

There is a huge amount of coal in the ground - more than we can extract in a century. My great grandfather and his son emigrated from Poland to Shenandoah Pennsylvania in 1898 to work in the anthracite mines. My father was sent to be a miner at age 14. They lived in poverty; the coal towns were completely controlled by the mine owners. In those days - the burning of coal fueled ships, trains, electric plants, industries, and homes. We don't need coal any more. How can a country that gave birth to Copernicus and many other scientists and intellectuals go back over a century to be so backward looking? Sad.

The Polish right-wing new consists of crypto-Fascists who take their mentality and demeanor cues from Russia. They grew up in under the USSR and are well-versed in the promotion of absurd disinformation techniques: So we have people like President Andrzej Duda of Poland said that using coal was not at odds with protecting the climate. He and his party would try to insist that closing churches is not at odds with protecting the catholic church if they though they could get away with it.

We have been to Poland at least 10 times in the last 8 years. Twice, while flying out of Krakow, our plane was delayed because of smog caused by the burning of coal. Once it was cancelled completely and we had to go by train to Warsaw.

I can always count on my adopted country for a good story! Thing is, coal makes sense in a country where (a) your worst nightmare (aka Putin) controls your region's oil and gas and (b) your potential taste for nuclear energy is blunted by the fact that memories of Chernobyl are just across the border.

Duda and Trump should meet asap, they have so much in common in terms of climate change and how to not acknowledge and not fight against it...