Joe Biden Says He Doesn't Support Clean Coal (VIDEO)

Sen. Joe Biden, on the campaign trail, was asked why he supports what is referred to as "clean coal."

This is a bit of a misnomer for the technology of capturing and storing the carbon emissions from coal plants. It's less dirty. But "clean" might not be fair, if you consider the pollution and damage to the planet that occurs when coal is mined.

Biden's answer -- on video from a 1Sky campaigner below -- seems to be that he doesn't support "clean coal," but the U.S. has to develop the technology in order to help clean up China's coal operations.

As ThinkProgress Wonk Room points out, "clean coal" is a part of the Obama/Biden energy and green jobs policy. John McCain also supports "clean coal." Transcript below the video:

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TRANSCRIPT:

AUWAERTER: Senator, Senator, wind and solar are flourishing here in Ohio, so why are you supporting clean coal?

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BIDEN: Say that again? I didn't hear what you said.

AUWAERTER: Wind and solar are flourishing here in Ohio, so why are you supporting clean coal?

BIDEN: We're not supporting "clean coal." Guess what. China's building two every week. Two dirty coal plants. And it's polluting the United States. It's causing people to die.

AUWAERTER: So will you support wind and solar?

BIDEN: Absolutely. Before anybody did. The first guy to introduce a global warming bill is me, 22 years ago. The first guy to support solar energy is me, 26 years ago. It came out of Delaware. But guess what. China is burning three hundred years of bad coal unless we figure out how to clean their coal up. Because it's going to ruin your lungs and there's nothing we can do about it. No coal plants here in America. Build them, if they're going to build them over there make 'em clean because they're killing you.

Comments

[kulenski]

Clean Coal is an oxymoron!!!

[goredstates]

Remmenber Joe was constantly refered to as being from Scanton. Which he is. He was brought in to capture PA. Coal is very important to PA. So Joe supports clean coal, even though there is no such thing

[Egalitare]

How many times have you failed basic logic classes?

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

yeah more greenwashing form big business.

I remember the big "clean natural gas" campaigns in the 90's. this sort of stuff is criminal, and the reason they keep getting away with it is because we have no many idiots here who can't be bothered with critical thinking.

this is just like saying that a sweat rag you've used for a month is clean because you are comparing it to the one that you've used for 2 months.

all in an effort to keep the dollars flowing to finite sources of energy, while starving the renewables. yeah god bless america.

[DiscoEv]

Joe Makes Sense.

You have the American energy companies develop the technology to allow for clean coal power generation, you sell that technology / power plants over seas, and then reap the revenue / profits of that technology, which such revenue can then be used to help develop more efficient solar / wind / biomass generators. Not to mention or grid system is so antiquated that money will be needed to help tie it together and make it more efficient

Developing the technology will allow the USA to focus on the cleaner technologies while at the same time encourage other countries to ratched down their energy inefficiencies.

Obama / Biden 2008

[mergina]

Oh well that is just plain nuts in a campaign. lot's of coal people who vote.

[KillTheMessenger]

Clean coal is not threatening the coal people. It is actually giving them a future.