Good News Wrong Reason

Many environmentalists are happy with the news that Colstrip power plants 1 and 2 are now slated for closure this year. According to Talen Energy, the operator, these older, inefficient coal-fired plants have become "uneconomical" and so have to close down three years sooner than planned.

So Yay! The price of renewables like wind and solar are out-competing fossil fuels! Oops. Twenty years too late. Having used the metrics of "economical" and "profitable" to determine our collective fate, we are now looking at 414 ppm CO2 (as of June7 at Mauna Loa).

What are the economics of getting back to a safe level of 350 ppm? The cost will be 3 million human lives at 0 dollars per life (pretty reasonable) plus 15,000 species at o dollars per species ( still affordable) plus 4-7% chance of 2 trillion in lost economic activity ( wait a second!) minus clean-up costs and re-locating 300 workers, divided by a breakdown in civil society = well, this depends on the modelling of course,and numerous amorphous variables and... I'll run some numbers and get back to you.

Our political "leaders/ representatives" express dismay that an "extreme environmentalist agenda" is hurting Our Way of Life, explaining that "the economics" would be favorable without Regulatory Burdens. It could be cheaper to burn coal ( more "economical") if we focused less on health and safety (amorphous variables) and more on the bottom line. Of course, everyone is concerned about "the Colstrip Community", a set of individuals who share a specific form of employment. Concern for the slave, concern for the slave owner- everyone deserves some concern.

Now The Investors will start looking at the favorable economics of renewable energy and environmentalists will put another feather in their cap and I can start feeling a little better about this greener power I am using to maintain my lifestyle. Colstrip folks can start micro-breweries or raise quinoa. Or marijuana. whatever. The main thing to remember is that everything works out in the end if you stick to the logic of economics. I'll get back to you with those numbers.