Pic Today 1/14/16

 

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

CARBON CONTRABAND

On a recent flight

over St. Louis,

I saw this view of the

Mighty Mississippi River.

. . . and saw this

"log jam" of coal barges,

loaded and en route to New Orleans.

A careful count (just in this single image)

shows 199 barges, waiting their turn,

to be "pushed" downstream.

Each barge carries 1500 tons of coal.

That's 298,500 total tonnage.

"Steam coal" destined for power usage

in Asia and Europe.

The Mississippi is the most economical

mode of transportation,

shipping coal to international customers.

That's a giant carbon footprint.

(Hopefully, we're coming to the end

of our dirty coal burning era.)