[Cerek]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca None. However I shouldn't have to explain why breathing is not pollution but coal plant emission are, so I won't. Surely doesn't take a genius to figure it out. I find semantic "gotcha" games the thread has begun to devolved into on par with shrill alarmism and magical thinking. All of these are pursuits which reap little of value other than perhaps a short-lived chuckle, but at the expense of whom?

It isn't a matter of semantic "gotcha" games, Chewie. You're right that the gov't regulations and environmentalists are generally referring to pollutants emitted by coal-burning plants. However, John D. and Azred have both pointed out natural sources of CO2 emissions far exceed the output produced by man.

Now, I admit I did do a little bit of the "gotcha" game because you're post stated pollutants are, by definition, "stuff put into the environment by humans". Since the current GCC debate centers almost entirely on CO2 emissions, I pointed out (along with the others) that there are SEVERAL naturally occurring sources of CO2 emissions that do NOT include human output at all and that the levels of those natural emissions are greater than the output produced by humans.

And, as Azred mentioned, current coal-burning plants MEET federal emissions standards, so they are meeting the "green standards" imposed by the gov't.