Coal is dirty and dangerous. Unless we're exporting it somewhere else...

… in which case it is a steady source of revenue for government, in the form of mining royalties.

Think back to the heady optimism we felt in early 2007: Premier Campbell had just killed plans for coal fired power plants in BC, saying he wouldn't allow them unless their global warming pollution was captured and put back in the ground.

Carbon capture and storage being impossible then (and still today), coal-fired power proponents walked away and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. That same year later Premier Campbell reinforced the need for urgent action on climate change by announcing a host of emission reduction measures in his throne speech and giving us a frank summary of the urgency of our situation:

"The science is clear. It leaves no room for procrastination. Global warming is real.

We will act to stem its growth and minimize the impacts already unleashed. The more timid our response is, the harsher the consequences will be.

Things we take for granted and that have taken millennia to evolve could be at risk and lost in the lifetimes of our children."

Contrast the stern stuff in that speech with the government's current giddy support for coal exports, as described in this November 2010 news release:

"The quality of BC's coal, a competitive tax system, and significant infrastructure expansion at ports in Vancouver and Prince Rupert are all working in our favour, said [Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Shirley] Bond. We can actually see a point when coal exports from B.C. could double and that would mean tremendous rewards for our provincial economy."

How can government reconcile these two positions? As we're sure both Campbell and Bond know, the heat trapping pollution that causes climate change doesn't respect national borders. If coal is too dangerous to burn here at home, it's too dangerous to burn anywhere. What are we doing exporting it around the world?

In fact it's not just BC coal that is looking for new export markets.  Western US coal producers have come knocking at BC ports in hopes of shipping their coal overseas, because more and more US utilities are introducing low carbon standards for their electricity production and are avoiding coal.

As a result, Westshore's Roberts Bank coal port expects 2010 to be a record year for exports.

We can't expect private companies like Westshore to look after the public interest. But we should expect our government to put our childrens' futures ahead of short term profit.

Instead of heading off on an Asian junket with Port CEO's to promote coal exports, Minister Bond should be flagging coal as one of those dangerous, toxic substances like DDT and asbestos that shouldn't be sold elsewhere if they are not safe to use at home.

Minister Bond, hold off on further investment in Pacific Gateway infrastructure; those coal exports need to stop.