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| Afghanistan |
| Decade-old Afghan coal fire partially put out |
| 2007-09-11 |
| Experts have in the last two months been able to extinguish 40 percent of an underground coal fire that has been burning in northern Afghanistan for more than a decade, the mining ministry said Monday. An operation to put out the fire in the Dara-i-Suf coal mine was launched in early July and mainly involved sealing vents that supply oxygen to the fire, ministry spokesman Khoghman Ulumi told AFP. The fire erupted due to natural accidents had devoured “tens of tons” of coal in the past 10 years, Ulumi added. “Efforts are under way to control the fire in the mine,” he said. After decades of wars and internal conflict, Afghanistan is trying to revive its rich mining industry. Estimates of the country’s coal reserves range from 73 million tons to 400 million tons. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 It's 2-3% of total worldwide CO2 and 100% wasted. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-09-11 20:58 |
| #8 What does that do to China's carbon footprint? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-09-11 20:55 |
| #7 Coal fires in China consume 10-15% of the 1300 Mtons total production. It's a huge waste. Compare w/ the tiny Afghan coal reserves and annual US coal production of 1100 Mtons. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-09-11 20:52 |
| #6 Sounds like a really good source of carbon credits. Any donation to put out these fires should get you at least 3 months of AC a year. |
| Posted by: alanc 2007-09-11 19:42 |
| #5 Thought that was in Australia? But yes, China's apparently the world leader in out-of-control coal mine fires. They tried for twenty years to kill the Centralia fire. I live about an hour and a half from it, but I've never been. I know a spelunker who's been there, though. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2007-09-11 13:14 |
| #4 I read a squib recently that there's a coal fire in China that's been burning for 6,000 years. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-09-11 12:16 |
| #3 Centralia, PA. |
| Posted by: Eric Jablow 2007-09-11 07:40 |
| #2 Isn't there a coal fire in Pennsylvania, that has been burning for even longer? |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-09-11 05:08 |
| #1 Wow! Looks like they've discovered the damper! |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-09-11 02:19 |