The Oil shale in question was mined in the Midland Valley of Scotland (Not a part of England, BTW), by James "Paraffin" Young as a short-lived effort to replace scarce whale oil in domestic lamps. He went out of business when cheap mineral oil was discovered in Rumania and other places in Europe.
Outside of Edinburgh, where I lived for 4 years, are the mounds of used shale known locally as "Bings". These are a reddish colour (oxidised) and have relatively flat tops and steep sides - not a really high pointy cone, but one spread out a bit.
These are quite stable - the processed shale is porous and doesn't liquefy in the dangerous way that coal-mine waste can (Aberfan, anyone?). However, they are remarkably sterile. Very little vegetation grows on them because they are dry and have almost no usable organic material in them. Although they are over a hundred years old, they have no trees, no shrubs, and only a little scruffy grass on top. The slopes remain raw and red to this day. Equivalent aged coal mine heaps are well-vegetated with mature trees and a full ecosystem.
Yes, they are an eyesore. Yes, they can pollute groundwater, if there is not abundant rain to dilute everything. Yes, it's expensive, but only a little bit more expensive than US$50 oil.
IMHO, it's one way that the world will keep using oil for the whole next century. As I posted above, I don't think humans will ever run out of oil, but we might run out of enthusiasm for burning things. We CANNOT continue indefinately with exponential growth in energy use and environmental discharges.
Something will give way one day, if it hasn't already done so.
Regardless of whether Greenhouse warming is a reality today, it will be so "tomorrow" (Imagine 6 billion people allliving the American dream. If that doesn't scare you, try 10 billion!).
Our children will have to cope with the consequences of our actions and pay for our follies.
Current Events » in reply to Supposably the mine tailings are an issue
Speaking from knowledge...
The whole thread (98 posts)
- Energy projections, PBR reactors, transition times
- Old Chestnuts and New Times
- And then there's this.
- Fracing.
- Talk about synchronicity- anyopne catch the daily show today? (n/t)
- There is also always Methane Hydrates
- Wrong! You wrote: "Nuclear is the ONLY possible scalable technology out there"
- (1) We have been through all of this before
- OK. We shall see what is the bigger producer of electric power in 2025.
- Are there any Sea Solar plants up and running yet? (n/t)
- Okay, sounds fine to me.
- Go for it!
- Singing my song
- The Goddamn Luddites
- Vertebrate mass - think first
- The secret trick word is "vertebrates."
- OK. We shall see what is the bigger producer of electric power in 2025.
- (1) We have been through all of this before
- This is a thread that would benefit from Nick Hoffman
- You seem to write off Oil Sands pretty quickly
- Please enlighten me
- Peaked, or close to it,
- re: Energy projections
- Problem with you is you don't listen
- Renewable Alternatives To Oil Viable At $60/barrel
- the 'running out for many many years' myth