Not only is this attitude uninformed and impractical, it is down-right hypocritical.

Banning coal has become the get-out-of-jail card for people with guilty minds who cannot be bothered making real sacrifices to lower their personal emission levels.    

A recent survey by the Institution of Engineering and Technology shows 84% of adults in Australia think the climate is changing, and human activity is solely or partly responsible.

However, when asked about a trade-off between public transport or driving to the shops, only 20% of Australians in the survey would opt for a 45-minute journey on public transport, compared to 80% preferring to drive for 15 minutes

Only 9% of respondents in Australia who had taken a holiday in their home country did so to reduce their carbon footprint.

When asked the trade-off between flying or spending more money to take the train to their holiday destination, only 28% would spend more money and take the train to their vacation.

These armchair critics of coal are not even prepared to get off their backsides and walk to a bus stop to do their shopping.

Despite their over-emotional pleas to save their planet would prefer to jump on a gas guzzling aircraft to go on their next holiday.

They have not bothered to familiarise themselves with the technological solutions being developed by the International Energy Agency and the coal industry that allow for nations to access cheap and reliable coal power while managing emission levels. 

Carbon capture and storage is the way of the future according to the IEA and satisfies two of the most pressing needs of the world today - low cost energy from coal and lower emissions.

The IEA reports that without CCS it will be practically impossible to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

Crucially, this technology lets countries strengthen energy security and boost economic growth, without sacrificing their climate priorities.

Try explaining this to a dyed-in-the wool coal hater and all you get back are blank stares and outdated slogans such as "Ban Adani!".

Unless there is intelligent discussion and a genuine commitment to confront issues such as global warming and the continued development of an environmentally responsible coal mining industry, we will be stuck in a spiral of puerile name-calling without any solutions for the future of the planet.