Clean Coal Developers Eye Oil Imports -- August 10, 2005

Clean Coal Developers Eye Oil Imports -- August 10, 2005

Any claim to produce clean energy from coal is an oxymoron because most of the pollution from coal results from the mining of the coal. Currently in the U.S. we are systematically leveling the Southern Appalachian Mountains just to supply current levels of coal consumption primarily for electricity production. Supplying transportation fuels from coal will result in even more environmental damage beyond this already unacceptable level. Also, as your article correctly points out, liquefaction does not reduce carbon dioxide production. While gasification could, in theory, allow carbon dioxide sequestration there is no certainty that this would occur since it would further increase production costs. Lastly, just because the pollutants have been removed from coal in the liquefaction or gasification process prior to combustion does not mean that these pollutants have disappeared--these pollutants will still have to be disposed of.

Joseph R. Schiller, Ph.D.
Austin Peay State University
Department of Biology

Your statement "The idea is to take an abundant resource such as coal and gasify it" is typical of the wasteful attitudes prevalent in our culture. I have heard it said that we have a 200-year supply of "abundant" coal. Well oil was discovered about 150 years ago and the "abundant" supply of oil is just about gone. Every reference to our coal supply should include a reference to the incredibility-limited time we have left before only renewable energy resources will be left.

Gary A. Jacob, PWS
Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure

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