Barack Obama, I award you no points:
US Senators Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) have re-introduced a piece of legislation that would help create the infrastructure needed for large-scale production of Coal-to-Liquids (CTL) fuel in the U.S. ...
The Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2007 enables the Department of Energy to provide loan guarantees for construction and direct loans for the planning and permitting of CTL plants. Loan guarantees will encourage private investment and planning loans will help companies prepare a plant for construction.
Nothing dims my opinion of government's role in the economy more than things like this. Between the U.S., China, and now India, that makes some of the world's largest or fastest-growing economies planning for CTL to play a large role in the future.
I hold out hope that we can fight back the worst of these developments, but it's things like this that will make conservation and efficiency more important than anything. As the easiest gasoline vanishes out our tailpipes, the supply we are left with will increasingly be the non-conventional stuff -- tar sands, coal, corn ethanol. I'm not sure what the carbon balance is for CTL vs. coal-fired corn ethanol plants, but the best answer is "neither."
Copenhagen talks ready for take off: 5, 4, 3…
Obama administration may (finally) offer greenhouse-gas targets
Comments
View as Flat
Biodiversivist Posted 2:05 pm
06 Jan 2007
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/061204/full/444677a.html (subscription required)
In the end, it all comes down to biodiversity. Poison Darts--Protecting the biodiversity of our world
Permalink
John McGrath Posted 2:29 am
07 Jan 2007
Permalink
Tod Posted 4:05 am
09 Jan 2007
Prediction: If Obama runs for office, few Grist readers will care about this liquid coal plan - they'll vote for him anyway.
"Because the world doesn't matter if you don't have the strength to go ahead and choose something that's really true." - Julio Cortazar, Hopscotch
Permalink
David Roberts Posted 5:33 am
09 Jan 2007
Yup -- be mighty stupid not to.
www.grist.org
Permalink
sunflower Posted 6:37 am
09 Jan 2007
Amorphous carbon rebellion vs. plutocracyKerry lost when he acknowledge he was a follower and not a leader (the Iran war).
Obama can not win leadership as just another follower (coal to liquids).
A true leader will challenge the hidden wizards behind curtains.
Permalink
Delay And Deny Posted 6:43 am
09 Jan 2007
Leave it up to the Dems to pick the technologies of yesteryear!
Yep, while George Bush has been funding an advanced Hydrogen Economy to the tune of 1 Billion dollars per year for 6 years, here come the "Progress" Dems to fund Coal (Solid) and Liquids.
The 21st century needs lightweight, powerful conduits. Hydrogen is the real answer. The Dynamic Republicans have been two decades ahead of the smokestack Dems ever since 2000.
Leave it to Barrack to come up with some New Deal Era, Smokestack, Hardhat, antideluvian plan to send us all backwards!
The Texeme Construct offers international text memetics construction and textcasting services.
Permalink
sunflower Posted 6:59 am
09 Jan 2007
Permalink