The wages of 'energy security'

Home-grown and filthy energy 1

Kill me. Just kill me.

Coal-to-liquids will emerge as a key player in a push by congressional Democrats next year for alternatives to foreign oil, two Washington energy analysts say in a report today.

But CTL technologies that draw transportation fuels from coal reserves are expensive and have a mixed environmental record, so they will need "additional and substantial government subsidies," say Christine Tezak and K. Whitney Stanco of the Stanford Washington Research Group.

That "mixed environmental record" is actually an unmitigated disaster. But hey, at least we won't be importing our environmental disaster from scary brown foreigners!

Say it with me, kids: Coal is the enemy of the human race.

David Roberts is staff writer for Grist. You can follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/drgrist.

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  1. Whiskerfish Posted 5:53 pm
    13 Dec 2006

    southern African oil-from-coalHa ha. I'm laughing because you guys in N America now look like you're going to have the same problem we've had for a few decades.
    In an effort to make the country independent from oil imports during the Apartheid era the govt built a few massive oil-from-coal plants in South Africa, and made us the world leaders in this technology (which was pioneered by the Nazis in WW2).
    And yes, you're right, they're a major eco-disaster. You can barely breathe within 50 miles of the plants, and they've generated rain more acid than vinegar, besides the global warming implications.
    I've read that they're (i.e. SASOL) trying to export the the tech all over the world now. Seems like you're a target. Stop them at all costs.
    Cheers
    Whiskerfish

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