I was fooled. I stay informed about alternative energy the need to rid our dependence on foreign oil and the related climate change concerns. I read something about it just about every day. My husband works in industrial parts and supplies and deals in the petroleum, mining and coal industries so the term "clean coal" is all around us. Since we are people who think we should be looking to renewable energy we haven't bothered to read about clean coal. Still, we hear industry expert and conservatives taut the benefits of "clean coal technology" almost daily. There is another reason we know little about the details ... it doesn't exist!
Rolling Stone magazine just printed an excellent, well-researched investigation into clean coal and the results were shocking: "Clean Coal" is no more than a marketing term. There is no new feasible technology which significantly reduces CO2 emissions when burning coal. The only thing the industry has been able to improve upon is a significant reduction in sulfur dioxide (which was about 30 years ago).
Rather than make a difficult shift to alternative energy, the coal industry chose to lie. Their decision to "stay the course" has made the oil industry's marketing teams look like novices. The slick advertising agency which gave us "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" was hired by the coal industry and they invented "clean coal."
The Rolling Stone article is a well researched piece which deserves a full read:
Big Coal's Campaign of Lies -
While its fuel cooks the planet, the coal industry uses its clout to dupe consumers and delay change, by Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, Aug 07, 2008
Read the article and spread the word so we don't buy into the coal industry's delays.
A positive message must be repeated many more times than a negative one. Help Barack Obama stay the course for positive change and our goal of energy independence.
Help the Democrats win a filibuster-proof majority to make these goals a reality.
