Kentucky eyeing "coal to gas" scheme - OpEd - Courier Journal

Op-Ed From the Courier Journal - 8/14/07

Many Kentuckians now acknowledge that the mining and burning of coal is neither cheap nor clean. Increasingly, we understand that the true costs of coal are unacceptably high, especially in terms of the harm done to our mountains, streams, forests, health, global climate and political process.

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For the past two weeks, a group of lawmakers, many with close ties to the coal industry, has met behind closed doors to draft an energy bill containing numerous new tax-breaks for companies that build "coal-conversion" plants in Kentucky. These facilities would turn coal into diesel fuel or synthetic natural gas at enormous public expense and damage to our water, air and climate. These fuels produce twice the carbon dioxide pollution (a major contributor to global warming) as conventional fuels. A recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council calculates that replacing just 10 percent of America's transportation fuels with liquid coal would increase mining in the U.S. by 43 percent.

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If anyone needs additional reasons to oppose the proposed subsidies, I suggest they look closely at the games being played with the coal severance tax. A bit of history is helpful here. The severance tax was established by the legislature in 1972 out of recognition that extracting coal, a finite resource, comes at a huge cost to the public. The proceeds from this tax were supposed to go back to coal-producing counties to help repair infrastructure and provide resources necessary to develop a diverse economy. Over the years, coalfield communities have received scant little of what was initially promised to them from this fund.

In recent years, the coal industry has been successful at recapturing severance tax dollars for its own benefit.

entire op-ed:
http://tinyurl.com/34uuor

way better.

more good news is that processes being discussed
can be done worldwide

If you're interested in "getting off mideast oil" - insist on higher cafe standards. A very small increase in these standards could eliminate the need for oil from the middleast.
This scheme of coal to gas has numerous downsides, not the least of which is the amount of CO2 - unless your one who believes that global warming isn't real.
Eastern Kentucky looks like a battle zone from mountain top removal.
Also, if the coal to gas scheme is followed, the price of coal generated electricity will skyrocket.

Damn you're funny.. How is this "way better" than middle eastern oil?? Tell us all the ways please..

delaying the inevitable energy crunch as conventional oil production goes into decline after peak oil.

For an explanation why, watch Physics Prof Albert Bartlett's presentation on exponential growth and resource depletion posted here: http://globalpublicmedia.com/dr_albert_bartlett_arithmetic_population_and_energy

The streaming video is in Real Player format only, but the above URL also contains links for transcripts and an MP3 audio only download.

God seems to have a real mean streak all right. He gave us presents of 747s, Concords, SUVs and Hummers but not enough fuel to keep them running.

and then the eighteenth, and seventeenth, and sixteenth century plan...

Eventually what's left of us can move back into caves and begin killing off our hated neighbors using rocks and pointy sticks whenever resources are tight.