How is Coal to Diesel Fuel Bad?
Picture courtesy of the DOE
Somebody slap me upside the head as I pump the $3.00 dollar a gallon gas courtesy of our so called good friends in the Middle East and so called market driven supply and demand into the tank of my car. Is it a bad thing that we might think of looking at another source of fuel for the American Go Go machines we call cars?
When the price of gasoline is over the price of bread then there is a serious problem with the market and Wall Street and the CEO’s will reap the benefits of market based thievery. Start the egg timer because the first Billion dollar CEO benefit is just over the horizon and that is not a joke to laugh about.
Where some folks see the market as pure capitalism others see the market taking the bread off of our families tables to fuel the car that would have bought the bread.
Senate Democrats Propose Loans for Coal-Based Fuel Plants
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
Published: June 13, 2007
WASHINGTON, June 12 — As the Senate began debate Tuesday on a sprawling bill to reduce oil consumption, top Democrats were circulating a proposal to provide $10 billion in loans for plants that make diesel fuel from coal.
The proposal highlights the horse-trading involving powerful industry groups as Democratic leaders push for legislation that would require higher mileage in cars and a huge increase in the production of renewable fuels made from plants like switch grass.
But many environmental groups are flatly opposed. “We don’t think the federal government should be subsidizing liquid coal,” said Erich Pica of Friends of the Earth. “From a global warming and an environmental position, liquid coal is an unacceptable source of energy.”
The bill is being circulated by Senator Jeff Bingaman, Democrat of New Mexico, chairman of the Senate Energy Committee and the energy bill’s lead author. Until this week, Mr. Bingaman had opposed big subsidies for coal-based fuels, saying that each new production plant would cost billions of dollars and that the economic uncertainties posed risks for taxpayers.
But in what could be an effort to fend off demands from coal-state lawmakers for bigger subsidies, Mr. Bingaman’s draft proposal would offer up to $10 billion in direct government loans for coal-to-liquid plants. - New York Times
I’m going to set the record straight here and now. As long as there is a Presidency that is hi-jacked by big oil in this nation then the rape of the people at the pump will continue. At this point in time the record breaking profits by all of the oil companies is not letting the so called leader of the free world walk away from the table that they have bought and paid for.
What I find truly and think that is ironic is that any Republican wanting to be considered for re-election thinks that this idea of Coal to Diesel is wrong. If the President claimed that we are addicted to oil then what is the problem with converting one of our nations largest resources to get away from oil dependence?
America will only be free when we find the sources for our energy needs from multiple sources that never have a knife at our throats. That requirement calls for alternative sources and research to make it happen.
Our nation is making progress on our energy needs despite the negligence of a President in the good old boys club. Wind energy is exploding, solar energy is exploding and the newest and latest moves away from oil dependence are happening regardless of the good old boy club.
Papamoka
Cross posted at Bring It On!
*****This post linked to on the Wall Street Journal
Labels: Al Gore, Alternative Energy, Big Oil, Coal Powered, Democrats, Global Warming, New Fuel, Republicans
posted by Papamoka at
5:48 AM
5 Comments:
If all the oil in the world evaporated (yah, like that's the "harmless" thing it does) today, we'd know enough to start building cars that could run on any number of relatively Earth-friendly fuels. Sure, our economy would come to a screeching halt and it would be an immediate nightmare, but we could pull out of it in the long run. Since big oil will continue to be available enough to stand heavily on our backs, we should start using alternative fuels now, even one vehicle, household or business at a time. But I see no reason to, yet plenty of harm in turning to coal. The trouble truly is the fox in the hen house, the (borrowing from you) good ol' boy "responsible" for navigating this country to a stronger economy and to a healthier environment.
I was watching a show on these crystal type rocks that are formed at the bottom of the ocean the other day that I think they said it burns clean. If they can find an economical way of getting to them then there is enough energy in the Gulf Coast to run the world for a thousand years.
There has to be a better way...
It takes more energy to produce ethanol than we get back from it. If 100% of our corn lands went into ethanol, we would only supply 15% of our national energy need. The best plans for liquid coal call for carbon sequestration or nuclear power at the refinery to eliminate the c02 problem. We only have 30 years left on conventional oil, and there will be 9 billion mouths to feed. If we want human life to continue on this planet, we need to be open to all options. Biofuels and so called renewables for sure at this point fall FAR short of being able to ever replace gas and diesel required to grow and transport our food supply.
Converting Coal to fuel is not cost effective right now - it costs more to produce the infrastructure to create the conversion than it would to sell the coal. That said, South Africa has a strong coal-fuel industry, one of the "benefits" from the apartheid boycott, and they've developed the infrastructure to do this at a profitmaking clip.
It's not an unfeasible idea, and it's not necessarily the negative that it sounds like at the beginning. The problem would be in selling the idea to the american public from a marketing standpoint, and developing other solutions for this non-renewable resource from a practical standpoint.
It's been a while since I've been on here. I hope y'all haven't missed me too much - been busy graduating and studying for the bar and all...
Welcome back Steve and yes I missed ya! I hope the Bar exams went well. Email me at Papamoka@hotmail.com and we can talk. I hope you and your clan are well.
Anywho back to the post... Any source away from the knife at our throats is a good thing. Frankly, I honestly believe that the price of gas is not market driven but profit driven and the more sources for our go go machines the better.
Talk soon my friend and hook Chells Roost up on your site if you haven't already! It's a great read!
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