Everybody talks about clean coal like it is the next multi-billion dollar industry. But it could be just a green-sheen public relations strategy put forth by the coal industry striving to stay in business.Look at what the coal industry says: "Clean coal is a solution to climate change and global warming". This sounds exciting. As a result, Al Gore even proposed the Fed to invest $2 billion into the research in order to speed up the wide adoption.
But the exciting slogan sounds similar to drug commercials on TV: give the sneezing children this pill, all the problems will be gone and we will have a happy healthy family.
But something just doesn't add up here.
When it comes to investment, we think about reward. Since scientists project such technology will only be viable t in about 15 years, this doesn't sound like a smart investment to any rational people. On the humane side, the level of gas emission is turning the planet into an unlivable place sooner than scientists expect. We simply do not have 15 years to wait.
Besides, the best clean coal technology only reduces 2/3 of greenhouse gas emission from coal burning. Renewable energy, on the other hand, emits as much as 1-4% of that from coal burning. coal, currently generates 49% of the electricity in the US, will still rank the dirtiest fossil fuel that aggravates global warming.
No wonder environmental groups, including Greenpeace, oppose the project strongly.
As much as I don't want to doubt the good will of such proposal, the question is why we are investing if the technology won't make the coal really clean and it takes forever to happen. It leaves me wonder whether it is a greenwash move to keep the coal industry in business for the next 15 years using the government funding. The shrewd coal groups are almost saying: we were the bad guy, now give me a chance to be good. Hard to say no to that, isn't it?
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