Nation’s First Modern Coal-To-Liquids Plant

Posted by Scott Bannon

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin along with Senators Rockefeller and Byrd announced a project today for the construction of “the nation’s first modern coal-to-liquids plant” in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.

Manchin said that “technological solutions like this plant… will lead to more environmentally friendly ways use our coal”.

That sounds awesome-tastic!!!

And if only harvesting coal didn’t require environmentally disasterous processes such as strip mining, hazerdous (to miners and the families living in homes above the tunnels) underground mining, wasteful trucking and most importantly the burning of tons of coal I might believe it.

Was I biased when I read baout today’s announcement? Absolutely–because I know an oxymoron when I see one, and the notion of “clean coal” is the definition of an oxymoron.

There’s no such thing as clean coal. It doesn’t exist. It’s a lie.

Technology has made it possible to use coal slightly more efficiently, and to capture and filter some of the emissions which makes burning it slightly cleaner than it used to be… but that’s not clean!

It’s like saying you’d rather be shot with a 9 millimeter than a .357 because the bullets are smaller… Dolt! I’d rather not be shot at all.

I don’t care if West Virginia wants to continue burning coal, I’ve grown weary of the whole environmental fight and having a limited supply of years left on this planet myself along with no stake in the future beyond that point I’m probably going to try less and less to help the blind see on this one.

But, I’m going to continue calling Bullshit! when I hear it, and that includes every time a politician mentions “clean coal” or the phrase “environmentally friendly” in the same breath as burning coal or other fossile fuels.

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