We spend a lot of time here at It’s Getting Hot In Here talking about energy independence and clean energy. We think producing energy locally is an important part of reducing our carbon dioxide emissions. Energy efficiency, wind, solar and other sources of energy can and are being used in the US effectively and economically. Once in a while something comes along under the banner of “energy independence” that just doesn’t sound right. Increasing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) was one of those. The newest and baddest is coal-to-liquids.
A process developed in the 1920s by German researchers Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch, it was used by the war machine in Nazi Germany and Japan during WWII to try and get around the problem of petroleum shortages. It goes something like this: You mine the coal, use lots of energy and heat to transform it into syngas, and then finally into synthetic diesel fuel. Sounds great, right?
President Jimmy Carter thought so. In 1979, during the second oil crisis, he helped pass the Energy Security Act that allocated $88 million for coal-to-liquids projects over the next six years. Needless to say, it was a big flop, and was abolished in 1985 after wasting a ton of money.
But 2007 seems to be a year of big ideas so far, and a number of folks in congress want to bring back coal-to-liquids (if at first you don’t succeed…) Of course, it’s not just any Reps and Senators–it’s all those guys from the coal states: Nick Rahall (D-WV), Rick Boucher (D-VA), Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Larry Craig (R-WY). And let’s not forget to add Barack Obama to that list (D-IL).
It seems like those supporting coal-to-liquids have come down with momentary amnesia. Besides the dismal energy balance of the process (zero, at best, and probably negative), the horrific destruction of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia and the history of social injustice perpetrated by the mining and generating industries must have slipped their minds. Peabody Energy, the largest coal mining company in the world, has hired lobbyists to grease the skids of forgetfulness.
So, yeah, coal-to-liquids is about as secure economically, ecologically and socially as, say, a bike wheel missing a bolt. It’s up to us to show the coal-to-liquids people that depending on the black rock is moving backwards: America wants to move towards real security, and a just, clean energy future.
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You may want to check out the latest bright idea in anti-clean energy legislation in the U.S. Congress: Subtitle D of H.R. 2337. This legislation would make it a crime, punishable by a $50,000 fine or a year in jail, to build a new wind power plant without a certificate from the federal government.
More background information, including our written testimony on the bill (we asked to testify on it in person, but were turned down) and a list of state wind siting regulations already in place, here. To take action to oppose this misguided legislation, go here.
Regards,
Thomas O. Gray
American Wind Energy Association
http://www.awea.org
risingwind.blogspot.com
The energy balance is not zero at best, it’s just plain negative, here’s why. I’m an energy economist, so I think about the whole system (the world). Produce more here, and you reduce imports (that’s their point). Reduce imports and you increase available world supply. Increase supply and you reduce world price. Decrease world price and you increase world consumption. Add the world’s extra energy and CO2 to zero (at best 10 years from now) decrease in the US and you’ve gone negative. More global warming. This chapter of my book will be posted on zFacts later today.
Also “without the security” is more true than you think. This will provide zero protection for consumers and the US economy. Here’s why. At the gas pump you pay the world price of oil. It does not matter if the oil your gas was made from was produced in the US, or made from corn ethanol, you still pay the same high world price. All that happens in an oil price shock is that American oil, coal-to-liquids, and ethanol companies, make bigger profits because they sell you more gas at the world price. Learn some econ, do the numbers. Don’t let them get away with this.
For the full story on what’s happening on this in Congress, check out the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/business/29coal.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
This is a really serious issue for the people of Appalachia who are already suffering from the destruction of surface mining (read: mountain top removal). They’ve been fighting back and were recently in DC for the Mountain Top Removal lobby week where residents of West Virginia met with Rep. Rahall only to find him to be more a friend of coal than a protector of his constituents. Fortunately, his disregard for the health, safety and well being of the people he represents served only to fire up these volunteers even more. After the lobby week, one volunteer, in great frustration, said, “I’m goin’ back!” Meaning the residents of West Virginia are not giving up so easily and even though Rahall is supporting some backwards stuff, they’re going to keep fighting until they win back their communities, their health, their respect and safe, reliable jobs for the people of Appalachia.
Thanks so much for blogging about this. I read this article yesterday and I was horrified to see that this destructive industry is trying to push coal-to-liquids as a solution to our energy crisis. It is clear that the youth needs to educate people and prevent us from investing any money in this inherently unsustainable and unjust fuel. The fact that it has only been used on a large scale by the Nazis and during the apartheid also adds to my complete rejection of this as a solution.
How would you young people like a draft brought back so you can be forced to fight for big Oil anywhere in the world? We can produce energy in the Unithed States or our congress and President will eventually bring back the draft if the energy supply becomes constrained enough. I would much rather pay a high price for energy than see my only son drafted and sent to bum-screw egypt to fight for it. How many of you would go if Drafted?