Both Ways on Coal? Obama, McCain Embrace "Clean Coal," Not Mountaintop Removal

In a story, fittingly, featured in the Charleston Gazette, in West Virginia's coal country, about people are puzzling over how John McCain and Barack Obama really feel about coal.

They both say they support "clean coal" -- a code word for yet-to-be-developed technology that would either turn coal to gas before burning, or else bury the carbon emissions deep underground after burning. It's a way for politicians to embrace an abundant domestic fuel source that employs blue-collar workers, without embracing the pollution that comes along with it.

About 50 % of U.S. electricity comes from burning coal, and it's the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as pollution in the form of toxic mercury, acid rain gases, smog and soot. In a word: dirty.

Coal is, along with oil, the central figure in our energy picture. Yet, the candidates focus energy talking about it. offshore oil drilling form the backbone of McCain's energy talking points, while renewable energy and conservation form the backbone of Obama's. Both candidates say they would cap and trade carbon emissions, putting a de facto tax on coal-fired power plants. (For more on the candidates' energy policies, see Green Election Issues 101.)

But they see coal very much being used into the future, just by newer, cleaner methods. But where does all that coal originate? ... Read the full story.

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Related:

::Joe Biden Says He Doesn't Support Coal (VIDEO)
::McCain's Nuclear Plan Could Cost $315 Billion

Comments

[vietveter]

Doesn't the 'cap and trade' program have the possibility/effect
of concentrating polution?

Please, this is a question, not a statement.
I am interested in the answer because If this
is the case then this policy would be worse
for some than it otherwise would be.

Concentrating polution would put at risk those
in the area of the concentration.

Thank you in advance for an answer.

[jake106]

This is one of those stupid politician stances. They want everything, anything, and nothing, all at the same time. Anything to get you to vote for them. And please...don't waste my time with saying that the Republicans are the only ones who do that. They ALL do that. There may be a few select individuals out there on either side of the aisle who are honest and true...but the rest of them are perfectly willing to sell us all down the river.

[lilbirdblue]

Mountain top mining is no joke.
I live in WV and see the damage first hand....there is no such thing as clean coal! What they do to our enviroment is unbelievable. http://www.ohvec.org/

[jumperpin]

Hmm? Clean coal. Is that like kosher bacon?

[walk0nwalls]

So we intend to spirit coal out of the ground with our magic fairy wands?

[vonnegut lives]

McCain has no plan, did you see CBS last night?

http://myrealitytelevision.com/2008/09/60-minutes-interview-of-obama-and-mccain-i-am-barrack-obama-and-i-approve-this-message/

[GarryGolden]

I don't expect the issue of coal extraction to disappear anytime soon-- it's a difficult situation with no real solution. We should expect to see battles between communities in coal country over the next two decades. Facilitating those conversations might save a lot of headaches in the future.

There is a great movie called Burning the Future- about a coal region's internal battle over the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQPYKD4WGew

Looking at the carbon issue- there is another solution that I think is completely off the radar of most people in this country. Tapping the power of biology to utilize carbon emissions in producing more energy. Coal is ancient biomass. Oil is ancient microorganisms. Both used biology to capture carbon, hydrogen (from water) using the power of light. Startups like LS9 and Valcent are looking to tap the power of biology that can 'eat' carbon and produce biofuels or hydrogen.. It would be wonderful for both candidates to start talking about the future of bioenergy.

Garry G- Editor, The Energy Roadmap
http://theenergyroadmap.com

[rshrink]

I believe Obama will shift his position once elected, but beliefs are just beliefs. I don't see either candidate taking a strong position on ending coal mining before this election unless they are forced into it. The country, as a whole, needs to get behind wind, solar and other clean technologies. If we don't push for it soon, candidates are not likely to do so. The media should also get the word out about mountain top removal. It is really disgusting. This should be a front page item until it is stopped. It is massive destruction and ruining people's lives, not to mention what it is doing to wild life and the ecosystem. Everything should be done to stop it immediately.

[rwe]

Clean Coal is Available now..... Southern Illinois has the Saudi Arabia of available Coal... IT IS ABOUT TIME

[rshrink]

LIke the article says, there is no clean coal. When it has to be mined, the problem has already started. Also see the next post below. It points out other problems. We just need to get to other means, for which there are many, of creating energy.

[zull2]

Clean coal is great for about 95% of the way in, then you get to the big problem...once you've cleaned the heck out of the emissions and you're not emitting 98% of the pollution that you get from burning cheap lignite, you end up having to do something with this mass of carbon dioxide. The current idea is to pump it into the ground, but that ends up making fairly toxic bubbles of CO2...and after awhile, there'd be a lot of CO2 bubbles in the ground. If you tried to break down the CO2, you'd be expending more energy than it would take to burn the coal in the first place. So, you get kinda screwed. You can press lignite into anthracite, which burns pretty clean, but again, you're expending as much energy into compressing the lignite than you're probably going to get out of the coal.

Basically, Obama supports this right now because he doesn't want to piss off the coal lobbies in battleground states. When he actually sits down with this when he gets elected, he'll see that problem. The McCain team, however, sure isn't going to care one bit. Republicans, if there's one thing they're honest about, it's that they'll always keep their dirtiest pledges (but of course, renege on anything that could really be good for the people).