Originally published on the CGS blog on June 11, 2007.
As I was sitting here this morning, taking in my daily dose of caffeine and energy headlines, something caught my eye. A top Chinese official spread the word that China may put an end to projects that convert coal to oil.
“Liquefied coal projects consume a lot of energy, though the successful industrialization of liquefied coal could help reduce the country’s dependence on petroleum,” the official said.
If this turns out to be the case, China will be taking a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, Congress does not seem ready to move in a similarly enlightened direction. Several Members of Congress remain enamored of this technology, which is a dead-end in terms of both energy security and global warming.
Controversy over converting coal into transportation fuel was at the center of the schism that broke out last week among Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. A dozen Members (quite rightly) sent a letter to Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich) and Energy and Air Quality Subcomittee Chairman Rick Boucher (D-Va) objecting to “harmful policies” included in a bill drafted by the two Congressmen. Support for coal-to-liquids was among these toxic measures.
President Bush often cites the inaction of emerging economies such as China as an excuse for our own inaction on global warming. It seems that when it comes to coal-to-liquids the shoe is on the other foot…
