Posted on 03/03/2006 6:57:14 AM PST by isaiah55version11_0
...While the president spent much of last week promoting energy alternatives of the future, like hybrid cars and fuels made from wood chips, the governor of Montana, Brian Schweitzer, says there's something we can have up and running in the next five years.
What he has in mind is using the coal, billions of tons of it, under the high plains of his home state. The governor tells correspondent Lesley Stahl he wants to use an existing process to turn that coal into a synthetic liquid fuel, or synfuel......
"We can produce this fuel for about $1 a gallon. We have gas taxes, depending on what state you're in, of 60, 70, 80 cents a gallon. So, do the math," he said.
"You know, it sounds almost too good to be true," Stahl said.
"Well, that's what got me excited," Schweitzer replied......
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Man, I would agree to making fuel out of old people if it would help us slam the door in the face of the middle east. (Soilent Green is People-Gas!)
The governor is probably exxagerating the price at which it can be done... that being said, if you eliminated gas taxes on coal synfuel, then it it would probably come out ahead.
Lesley Stahl is a ditz.
There is a stock split in there (2;1) also.
I read about this years ago. IIRC, WE, the US, have IN THE GROUND, more available hydrocarbon resources than the Mid East does.
THE REAL issue is that, unlike oil drilling/ natural gas extraction, THIS process permanently alter the landscape on a LARGE scale.
REM: (1) I think we should do this. (2) I think nuclear power ought to be ramped up big time (3) I think bio fuels ought to be ramped up big time. (4) quit, over time, buying oil from people who hate us.
I am sure the environmentalists will have a reason we cany do this, probably a dirty process involved in making it.
Of course it can be done we have known that all along. I dont understand why we havent been doing it. Like the man said anything to be rid of the hold on us the Arabs have.
We need to be self-sufficient, even if it costs more.
One big thing about this is that we keep it to ourselves, If we are going to pollute our air making this stuff we dont need to be exporting it. Of course any company that produces this will want to export and get in on the money from exports.
But, Senator Byrd and Rockefeller won't like this. All the fuel should come from West VA and Kentucky. That's how they like it.
I don't think it can be done for $1/gallon.
"I read about this years ago. IIRC, WE, the US, have IN THE GROUND, more available hydrocarbon resources than the Mid East does"
Somewhere along the way I also read this information and that US wants to use resources of other countries and preserve ours. Will post when I find. My husband died in 1988, was Aerospace Engineer, believe he was my source.
You first!
If this was a REPUBLICAN Governor they'd (MSM/Enviro-Wackos/etc.) be all over him for wanting to strip mine the entire eastern two thirds of Montana.
"Man, I would agree to making fuel out of old people if it would help us slam the door in the face of the middle east. (Soilent Green is People-Gas!)"
I was waiting for the gratuitous Soylent Green comment.
"Man, I would agree to making fuel out of old people if it would help us slam the door in the face of the middle east. (Soilent Green is People-Gas!)"
I was waiting for the gratuitous Soylent Green comment.
Eliminating taxes on synfuel is to subsidize it, as is being done with ethanol and nuclear power (different mechanism for nukes however). Unless it can stand on its own we will never know in the long term how successful the technology may be. And, I do not think we need to raise taxes or add to the national debt to subsidize personal transportation.
I agree. Theoretically, however, one could make the argument that oil is very heavily subsidized by the State Deparment/Military/Foregin Aid budgets, so that one could reduce taxes on domestically produced energy and/or increase taxes on middle east energy.
Ironically, this is what makes open-pit coal mining an attractive "interim" land use in mountain areas that are good locations for potential tourist resorts. A massive open-pit coal mine is one of the ideal locations for constructing a golf course, since the developer pretty much has a blank slate and plenty of rock and earth fill to work with.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.