[Brad from Tennessee]

[You can do other things with coal to extract its energy other than just burning it, belching out black soot.]

I agree. It seems to me the scientific investment in sanitizing coal would be a lot cheaper than trying to bring on line “alternative energy.” We have 300 years of coal reserves in the U.S. More than any other country.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

the scientific investment in sanitizing coal would be a lot cheaper than trying to bring on line “alternative energy.”

There's no scientific investment, you just gasify it, make natural gas and liquid fuels from it.

The only "investment" would be some private infrastructure.

(See: "coal gasification")