![Clean coal and the environment
Paul Katsushas extensive experience workinginacoal burningpowerplant.Paul Katsusbelievesthat
new technologieswill becomeadvancedenoughtomake coal a cleansource of energyinproducing
electricity.The plentifulsupplyof coal makescoal a low costsource of energyinthe productionof
electricity.Infactat the presently,25.5% of the world'selectrical generationin2004 wasfrom coal-
firedgeneration.Paul Katsusacknowledgesthe factthatburningof coal,a fossil fuel,isamajor
contributorto global warming andreachingthe carbondioxide reductiontargetsof the KyotoProtocol]
will require modificationstohowcoal is utilized.Paul Katsusalsoconcedesthatcoal usedforthe
generationof electricityisthe secondlargestdomesticcontributortocarbondioxide emissionsinthe
USA.
Publicawareness hasraisedconcerns aboutglobal warmingwhich inturnhasledto new legislation. In
an attemptto educate the public,the coal industryhasrespondedbyrunningadvertising promoting
cleancoal inan efforttocounternegative perceptionsandclaimingmore than$50 billiontowardsthe
developmentanddeploymentof "traditional"cleancoal technologiesoverthe past30 years;and
promising$500 milliontowardscarboncapture andstorage researchanddevelopment.Some people in
the coal industryrefertocarbon capture and sequestration(CCS) asthe latestin"cleancoal"
technologies.
Paul Katsusdoesnot endorse the term“cleancoal”.Infact, the "cleancoal" terminologyisgenerallynot
endorsedbyprofessionalsinCCS,andisactivelyopposedbyenvironmental organizationsthatfavor
CCS. CCSis a technologythatisusedto capture carbon dioxide fromanysource,compressittoa dense
liquid-like state,andinjectandpermanentlystore itunderground.Presentlythere are more than80
carbon capture and sequestrationprojectsunderwayinthe UnitedStates. CCSisnotactuallynew
technology,asall componentsof the CCStechnologyhave beenused fordecadesinconjunctionwith
enhancedoil recoveryandotherapplications.ProposedCCSsitesare subjectedtoextensive
investigationandmonitoringtoavoidpotential hazards,whichcouldincludeleakage of sequestered
CO<sub>2</sub> tothe atmosphere,inducedgeological instability,orcontaminationof aquifersused
for drinkingwatersupplies.
The supporters of cleancoal pointtothe Great PlainsSynfuelsplanttosupportthe technical feasibility
of carbondioxide sequestration.Carbondioxide fromthe coal gasificationisshippedtoCanadawhere it
isinjectedintothe groundtoaid inoil recovery.Supportersadmitthatcarbonsequestrationis
expensive.Butaswithall productsand processes,new researchanddiscoverieswill leadtocheap
technologies.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/cleancoalandtheenvironment-151124022429-lva1-app6891/85/Clean-coal-and-the-environment-1-320.jpg)
Clean coal and the environment
- 1. Clean coal and the environment Paul Katsushas extensive experience workinginacoal burningpowerplant.Paul Katsusbelievesthat new technologieswill becomeadvancedenoughtomake coal a cleansource of energyinproducing electricity.The plentifulsupplyof coal makescoal a low costsource of energyinthe productionof electricity.Infactat the presently,25.5% of the world'selectrical generationin2004 wasfrom coal- firedgeneration.Paul Katsusacknowledgesthe factthatburningof coal,a fossil fuel,isamajor contributorto global warming andreachingthe carbondioxide reductiontargetsof the KyotoProtocol] will require modificationstohowcoal is utilized.Paul Katsusalsoconcedesthatcoal usedforthe generationof electricityisthe secondlargestdomesticcontributortocarbondioxide emissionsinthe USA. Publicawareness hasraisedconcerns aboutglobal warmingwhich inturnhasledto new legislation. In an attemptto educate the public,the coal industryhasrespondedbyrunningadvertising promoting cleancoal inan efforttocounternegative perceptionsandclaimingmore than$50 billiontowardsthe developmentanddeploymentof "traditional"cleancoal technologiesoverthe past30 years;and promising$500 milliontowardscarboncapture andstorage researchanddevelopment.Some people in the coal industryrefertocarbon capture and sequestration(CCS) asthe latestin"cleancoal" technologies. Paul Katsusdoesnot endorse the term“cleancoal”.Infact, the "cleancoal" terminologyisgenerallynot endorsedbyprofessionalsinCCS,andisactivelyopposedbyenvironmental organizationsthatfavor CCS. CCSis a technologythatisusedto capture carbon dioxide fromanysource,compressittoa dense liquid-like state,andinjectandpermanentlystore itunderground.Presentlythere are more than80 carbon capture and sequestrationprojectsunderwayinthe UnitedStates. CCSisnotactuallynew technology,asall componentsof the CCStechnologyhave beenused fordecadesinconjunctionwith enhancedoil recoveryandotherapplications.ProposedCCSsitesare subjectedtoextensive investigationandmonitoringtoavoidpotential hazards,whichcouldincludeleakage of sequestered CO<sub>2</sub> tothe atmosphere,inducedgeological instability,orcontaminationof aquifersused for drinkingwatersupplies. The supporters of cleancoal pointtothe Great PlainsSynfuelsplanttosupportthe technical feasibility of carbondioxide sequestration.Carbondioxide fromthe coal gasificationisshippedtoCanadawhere it isinjectedintothe groundtoaid inoil recovery.Supportersadmitthatcarbonsequestrationis expensive.Butaswithall productsand processes,new researchanddiscoverieswill leadtocheap technologies.