We have far more coal in this country then the middle east has oil and the technology to use it to create fuels has been around for 70 years. It used to be that it was too expensive to do but now that oil is $100 a barrel it is actualy cheaper! So why aren't we using this technology to end our dependence on OPEC oil?
2007-11-19 12:34:48 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
Because of the oil lobby and tree huggers. When crude is $30 a barrel, gasoline and diesel fuel can be produced from coal at competitive rates.
Here in WV, there is a move to produce diesel from coal and the tree huggers are going bananas. South Africa produces these fuels from coal at plants designed and built by Fluor, now Fluor/Daniels, and it's an American company. We have the technology. Things are going to have get a lot worse before gasoline and diesel is made from coal.
P.S.
I would like to get in contact with onemocc
2007-11-19 12:47:43 · answer #1 · answered by notadeadbeat 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Way back in the old days nearly everyone used kerosene (coal oil) for fuel in stoves and lamps. The main trouble is it doesn't have the power potential of gasoline. The Germans were desperate late in the war as their oil supplies were cut off and coal was their only alternative.
2007-11-19 12:50:29 · answer #2 · answered by mustanger 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, the nazis used slave labor to mine the coal, slave labor to move, refine, store and distribute it. And they also made soap out of the labor force. Here in America, when you take into account all of the above, (except the soap part), the cost is still too high. We don't use slave labor, no matter what the unions tell you. Never mind the nightmare of red tape and forests of paper work and circuses of hoops you have to jump through to reassure the EPA that your new venture isn't gonna make a cave bat or something homeless. All this is reflected in your costs. Economics 101 says it is not very cost effective yet.
2007-11-19 12:47:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
In addition to being expensive relative to other energy options(which as you noted is decreasing), energy derived from coal pollutes more than most other alternatives as well.
2007-11-19 12:40:37 · answer #4 · answered by edthespartan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
did we actually get the scientific notes or were they destroyed by the nazi's? It would be great if we could start doing that. I am from WV and that is our main industry. I know one of our US House Rep. is pushing for the development of it.
2007-11-19 12:41:04 · answer #5 · answered by onemocc 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its called BIOFUELS, man...
Get with the times,
and move out west!
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
2007-11-19 12:39:05 · answer #6 · answered by mdcbert 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋