The Coen Brothers directed this funny commercial for This Is Reality, a website dedicated to finding the source behind the term “clean coal”.
I’ve always wondered about the phrase “clean coal” simply because it seemed to be a contradiction of terms. I could never get my head around how coal, of any shape, form or fashion, could in any way be clean — ever. It turns out my gut instinct was right in thinking this, as “clean coal” is nothing more than a selling point for one of the dirtiest ways humans consume energy.
As Blan Holman, an attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charleson, S.C. said, “Clean coal is like a healthy cigarette”. Ok, point taken.
While I understand the sentiment, it’s not entirely fair to say there is no such thing as clean coal. A quick WIKI reveals that Germany has a “clean coal” power plant. (maybe the only one in the world?) The US currently has none, no surprise… but to make the blanket statement that clean coal is a myth is hardly fair. The question is, what’s better: running all of our coal plants as is or attempting a conversion to “clean coal?” I think the latter.