cuz coal is clean right?

[Guest guest]

you didn't like that mountaintop anyways..nor that stream...and you especially

don't really like yer lungs....

 

From I.G. Farben to Barack Obama

The Long Con on Synthetic Fuels

By JAMES RIDGEWAY

 

Global warming is well on its way to being a godsend for the coal

industry. Lobbyists are busily trying to turn dirty coal into a

pleasing green alternative promoted by such Democratic luminaries as

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama and former House Speaker turned

lobbyist Dick Gephardt. In the background, always ready to help, is

veteran infighter former Senate Majority leader West Virginia Senator

Robert Byrd.

 

Members of Congress are falling all over themselves writing

legislation that would pump millions of taxpayer dollars into schemes

that promise to turn coal into synthetic gas, develop oil shale, and

the most popular at the moment, plans to transform coal into a liquid

oil.

 

If any of this were to happen, huge hunks of the fragile western

plains would be transformed into modern mining camps, wrecking fragile

ecosystems, exhausting and polluting water supplies. Manufacture of

synthetic fuels would subject workers, and the general nearby

populations to cancer causing chemicals.

 

There's nothing new about synthetic fuels made from coal. In the 19th

century street lamps in cities were lit with gas made from coal.In

1909, a key date in the development of this business, Friedrich

Bergius,a German scientist,invented a way to produce synthetic

gasoline from coal and hydrogen under high pressure by means of a

process called hydrogenation. During World War I, Bergius tried

without success to adapt his process to large scale production. Carl

Bosch, the chairman of the I.G. Farben chemical combine, then in its

infancy, thought the Bergius process held great possibilities for the

Germany-a country with little or no oil of its own.

 

Short on fuel, Germany had been strangled during World War I by the

British fleet By 1924 Germany was secretely rearming in violation of

the Versailles treaty, and the new mechanized army needed a sure

source of gasoline.

 

But turning coal into gasoline would be expensive and Bosch sought to

involve Standard Oil of New Jersey (Exxon's predecessor), He thought

Standard would help foot the bill. Standard's top officers were

invited to Germany to see for themselves what Boschs's men were doing.

They were duly alarmed and came home worried Bosch's synthetic fuel

might overwhelm Standard's oil wells and cripple the most powerful oil

company in the world with.

 

Bosch, of course, was delighted at the Americans's fright. Throwing

caution to the winds, he plunged ahead, pumping million of dollars

into mass production, sure the Americans would have no choice but to

join him. His goal was 100,000 tons of coal gasoline a year.

 

Soon, Standard and IG Farben came to terms. The two companies cut a

deal, setting up a cartel through which IG Farben agreed to stay out

of the oil business and Standard agreed to keep clear of the chemical

business.

 

Standard, however, soon lost interest--in part because of the

depression, and in part because of big new finds in Texas that

promised a flood of oil..

 

Nothing much happened until World War II when Hitler, another keen

proponent of liquid coal, got behind synthetic fuel and by 1943

synthetics accounted for half of all German fuel,with the air force

being one of the biggest users. The Luftwaffe controlled the skies

over Europe during the early stages of the war. One of the

liquefaction plants was located in Silesia where there were ample

supplies of coal, water and slave labor. It was called I.G. Auschwitz.

Finally the US Air Force destroyed the IG synthetic plants.At

Nuremburg the IG Farben executives either got off or received light

sentences.

 

Following the energy crisis of the 1970s, American oil companies

renewed their interests in coal, buying up existing coal companies and

getting control of reserves.Their emphasis was more on gasification

than liquefaction since the supposed need at the time was to find a

substitute for dwindling supplies of natural gas. In fact there was

plenty of natural gas,and after first Carter, then Reagan, deregulated

prices, the oil companies could make enough profit from selling real

gas and didn't need the synthetics. Once again synthetics slipped into

the background. Oil companies cut back or ditched their coal holdings.

 

Now the cycle begins all over again. The energy industry sees

sufficiently high prices to once again develop synthetics. But, as

always, this will only happen if the politicians and taxpayers are

dumb enough to pay for it.

 

James Ridgeway is the author of 5 Unanswered Questions About 9/11,

It's All For Sale: The Control of Global Resources and A Guide to

Environmental Bad Guys, co-written with Jeffrey St. Clair. Ridgeway

can be reached through his website.

 

 

“The Earth is not dying - she is being killed. And those who are killing her

have names and addresses.†— Utah Phillips

[Guest guest]

You dont have to tell me! The Valley Vegan............fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: you didn't like that mountaintop anyways..nor that stream...and you especially don't really like yer lungs....From I.G. Farben to Barack ObamaThe Long Con on Synthetic FuelsBy JAMES RIDGEWAYGlobal warming is well on its way to being a godsend for the coalindustry. Lobbyists are busily trying to turn dirty coal into apleasing green alternative promoted by such

Democratic luminaries asPresidential hopeful Barack Obama and former House Speaker turnedlobbyist Dick Gephardt. In the background, always ready to help, isveteran infighter former Senate Majority leader West Virginia SenatorRobert Byrd.Members of Congress are falling all over themselves writinglegislation that would pump millions of taxpayer dollars into schemesthat promise to turn coal into synthetic gas, develop oil shale, andthe most popular at the moment, plans to transform coal into a liquidoil.If any of this were to happen, huge hunks of the fragile westernplains would be transformed into modern mining camps, wrecking fragileecosystems, exhausting and polluting water supplies. Manufacture ofsynthetic fuels would subject workers, and the general nearbypopulations to cancer causing chemicals.There's nothing new about synthetic fuels made from coal. In the 19thcentury street lamps in cities

were lit with gas made from coal.In1909, a key date in the development of this business, FriedrichBergius,a German scientist,invented a way to produce syntheticgasoline from coal and hydrogen under high pressure by means of aprocess called hydrogenation. During World War I, Bergius triedwithout success to adapt his process to large scale production. CarlBosch, the chairman of the I.G. Farben chemical combine, then in itsinfancy, thought the Bergius process held great possibilities for theGermany-a country with little or no oil of its own.Short on fuel, Germany had been strangled during World War I by theBritish fleet By 1924 Germany was secretely rearming in violation ofthe Versailles treaty, and the new mechanized army needed a suresource of gasoline.But turning coal into gasoline would be expensive and Bosch sought toinvolve Standard Oil of New Jersey (Exxon's predecessor), He thoughtStandard would

help foot the bill. Standard's top officers wereinvited to Germany to see for themselves what Boschs's men were doing.They were duly alarmed and came home worried Bosch's synthetic fuelmight overwhelm Standard's oil wells and cripple the most powerful oilcompany in the world with.Bosch, of course, was delighted at the Americans's fright. Throwingcaution to the winds, he plunged ahead, pumping million of dollarsinto mass production, sure the Americans would have no choice but tojoin him. His goal was 100,000 tons of coal gasoline a year.Soon, Standard and IG Farben came to terms. The two companies cut adeal, setting up a cartel through which IG Farben agreed to stay outof the oil business and Standard agreed to keep clear of the chemicalbusiness.Standard, however, soon lost interest--in part because of thedepression, and in part because of big new finds in Texas thatpromised a flood of

oil..Nothing much happened until World War II when Hitler, another keenproponent of liquid coal, got behind synthetic fuel and by 1943synthetics accounted for half of all German fuel,with the air forcebeing one of the biggest users. The Luftwaffe controlled the skiesover Europe during the early stages of the war. One of theliquefaction plants was located in Silesia where there were amplesupplies of coal, water and slave labor. It was called I.G. Auschwitz.Finally the US Air Force destroyed the IG synthetic plants.AtNuremburg the IG Farben executives either got off or received lightsentences.Following the energy crisis of the 1970s, American oil companiesrenewed their interests in coal, buying up existing coal companies andgetting control of reserves.Their emphasis was more on gasificationthan liquefaction since the supposed need at the time was to find asubstitute for dwindling supplies of natural gas. In

fact there wasplenty of natural gas,and after first Carter, then Reagan, deregulatedprices, the oil companies could make enough profit from selling realgas and didn't need the synthetics. Once again synthetics slipped intothe background. Oil companies cut back or ditched their coal holdings.Now the cycle begins all over again. The energy industry seessufficiently high prices to once again develop synthetics. But, asalways, this will only happen if the politicians and taxpayers aredumb enough to pay for it.James Ridgeway is the author of 5 Unanswered Questions About 9/11,It's All For Sale: The Control of Global Resources and A Guide toEnvironmental Bad Guys, co-written with Jeffrey St. Clair. Ridgewaycan be reached through his website.“The Earth is not dying - she is being killed. And those who are killing her have names and addresses.†— Utah Phillips

Peter H

 

Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up for your free

account today.