Turning coal from black to green

Coal's the most abundant fossil fuel on earth. Most current coal technologies produce a lot of greenhouse gas. ven existing gassification projects. But a new company thinks it can improve an old technology to turn coal from black, as in soot, to green.

CNET's Martin Lamonica today describes GreatPoint Energy which is raising V.C. money to build a demonstration plant. This company says it'll use updated tech to convert coal into natural gas. Here's GreatPoint's own website.

With the huge supply of coal in the U.S. and other industrial nations, GreatPoint could make more than a few GREEN points if it can develop a commercially viable coal gassification business. They might even get a little government help. Gassification is a big attraction at the U.S Department of Energy right now. The U.S. would not need to import coal from Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, or even Mexico.

LaMonica's article has already raised some heated comments. "Coal" is a fighting word in today's changing climate, political climate that is. That's before you consider the human dangers in the mining process.