Coal Is a Fact for the Next 20 Years at Least; Deal With It

The question is not whether or not to use coal -- the question is "what is the cleanest and most efficient use of coal?" Humans will be using coal for a long, long time -- so learn to live with it, and make the best use of it.

Coal is plentiful, and a rich source of carbon energy. It can be converted to gaseous or liquid fuels relatively easily -- while minimising true pollutants such as mercury, sulfates, and radioactive compounds. CO2 byproduct from coal plants can be used to grow algae for a multitude of commercial purposes. As the truth about the carbon hysteria scam is learned by more persons in positions of influence, the greatest objection to coal -- CO2 production -- will fade away, and it will become an economic calculation. But politics will also play a large role.

In India, for example, coal plays an important part in politics -- as it once did in the UK:

...issues pertaining to the coal unions and the coal mafias have to be addressed if lasting reforms in the coal sector are to be undertaken. Reduction in coal consumption would naturally necessitate reducing the workforce, which can have political repercussions. While other issues such as path dependence and availability of alternative fuels necessitate the continued use of coal, the problems posed by the coal unions and the coal mafias suggest that India may potentially find itself restrained in acting on reducing its coal consumption in the near future. _IDSA

Read more at the link above.

The IPCC and the pro-cap&trade politicos of the western world are living in a fantasy land when it comes to dreams of carbon reduction, internationally. These politicians can cripple their own economies via carbon caps and taxes, while India, China, Russia, and the rest of the third world continue to blacken the skies with 19th century coal burning technology.

Much better for the advanced world to lead the way with cleaner -- and ultimately cheaper -- technologies which allow for the conversion and consumption of even the cheapest and most abundant low grade coals.