Rahall defends coal-to-liquid

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall provides a weekly column to newspapers in his district. Sometimes we run it, but usually we don't. This week's column praises coal-to-liquid fuel, otherwise known as CTL. Toward the end of his piece, Rahall replies to criticism of the environmental effects of CTL:

And as to environmental concerns, studies indicate that there is no reason to be any more concerned about the use of liquid coal than there is of gasoline. In fact, new studies indicate that CTL, over its life, is cleaner and more efficient than the fuels used in most cars and planes today.

Now we wait and see how the anti-CTL crowd responds, if it does.

To me, the best part of CTL is the national security part, which Rahall mentions in the middle of his column:

It would also promote the long-term use of CTL fuels by the military – a ready market for this alternative form of energy. In fact, the Air Force, which accounts for more than half the U.S. government’s fuel consumption, is currently testing these cutting-edge fuels in their aircraft with the full intention of shifting away from a reliance on the foreign-produced oil it consumes.