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First of all, to our readers at the West Virginia Coal Association web site:
If you have followed our, literally, thousands of reports over the past several years, reports documenting the plain facts that Coal can be efficiently converted into anything we now allow ourselves to be extorted by OPEC for the supply of; that Coal Ash can be productively consumed and utilized in the manufacture of Cement and Concrete; and, that Carbon Dioxide can be productively and profitably recycled in the synthesis of even more hydrocarbon fuels, you should know, you have a right to know, that, these reports are not addressed solely to, or written only for, the West Virginia Coal Association.
They are, in fact, sent and posted directly to fully half a dozen public Coal Country journalists in the states of West Virginia and Pennsylvania; at least one of whom was once considered to be a close personal friend of one of our key team members.
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We have a number of times documented, that, in addition to being able to convert the solid byproducts arising from our essential use of Coal in the generation of genuinely economical electric power into additives or substitutes for Portland Cement and Portland Cement Concrete, as seen, for one example, in:
Pittsburgh Converts Coal Ash and Flue Gas into Cement | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 5,766,339 - Producing Cement from a Flue Gas Desulfurization Waste; 1998; Assignee: Dravo Lime Company, Pittsburgh; Abstract: Cement is produced (from) a moist mixture of a flue gas desulfurization process waste product (and) aluminum, iron, silica and carbon ... wherein said source of aluminum and iron comprises fly ash";
we can also convert our Coal Ash into structural aggregates: replacements, in essence, for the sand and gravel which are ordinarily added to Concrete mixtures to enhance both handling characteristics and the final strength of the cured composite.
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Blue Fuel Energy Renewable liquid Fuels
This report is really all about the productive recycling of Carbon Dioxide; but, there is some preamble to wade through first, which we hope will be of at least moderate interest.
Initially, we want to call your attention to an older report from our USDOE's Energy Information Agency, as accessible via:
CO2 Emissions Report;
"Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Generation of Electric Power in the United States; July, 2000."
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United States Patent: 5681384
Among our many reports documenting the now-plain fact that Coal Ash can be productively consumed in the manufacture of Portland-type Cement and Portland-type Cement Concrete that are better-performing and more environmentally-friendly than those products made from traditional raw materials, are two focused on technologies developed, with United States Government funding, by the highly-regarded New Jersey Institute of Technology, as now accessible via:
West Virginia Coal Association | Coal Ash Can Reduce Construction Costs | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent 5,624,491 - Compressive Strength of Concrete and Mortar Containing Fly Ash; 1997; Inventors: John Liskowitz, et. al.; Assignee: New Jersey Institute of Technology; Abstract: The present invention relates to concrete, mortar and other hardenable mixtures comprising cement and fly ash for use in construction. Such materials can ... significantly reduce construction costs. The research leading to the present invention was conducted with Government support under Contract No. DE-FG22-90PC90299 awarded by the Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in this invention"; and:
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Sometimes, in the course of our research and reportage, we just stop, look at each other, and laugh.
Sometimes, though, we almost cry.
Every day, we marvel.
We long ago likened our sense of the situation for you to that of a family sitting around in their living room, with an elephant squatting smack dab in the middle of their living room floor.
The thing is obvious; but, at the same time it is so outrageous, so unbelievable, that, in some process of denial, nobody even mentions it, much less talks about it and openly discusses what to do about it.
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