Coal in our stockings for years to come

There is an article in the NY Times today discussing the setbacks with the new generation of technology of carbon sequestration, which would allow coal plants to remove pollutants such as mercury and sulfur from coal before burning. I would point out that the majority of money has come from the government, not the private sector. About 85%.

I support this clean coal technology and recognize the need as we attempt to transition to a more carbon neutral economy, but this just shows how much money is in the coal lobby. If the government would invest in the proven technology of solar and wind energy, we could bypass all the possible problems of pumping carbon dioxide back into the Earth. Opponents to these technologies often say we should not rely on subsidies and that the free market will take care of solar and wind if there is demand. It is difficult to lay the groundwork for tomorrow's economy while we continue to subsidize the economy of yesterday based on our addiction to coal and oil.