During the US Presidential Election there was a lot of talk about so-called “clean coal technology” and organizations such as the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity have been blanketing news outlets, CNN in particular, with ads claiming that clean coal is “closer than you think” implying that the coal that produces 60% of America’s energy will soon be clean. The fact however is that this “clean coal technology” is years away, and many years at that. Apart from a pilot project in Germany run by Swedish hydropower company Vattenfall, there are no true clean coal power plants in operation. And the Vattenfall project which uses oxyfuel technology, is both expensive and inefficient because of the technique used to extract CO2 from the process.

The fact remains: According to everyone, even the US Department of Energy, burning coal is the dirtiest way we produce electricity and it is a leading source of global warming pollution.

Fortunately the people behind ThisIsReality.org have stepped up to remind us all that clean coal is nothing but hot air. Go to their site to learn more and remember that if you are in the USA, every time you turn on a light bulb you are burning a lump of coal.