Coal gassification or pulverized coal?  Neither!  Fuel cell/turbine solar collector algae/biogas conversion instead.

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/10/pulverized_coal.html#comment-24408921

Power plant pollution, waste water, and algae all mixed up and pumped through solar collectors, can yield 4000 gallons of biodiesel per acre.  

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/10/vertigro_algae_.html#comment-23623140

In the case of solid oxide fuel cell/turbine generation that works with biogas from algae the whole system can wean itself from fossil fuels completely. Pulverized coal can be used as long as it is still needed, then biogas from digesting the half of the algae product not turned into biodiesel.

As the area of solar collectors increases the biogas eventually replacing most fossil fuel use as this form of generation becomes mainly a backup for renewable electric grid power from wind, water, and solar. No more combustion, rather fuel cell catalytic conversion at high temperature. Distributed generation and storage backed up by these regional solar algae/biogas energized  fuel cell/turbine power plants.

These systems could be mounted on the present power plant buildings. And surrounding buildings. When the sun shines the waste water, algae, and CO 2/ NOx pumped through the tubes in the concentrating solar collectors.

The heat byproduct would provide heating/cooling power for all the buildings the systems are mounted on.

And as long as we're talking fuel for mainly cars, why not mount the remainder of systems needed over parking lots and highways. That way no more undeveloped land need be destroyed to provide this algae based biofuel.

Branson ought to have backed these systems instead of ethanol. Gates screwed up and backed ethanol too. it's alarming.

What we are talking about is an energy re-evolution. Power plants re-evolving into algae/solar power from fossil power, and from combustion to catalytic fuel cell direct electric generation. The coal feeding the fuel cells and CO 2 to the algae until a big enough collector area is built to replace the coal itself with biogas.

And demand for the power plant going lower and lower as renewable sources come online.  And when the increasing amount of biogas from the algae meets the decreasing backup  power demand?  Well then coal becomes an excelent emergency energy source, but is hardly ever needed.

Another possible source of energy for this setup is algae filtered from fertlizer runnoff polluted rivers, lakes, and oceans.  why mine coal?  Filter algae instead.

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/10/biofuels_from_h.html#comment-23488923

Why no response from nuclear power advocates to a possible compromise to allow construction of newer, safer, waste eating nuclear power plants?

Because they know that nuclear power could not compete on a subsidy free, level playing field with renewable power. 

http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2006/10/biofuels_from_h.html#comment-23375189

This message needs to be on every blog and every media outlet that it can get to.  Disaster on every level from our present prevaling energy sources needs to be halted yesterday.

Stop combustion and nuclear fission as energy sources now!

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2006/9/21/233944/840/#27

Time for a new religious institution?  Based on the better aspects of other religions with the reverence of nature and it's conservation as the central tenant.

The collection plate is the sale of wind power from systems installed on land put into conservation trust by the community.  It could be a global community, with wealthier members donating time and money to bringing simple techology to those in less cash rich locales of spaceship earth.  Spiritual tourism, as other religions build homes, clinics, and schools around the world, this community could spread it's renewably powered lifestyle in that helpful, peaceful mode.

Meanwhile the capitalistic members would invest in businesses to manufacture and install these new techologies and produce organic food and renewable power to sell on their own for profit.  It's a kind of socialist/religious base, owning the land and power generation wind systems on it, and members as the individual (and partnered) family farms and businesses.  Land on the border and interior of conservation land could be sold or leased to members.