The idea of addressing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions appears to have hit an impasse in the Senate.

Two powerful Senate panels are at odds over which will be the lead author on perhaps the most critical piece of the global warming bill.

Both the Environment and Public Works Committee and the Finance Committee are staking claim to the distribution of what is projected to be hundreds of billions of dollars in emission allowances for a range of industries, adding another layer of complexity to a legislative debate already rife with trap doors.

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A Siegel has a great diary up on a new television advertising campaign launched by the "Reality Coalition" today to convey this message: "In reality, there's no such thing as clean coal." I love the use of humor in the ad:

After the jump, I've posted the whole press release issued by the Reality Coalition. You can sign up to join their effort by clicking here.

My only concern about this message is that it suggests greenhouse-gas emissions are the only thing that makes coal "dirty." Coal-fired power plants are not only a major source of carbon-dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming, they are also one of the leading sources of fine particulate matter linked to asthma and other respiratory problems. This fine particulate matter, also known as particulate matter 2.5, "is much smaller in size and a more serious health hazard" than larger soot particles known as particulate matter 10.

Even if greenhouse gases and all other pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants could be controlled, coal mining itself would still create adverse environmental impacts. Making coal "clean" would require a lot more than capturing the carbon emissions.

Quibbles aside, I think this commercial is outstanding and look forward to more from the Reality Coalition.

I hope that future advertising will directly combat the coal industry's claim that we need new coal plants to meet future demand for electricity. In April, Iowa regulators approved Alliant's application to build a new coal-fired power plant near Marshalltown, and later explained that they did so because they think renewable energy sources will not be sufficient to meet Iowa's base-load electricity needs in the future.

The environmental movement needs to convince not only the public but also policy-makers from Barack Obama down to state-level regulators that Al Gore's vision of ending our reliance on carbon-based fuels is realistic.

UPDATE: Thanks to MyDD commenter mrlloy, who posted the link to a recent report from Greenpeace called The True Cost of Coal. It contains much more information about health and environmental hazards associated with mining and burning coal.

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Bush wants Congress to lift the ban on developing Oil Shale on federal lands on the Green River Plateau in Colorado and Utah.

That brought an immediate response from Colorado's Democratic Governor Bill Ritter:

GOV. RITTER CRITICIZES FEDS OVER OIL SHALE REGULATIONS

"Someday the technology may exist that will allow us to responsibly extract oil from Colorado shale. But that day is years away. That day will only come when crucial questions about impacts to water, air quality, wildlife and our local communities -- are fully understood and answered. That day is not today. This was a premature and unnecessary act by the federal government that is not supported by science or technology.

Extracting oil from shale rock is an extremely dirty, insanely carbon intensive process, that will dump huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere because the shale rock has to be heated to 700 degrees to get the oil out.

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Sen. McConnell:

Thank you for your August 3, 2006 letter regarding greenhouse gases and climate change.

Global warming does appear to be happening. Whether this is natural or exacerbated by human activity seems a bit moot. The earth has heated in the past without human intervention and can do it again with or without human intervention. However, by legalizing hemp we can restore the natural forces to stem this trend.

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Over on Kos, I just saw the greatest example of grassroots political activism I've ever seen, and I wanted to share it with folks on this site.  A group of Kos readers have gotten together and (with input from thousands of comments), written Energize America, a 20-point plan for making America energy-independent and reduce greenhouse gases in the process.  It's detailed and well-researched enough that you could easily write bona fide legislation based on it.  And yet you can sum up each of the 20 points in a few words, and the whole concept in a few sentences.  Put this on Howard Dean's desk, or Al Gore's or whoever our next presidential candidate is, and you've got a succinct energy policy that will revolutionize our economy, cut our dependence on Saudi Arabia and Iran, and quite possibly save humanity from extinction.  Check it out.

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