Articles by Chris Schults

Montana Governor wants to turn coal into a liquid diesel fuel

Anyone channel surfing last night that happened upon 60 Minutes might have recognized a familiar face: Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Last month, Grist published a story about Schweitzer, who is now promoting his latest big idea: turning Montana coal into a liquid diesel fuel.

It's not enough to completely break our addiction to foreign oil, but a start. Most coal today is used for electricity but the governor's plan is to turn Montana's billions of tons of untapped coal into a liquid diesel fuel for our cars.

Schweitzer wants to take coal that's been pressurized into a gas, and then use something called the Fischer-Tropsch process to convert that gas into a clean diesel fuel, similar to what is made at a demonstration plant in Oklahoma.

The governor handed Stahl a jar of this synthetic fuel, which looked and smelled clean. "Chanel No. 37," Schweitzer said, laughing. "It is diesel. You can pour that in your diesel car or truck right now."

Lesley Stahl also interviewed Dr. Robert Williams, a senior energy scientist at Princeton, who informed viewers that this fuel would be cleaner than conventional diesel since pollutants aren't being emitted into the atmosphere, but a lot of carbon dioxide would be released -- "twice as much carbon dioxide than traditional petroleum."

So what is Schweitzer's plan for dealing with the CO2?

"This spent carbon dioxide, we have a home for it. Right back into the earth, 5,000 feet deep," the governor explains.

He plans to sell that carbon dioxide to oil companies that use it to boost the amount of oil they can pump. "It's called enhanced oil recovery. It's worth money to the oil business," Schweitzer said.

Read more about the segment and watch a clip at CBSNews.com.

Grist vs. The Wall Street Journal

I kicked off the "Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale" on Friday, and now Treehugger gives us the "Slaughterhouse Smackdown," wherein Grist and The Wall Street Journal go head-to-head over differing perspectives on the impacts slaughterhouses have on American life. Grist is currently leading 76 to 10.

The Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale: Match 1

Is it me or has it been pretty serious here in Gristmill as of late? This is Grist -- "gloom and doom with a sense of humor," you know? Plus, it is Friday. So, I've decided to launch a new weekly tradition here in Gristmill: "The Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale"!

Here is how it will work:

1. The Daily Grist Headline Battle Royale nominating committee (yours truly) will pick the top five Daily Grist headlines from the week based on humor, wit, and the presence of soy milk coming out of my nose.
2. I'll post the top five headlines for your consideration.
3. You vote. (Must be a registered Gristmillian.)
4. The following week I present the winner and the new batch of nominees.
5. And maybe -- just maybe -- at the end of the year we'll have a "Daily Grist Headline Deathmatch" where you choose the most punny headline of the year.

So here it goes -- the nominees are:

1. Utahward Bound: NRC approves nuke-waste dump on Utah Indian reservation
2. Mapled Crusaders: Community forests help revitalize New England towns
3. The Midas Crutch: EPA may replace ozone-depleting chemical with cancer-causing chemical
4. Finger-Lickin' Bad: How poultry producers are ravaging the rural South
5. One King to Bring Them All and in the Darkness Bind Them: An interview with Sir David King, U.K.'s top scientist and climate crusader*

* As it was a short week due to the holiday, I included this one from last week. And it is a LOTR reference -- I just had to! (My precious made me do it.)

Vote

Now it is time to vote (click "Link and Discuss" below)! Remember, you have to be registered and logged into Gristmill to cast your vote.

(And PS, once you register, you'll also be able to post comments and submit your own posts within the Poverty & the Environment discussion area.)

Update [2006-2-25 9:7:16 by Chris Schults]: Apparently you don't have to be registered or logged into Gristmill to vote. We encourage you to register anyway so you can enjoy all the benefits of membership.

Remember: this is supposed to be fun. Happy Friday!

Media Shower: Listen up! And see the big picture.

This morning I received the Summer Rayne Oakes newsletter, which mentions that the eco-fashionista will be heading to Singapore to film "a new, entertaining environmentally-charged show." I've contacted SRO's PR firm for details.

Also highlighted in the newsletter is a video by New Century Thinking featuring Summer Rayne, who speaks on "fashion's hidden impact." So, who is New Century Thinking?

New Century Thinking is a media project in the early stages of development, dedicated to getting the varied stories of the movement into the mainstream. The project's principle focus is on the American college campus, which is rapidly expanding as a meeting ground for those who wish to realize the economic, social, and environmental opportunities upon which a brighter future depends.

Other videos feature Peter Senge, Sara Schley, Paul Freundlich and Billy Parish.