Barack Backtracks On Liquid Coal Fuel

In a reversal, Sen. Barack Obama said yesterday that he could no longer support the idea of converting coal into liquid fuels for vehicles, an idea that excites the coal industry and offers an avenue for boosting domestic fuel production, but which comes handicapped for its contributions to global warming pollution. With his decision, the Democratic presidential candidate chose the path favored by environmental leaders and many in his party's base, and rejected the wishes of a solid industry in his home state of Illinois. Obama would only back government incentives for a liquid coal fuel if a technology can be developed to reduce its carbon content to a point significantly lower than petroleum fuels, according to a story in the June 13 Los Angeles Times.