Yesterday, I saw yet another one of those advertisements for learnaboutcoal.org, with yet another kid talking about how great coal is. The latest ad showed a kid talking about how we have more coal than there is foreign oil and how we will have this supply for hundreds of years. The kid then says something to the effect of "that's worth learning about." I don't particularly like these ads because they suggest that coal burning is something that is beneficial for the next generation in kind of an absolute way. The reality is that yes, coal will probably continue to be burned when these kids get older for electricity. Yet, what would really be great is if kids today focused their energy on researching alternative energy rather than an inherently very dirty fossil fuel. It really bothers me given the amount of mercury that is released into the air when coal is burned (more with certain types than others) and the effect that this mercury can have on children's health. Kids who have actually suffered problems from mercury would probably not be featured on one of these ads.

Further, even if IGCC technology is used to make coal a cleaner energy source, we are still left with the question of what to do with the carbon dioxide that is generated when coal is burned. There is talk about injecting it into the ground, but I don't think this process is close to being perfected. So, if coal continues to be burned without the IGCC technology, we will still be dealing with more emissions that can contribute to global warming. When the kids in these coal ads get older, will they still be so gung-ho about coal if the scientists' fears about global warming's effects hold true?

I think that the creators of these ads need to stop hiding behind kids and having them promote coal. Since they are promoting a dirty product, perhaps they should do their own dirty work of advertising it themselves.