GRIST - Coal-to-liquid fuels: just not cool

Here's the take-home message. When it comes to CTL, we have two choices:

• Coal-to-liquid + carbon sequestration: This will be grotesquely expensive, and will only happen with massive government subsidies. The net result will be a liquid fuel that is just as bad for the atmosphere as current liquid fuels.
• Coal-to-liquid without carbon sequestration: This might be economically viable without subsidies, but it would be an utter disaster in terms of global warming.

Proponents are deliberately trying to confuse legislators and the public by wedging Coal-to-liquid under the "clean coal" banner alongside IGCC.

Full read here