Shouldn't places of higher learning set higher standards anyway? Campus recycle bins are great, but seem almost petty when stacked up against the fact that a school chooses to run on coal-fired energy (a.k.a. a leading cause of smog, acid rain, global warming, asthma, etc).

 

So, yay for Illinois. We didn't make the coal list. Or at least not the first one.

 

A total of 60 colleges and universities will be targeted, so hopefully we'll still prove clean. But let's be honest, whatever the verdict, Illinois is certainly steeped in coal business.

 

According to the Illinois State Geological Survey, of the more than one billion tons of coal consumed each year in the U.S., as much as 32 million tons originate in Illinois. This makes the use of coal power an increasingly touchy subject state-wide.

 

Just this August, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sued the owner of six coal-fired power plants. Apparently the owner, Midwest Generation, kept the plants operating well past their typical life span and replaced parts without adhering to modern pollution controls required by the Clean Air Act.

 

Then there's the controversial 'clean coal' technology push. An Illinois-based project, FutureGen, was recently reinstated by the Obama administration to build a coal plant that stores nearly all its emissions underground instead of emitting them in the air and contributing to global warming. It's a promising idea for many, including Clean Coal Illinois. While others still say coal is not the answer.

 

For more on the president's comments on clean coal and an overview of the whole coal issue, from mining practices to emissions, check out this outstanding source from the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

 

You can also learn about other energy options by visiting Illinois State University's Center for Renewable Energy.

 

Photo: Kenneth Hynek