China Extracts High-Tech Metal from Coal Ash

CN2011073392 METHOD FOR EXTRACTING GALLIUM FROM FLY ASH
We've previously documented the fact that Coal Ash can serve as an exemplary source, an ore, of some needed, even strategic, metals.
And that, in fact, shouldn't be all too surprising when you consider that Coal Ash is, in essence, just a natural mineral that has undergone some extensive preliminary refining and concentration in the boiler furnace of a power plant.

Japan is Recycling CO2 into Hydrocarbon Syngas

We regret what you will find to be the cluttered nature of this dispatch. And, we apologize to the exceptional Japanese company, and the accomplished scientists among their number, upon whom our dissertation is centered, for what will be the inadequate attention we will be able to devote herein to their achievements.
But, there is a lot of ground to cover.

Japan Converts CO2 into Lower-Cost Methane

We've made previous report on the one-time Japanese electronics giant, Panasonic Corporation, and their current apparent focus on the development of energy conversion technologies.
One such report, accessible in the West Virginia Coal Association Research and Development archives, is:
West Virginia Coal Association | Japan Hydrogen from Water and Sunlight | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 7,909,979 - Water Photolysis System and Process; 2011; Assignee: Panasonic Corporation, Osaka; Abstract: The present invention provides a water photolysis system ... for photolyzing water (to produce) hydrogen and oxygen".

India Carbon Dioxide + Methane = Hydrocarbon Synthesis Gas

Since we've continued to document the now-plain fact that Carbon Dioxide - - which, like the unrecognized answer to a prayer, is co-produced by our economically essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly affordable, over the long term, electric power - - is a valuable raw material resource, which can, as seen in our recent report of:

Virgin Islands CO2 to Methane

United States Patent Application: 0120228148

Although it's unlikely any of our direct addressee's are attending to their email this day after Christmas, we thought we would go ahead and send this slightly belated gift along, since it does have some, sort of oblique, tie-ins to Christmas, which we'll highlight with inserted comments as we go through our excerpts.
First of all, our gift to you is one we've repeated many times:
Carbon Dioxide, as is emitted in only a small way, relative to natural sources of the gas, such as the Earth's inexorable processes of planetary volcanism, from our economically essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly affordable electric power, is a valuable raw material resource.