We've now documented many instances wherein technology has been developed, by very credible people and organizations, that enables the extraction of valuable minerals and metals from Coal power plant ash.
Oddly, most such Coal Ash "mining" technologies have originated in the upper mid-west, where they don't mine a whole lot of Coal, but sure do burn a bunch of it to generate economical electricity.
We had been intending to make report of the extraordinary Carbon Dioxide recycling achievements of Russian emigre electrical engineer, Dr. Alex Severinsky, the founder of a couple of entrepreneurial start-up companies, and part-time lecturer at the University of Maryland.
Our documentation of his work had, heretofore, consisted primarily of Applications for United States Patents on his CO2-recycling processes and technologies; but, that has changed in somewhat dramatic fashion.
As we've pretty thoroughly documented, the companies that ultimately coalesced into that beloved giant of the petroleum industry, ExxonMobil, had worked, and still are working, to refine the various processes by which Coal, and other Carbon sources, can be transformed into liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
One of the ways in which that can be accomplished is via a process of gasification, wherein the Coal, and/or additional Carbon sources, are transformed through partial oxidation into a synthesis gas blend of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide, which gases can then be catalytically condensed into the desired hydrocarbons.
United States Patent Application: 0110114501
We've now made quite a number of reports documenting the development of an efficient technology for the recycling of Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever source, and it's conversion into synthetic hydrocarbons, by a team of scientists associated with New Jersey's Princeton University.
A few of those reports have included:
Princeton Recycles CO2 with US Government Support | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent Application 20100187123A1 - Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Organic Products; 2010; Inventors: Andrew B. Bocarsly and Emily Barton Cole, NJ; Government Interests: This invention was made with United States government support from Natural Science Foundation Grant No. CHE-0606475. The United States Government has certain rights in this invention. A method of converting of carbon dioxide to provide at least one product ... (and) where the at least one product is methanol, isopropanol, formic acid, formaldehyde, glyoxal or ethanol"; and:
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
A lot of us, over the years, have heard the name "UNESCO", and understand that is something that has to do with the United Nations.
But, we doubt that very many of us know what "UNESCO" actually means or stands for; or, what it is, exactly, that "UNESCO" actually does.
In brief, the acronym stands for the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization"; and, more can be learned via:
Introducing UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; wherein we're told, in part, that:
"UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information."