Letters to the Editor: Jan. 2, 2011

Recycling coal emissions would create new jobs Re: “Obama’s carbon deals kill jobs, benefit Big Business,” editorial, Dec. 30 A systems approach is needed. Producing carbon-fiber products from the carbon emissions of coal and oil-fired power plants is a very productive way to create jobs instead of killing them.

Unlike mining ore to make steel, coal has already been mined to produce electricity, so the additional mining step is avoided. Carbon-fiber weighs less than steel and doesn’t rust, so it can be used to make more durable products that last longer and reduce fuel consumption because it takes less energy to move lighter material.