Green Daily

First, they were under fire for hosting the Olympics while refusing to give up occupation of Tibet. Then, people were angry because Olympic athletes will have to perform in an unhealthy, polluted environment.

Now they've made a decision that's will undoubtedly prove to be just as unpopular as the former: they plan to build a plant that will turn coal into oil (think of it as a Rumpelstiltskin-type story, but replace Rumpel with greedy Chinese lawmakers).

Called coal-to-liquid (CTL), the process produces tons of nasty greenhouse gases, and raises concerns about how long oil-rich countries can meet our insatiable demand for oil.

And in order to turn the coal into liquid, as Rumpel could tell you, you need a ton of energy, so much of the energy (see: carbon dioxide) is wasted in the process.

Oh - and now CTL is being examined by the U.S. Great.

via [ENN]