The National Academy of Engineering's annual meeting focused on the promise and problems of synthetic fuels development. (BB)

Redevelopment and expansion of United States coal resources are economic necessities. Environmentalists' objections to the less expensive, available United States coal, that introduces large amounts of SOx and particulates into the air, may be overcome with the options of coal cleaning, tall stacks, material recovery and stack cleaning. (BT)

Mass transit is possible in the United States, but only if the form it takes offers americans the quality of ride--cheap, private and rapid--they now have in the automobile. If these criteria are not achieved, Americans will continue to drive. (BT)

Hydrogen may be the fuel to help the United States to a non fossil energy source. Although hydrogen may not be widely used as a fuel until after the turn of the century, special applications may become feasible in the short term. Costs, uses, safety, and production methods are discussed. (BT)

With natural gas supplies unable to keep up with the demand, coal gasification is suggested as an alternative. (Author/CP)

The Fossil Energy Program is attempting to develop and demonstrate, in conjunction with industry, the technology necessary for establishing a synthetic fuels-from coal industry. Technologies discussed include coal liquefaction, high and low BTU gasification, advanced power systems, direct combustion, Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and petroleum,…

Solar and ocean thermal energy sources offer real potential for an environmentally clean fuel by the year 2000. A review of current research contracts relating to ocean-thermal energy, cost requirements of plant construction and uses of the electricity produced, such as synthesizing ammonia and synthetic fuels, are discussed. (BT)

To meet energy needs, the World's energy base must be broadly diversified. This diversification, including such possibilities as fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, geothermal, tidal and aeolian energy, must proceed without undue environmental damage and be economically feasible. Compromises between energy, economics and the environment will have to be…

Three systems, operating at sufficient scale, produce fuels that may be alternatives to oil and gas. These three recycling systems are: Black Clawson Fiberclaim, Franklin, Ohio; Union Carbide, South Charleston, West Virginia; and Union Electric, St. Louis, Missouri. These produce a wet fuel, a pyrolytic gas, and a dry fuel, respectively. (BT)

Municipalities and industry are being forced to seek alternatives to sanitary landfills and incineration as means of eliminating solid wastes. Based on the Columbia study, the two most cost-effective, environmentally acceptable alternatives are the high temperature, oxygen-fed pyrolysis process and the co-combustion of refuse-derived fuel in…

This article discusses the need for more accurate and complete input data and field verification of the various models of air pollutant dispension. Consideration should be given to changing the form of air quality standards based on enhanced dispersion modeling techniques. (Author/RE)