"Senator Obama supports research into all technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source of energy," the e-mail said. "However, unless and until this technology is perfected, Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than conventional fuels."
Obama quietly released this email statement late yesterday to environmental advocacy groups but did not mention the issue during an appearance at a Brentwood gas station,
described in a new L.A. Times blog, designed to shore up his green bona fides with a renewed call to nationalize California's ambitious goals for reducing carbon levels in fuel.
Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Assn. called the senator's new statement the result of a "jihad" waged by some environmentalists against the coal industry.
"Clearly they are trying to intimidate Obama from doing something sensible."
