Coal is dirty, but it’s cheap. Can new technology help turn this abundant energy supply into a clean and economically viable fuel? London, England (CNN) — It is one of the most abundant natural resources, providing around a quarter of the world’s total energy and powering over 40 percent of our electricity supplies. But it’s also one of the dirtiest with the world’s 2,300 coal-fired power stations contributing around 40 percent of all man-made emissions, according to the World Coal Institute. Their continued use enrages many environmentalists who argue that we should be phasing coal out. But the coal industry is pinning its hopes on the rather oxymoronic-sounding ‘clean coal,’ which has become the umbrella term for a range of new technologies that share the aim of cleaning up coal in the 21st century. Earth’s Frontiers takes a look at the options: Pre-combustion Video: Engineering cleaner coal Video: The greenest barrel of oil Gallery: Carbon capture and storage According to the UK’s Scottish Center for Carbon Storage(SCCS), this method — provided it is used in tandem with CO2 storage — has the potential to create almost emission-free fuel. Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) […]