Coal seen as answer to energy crisis "Coal will be the salvation of the country." But "in the present cli mate of 'there's no energy crisis be cause the gas tanks are full' it is difficult to bring about the national commitment to get on with the job of doubling coal production in 10 years." Such is the outlook presented last week in Washington, D.C., by energy consultant Earl T. Hayes at the National Symposium on Energy and Materials. The meeting was held under the sponsorship of the American Chemical Society's Divi sion of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry and Committee on Chemistry and Public Affairs, along with more than 20 scientific, engi neering, government, and indus trial organizations. Relatively speaking, Hayes writes off any rescue from other energy sources. Alaskan and shale oil will only counterbalance declining pro duction in the contiguous U.S. and any growth can only come about from increasing imports. The out look for natural gas is even less re assuring. Present growth prospects for hydro and nuclear power "are not overwhelming." And "the breeder reactor has priced itself out of the market." Other energy forms such as solar, refuse burning, and geothermal may constitute 3 to 4% of U.S. needs by 1985. The only answer, the former Bureau of Mines official asserts, is to double the amount of coal mined in the next decade and build coal conversion plants. However, the probability of doing it hinges on a national commitment, with the in stitutional problems far outweigh ing those problems of a technical nature. Looking ahead 10 years, Hayes sees coal furnishing a third of U.S. energy needs if production were doubled from the current 600 mil lion tons per year to 1.2 billion tons per year. The rapid increases, ac cording to Hayes, would coihe in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Such a change in the energy dis tribution pattern, however, wouldn't be without many difficulties. Tre mendous investments will be needed for new mines and gasifica tion and liquefaction plants. The normal investment pattern of 22% for energy, Hayes says, will have to rise to 35%. And coal liquids and gases will cost two to three times more than today's prices, he points out. D 6
C&EN June 16, 1975
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John Κ. Crum
ACS Board elects new treasurer Dr. John K. Crum will become treasurer and chief financial officer of ACS effective July 1. The so ciety's board of directors elected Crum to the position during its meeting in Columbus earlier this month. (For more o i the board meeting see page 40.) In his new position Crum, who joined the society's staff in 1964, will direct all of the society's fi nancial operations. He also will be one of the society's five officers— the others are the president, the president-elect, the executive di rector, and the chairman of the board of directors. Crum succeeds Dr. Milton Harris, who was elected treasurer upon the retirement of Robert V. Mellefont last October. Harris has served on a part-time, unpaid basis. Crum's first job with ACS was assistant editor of Analytical Chem istry. He became managing editor of the publication in 1968. He was made group manager for journals in 1970 and since 1971 he has been director of the books and journals division. In Columbus the board confirmed the appointment by executive di rector Robert W. Cairns of Dr. D. H. Michael Bowen as the new director of the books and journals division to succeed Crum. Bowen joined the society's staff in 1967 as assistant editor of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. He was managing editor of Environmental Science & Tech nology from 1969 through 1972. In January 1973 he was made head of the journals department. G
U.K. vote on EEC heartens industry An almost audible sigh of relief went up throughout European Eco nomic Community members as the U.K.'s referendum results came through. By an unmistakable twoto-one majority, the man in the
street in Britain indicated his desire to "remain in Europe." The decision should put an end to the bickering and debate which have continued over the past 20 years or so as to whether the U.K. should align itself with the policies of her neighbors across the English Channel. It removes the uncertain ties that have surrounded the issue. And it opens the way for British government leaders to play a whole hearted and positive role in the future development of EEC. The removal of the uncertainties also should aid executives of both British and non-British firms oper ating in the U.K. in deciding whether to put their new capital in vestments in the U.K. or to opt for other locations. The general con sensus now is that plans, many of them involving chemical opera tions, will move ahead in the U.K. One of the most vocal opponents to continuing British membership in EEC was Anthony Benn, until last week secretary of state for in dustry (in a Cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Harold Wilson re assigned Benn to head the Energy Ministry). Benn warned, for in stance, that if Britain "stayed in Europe" half a million or more British jobs would be jeopardized, some 8000 of them in the chemical industry. The Chemical Industries Association, on the other hand, took the opposite tack. According to CIA calculations, the additional volume of trade that came to the U.K. since it joined EEC two years ago has been responsible for 8000 or more additional jobs in chemical and related activities. Monsanto Ltd.'s chairman Eric Sharp notes that from his com pany's point of view "the vote is significant." He points out that in 1974, U.K. Monsanto's sales to the other eight EEC member countries —Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxem bourg, and the Netherlands—ac counted for about a third of its pretax operating profits of $38.5 million. The U.K. arm of Monsanto currently is involved in multimil lion-dollar expansion programs in the country. One of them involves a large nylon 66 intermediates plant in partnership with Italy's Montedi son. Imperial Chemical Industries chairman Rowland Wright is "heartened, and at the same time relieved at the result. The implica tions of the vote augur well for the growth prospects of ICI." His com pany's 1974 sales to the other eight EEC countries exceeded $840 mil lion. D
