Opinion of coal mining

[Potus]

I understand the concerns about coal. I believe in climate change and understand science. Coal is not a positive force when it comes to managing our global climate.

I can see where the technocratic minds of the Atlas conclude, "Coal causes climate change, get rid of coal, reduce climate change." That is logical when you're looking at it on paper. It is a quick, easy way to reduce the affects of climate change and help the planet. So, in the mind of this Internet forum, we should get rid of it.

However, this ignores the real cost of eliminating coal. Coal is the lifeblood of communities in my state. It provides thousands of families their livelihoods. It allows our economy to keep going. The drastic reduction in coal use has well-documented impacts on my state's economy. Those impacts are never positive. Many people are ready to argue how great the economic cost is and how that should serve as an argent to protect coal. I agree with them.

Beyond the basic economic cost, communities are built on coal. A county in my state lost a coal mine in their county seat a few years ago. When Alpha closed the mine, there were large layoffs. After unemployment benefits went away and the dust settled, the county school board faced a 27% decline in county funding for schools. Local resources for infrastructure and social services alongside police disappeared. The exit of the coal industry, hastened by excessive government, devastated the community.

Coal, even considering the environmental cost, is worth it. People have livelihoods and communities have life because of coal mining.

Freedom Activity.

[SWE]

A necessary evil

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I understand the concerns about coal. I believe in climate change and understand science. Coal is not a positive force when it comes to managing our global climate.

I can see where the technocratic minds of the Atlas conclude, "Coal causes climate change, get rid of coal, reduce climate change." That is logical when you're looking at it on paper. It is a quick, easy way to reduce the affects of climate change and help the planet. So, in the mind of this Internet forum, we should get rid of it.

However, this ignores the real cost of eliminating coal. Coal is the lifeblood of communities in my state. It provides thousands of families their livelihoods. It allows our economy to keep going. The drastic reduction in coal use has well-documented impacts on my state's economy. Those impacts are never positive. Many people are ready to argue how great the economic cost is and how that should serve as an argent to protect coal. I agree with them.

Beyond the basic economic cost, communities are built on coal. A county in my state lost a coal mine in their county seat a few years ago. When Alpha closed the mine, there were large layoffs. After unemployment benefits went away and the dust settled, the county school board faced a 27% decline in county funding for schools. Local resources for infrastructure and social services alongside police disappeared. The exit of the coal industry, hastened by excessive government, devastated the community.

Coal, even considering the environmental cost, is worth it. People have livelihoods and communities have life because of coal mining.

Freedom Activity.

You realize that the decline of coal is mostly due to the rise of natural gas (which is objectively better in every way), right?

[bedstuy]

I understand the concerns about coal. I believe in climate change and understand science. Coal is not a positive force when it comes to managing our global climate.

I can see where the technocratic minds of the Atlas conclude, "Coal causes climate change, get rid of coal, reduce climate change." That is logical when you're looking at it on paper. It is a quick, easy way to reduce the affects of climate change and help the planet. So, in the mind of this Internet forum, we should get rid of it.

However, this ignores the real cost of eliminating coal. Coal is the lifeblood of communities in my state. It provides thousands of families their livelihoods. It allows our economy to keep going. The drastic reduction in coal use has well-documented impacts on my state's economy. Those impacts are never positive. Many people are ready to argue how great the economic cost is and how that should serve as an argent to protect coal. I agree with them.

Beyond the basic economic cost, communities are built on coal. A county in my state lost a coal mine in their county seat a few years ago. When Alpha closed the mine, there were large layoffs. After unemployment benefits went away and the dust settled, the county school board faced a 27% decline in county funding for schools. Local resources for infrastructure and social services alongside police disappeared. The exit of the coal industry, hastened by excessive government, devastated the community.

Coal, even considering the environmental cost, is worth it. People have livelihoods and communities have life because of coal mining.

Freedom Activity.

That's only part of the story.  What about plain old air pollution?  What about water pollution?  What about the physical devastation of coal mining on the land itself?  What about the sulfur getting into the ocean and destroying our sea life by raising the acidity?  What about arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, etc ending up in our air, land and water.  And, then there are the local air pollutants, S02, NOx.  And, what about the workers who get black lung or die in mining accidents?

And, on the other hand, couldn't we create jobs working in the natural gas, nuclear, shale oil, solar, oil industry etc.?  It's unfortunate that any economic transition will have losers, but I think it's clear that coal is a terrible source of energy.  It's just a matter of the cost-benefit analysis.  Coal is a big source of electricity, so we can't stop using it tomorrow, but it's something we need to look to shift away from immediately.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I understand the concerns about coal. I believe in climate change and understand science. Coal is not a positive force when it comes to managing our global climate.

I can see where the technocratic minds of the Atlas conclude, "Coal causes climate change, get rid of coal, reduce climate change." That is logical when you're looking at it on paper. It is a quick, easy way to reduce the affects of climate change and help the planet. So, in the mind of this Internet forum, we should get rid of it.

However, this ignores the real cost of eliminating coal. Coal is the lifeblood of communities in my state. It provides thousands of families their livelihoods. It allows our economy to keep going. The drastic reduction in coal use has well-documented impacts on my state's economy. Those impacts are never positive. Many people are ready to argue how great the economic cost is and how that should serve as an argent to protect coal. I agree with them.

Beyond the basic economic cost, communities are built on coal. A county in my state lost a coal mine in their county seat a few years ago. When Alpha closed the mine, there were large layoffs. After unemployment benefits went away and the dust settled, the county school board faced a 27% decline in county funding for schools. Local resources for infrastructure and social services alongside police disappeared. The exit of the coal industry, hastened by excessive government, devastated the community.

Coal, even considering the environmental cost, is worth it. People have livelihoods and communities have life because of coal mining.

Freedom Activity.

This argument is difficult to reconcile with acceptance of anthropogenic climate change. What about the communities that increased temperatures, rising sea levels, and new weather patterns will destroy or permanently alter? What about the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen?

You raise valid social justice concerns - and it is true that many people would prefer to ignore them insofar as they weaken the case for reducing carbon emissions - but those concerns shouldn't end at the state line.

Coal miners and those whose jobs revolve directly around the coal industry should be eligible for free retraining and/or temporary employment in a revived WPA.