I'd say that a vast majority of the people in this country want what they think is best....the issues stem from disagreements over what is best. If progressives had their way, all coal miners would be out of a job and unable to provide for their families. If progressives had their way, numerous civil rights would be stripped from the people to make it easier for them to push their agenda. There are many other examples I could go through, but that's why I say when you set yourself up to be upset when good things happen, people end up happy that you are upset (shouldn't have to explain this but by "you" I don't literally mean you personally). I would agree that extreme views will not help this country, and that's why it is so concerning that the mainstream left has moved so far to the left over the last decade. Their mainstream views are now extreme. I would agree that moderation is they key, but these days moderation is seen as "far right" by progressives.
Domestic coal-fired generation is indeed dead. Except for a couple of clean coal experiments, no one is building new coal plants. The DOE would have to do something very drastic (which they've been asked to do) just to delay the retirements a few years, but the retirements will still come. But I see the increase in coal exports as a good thing for domestic electricity. That means the WH won't feel the same level of desperation to screw up US energy markets to save their friends at Murray. There is more than one use case for coal production. Eh, I'm reasonably happy about it. I mean, I don't like the pollution impact that we contribute because US coal production will push down global coal prices and slow the transition to other fuels that pollute less. But there is also such a thing as too fast. It would cause a lot of trouble in electricity production all over the world if the rug was suddenly pulled out from under coal, which would mean knock-on effects to everything that relies on electricity (which is just about everything). So given that we still need coal in the present as we transition to gas and renewables (and maybe nuclear in some places), and given that we're not really investing to expand our coal production or anything, it's good to go ahead and take the money that's there. I also wouldn't ever call it dead. Right now, the tech does not exist that we can use coal for energy in a way that is both clean and cost efficient. That doesn't mean we'll never get there. If we do, coal will be important again.
Most Americans have little idea how tariffs and international trade works. Its a little unreasonable to suggest that people in Coal Regions are somehow better educated on the impact of foreign trade policy.
Perhaps, but perhaps I have more confidence that people in a particular industry have more awareness of the important issues that effect them, whether its a coal worker in Kentucky, or a soy farmer in Iowa, or an oil field worker in Texas.
Just wait until he hears about Trump's plan to expand our fleet of clipper ships and corner the whale-oil market! There are over 40,000 farms in Mississippi and agriculture is the state's #1 industry.
Well the farm count is meaningless. My wife technically owns a "farm" in Mississippi (according to the Dept. of Agriculture) despite it not being actively farmed since the early 1900s. And Missisippi is 25th in the US in farm output with around 1% of US farm output. That's pretty bad for a state that was near the top of the US before the Civil War.
am i reading that graph correctly?2011, 2012, 2013? Mr. David dennison did a TREMENDOUS job in that industry in those years. Thank you, Mr. Dennison.
The economies of rural communities generally depend on commodity extraction -- farming, logging, mining, ranching, fishing, drilling, etc. It is more rare to have a rural economy built on finished products, trade, or services because the former endeavors tend to create cities and the latter tends to spring up in cities. So when coal goes away, yeah it's going to kill a lot of small communities that depended on it. Same happened with logging, with changes in agriculture, with oil busts. It doesn't mean the whole region is dead though. It means people need to move -- generally to cities -- to find new opportunity. Many of the fastest growing MSAs are in the South. I am sympathetic. It sucks to be displaced. It breaks up communities and fragments families. You have to deal with uncertainty and learn new things and take risk. But I don't want to try to stop it from happening. Happy to have the government help with transitions. Why should we have them dig coal though if we don't want coal?
You may be right. They are small in number but they have very tough jobs, often with poor working conditions and their careers are in jeopardy as their jobs are becoming obsolete. It's a tough situation.
It's unfortunate yes, but there are unfortunate people all over the world, including those who have to breath that crap in. The laws of economics are killing the coal industry. Instead of fighting a lost cause, they'd be best served to figure out how to live without coal.
Moderation these days is seen as far extreme right is more like it, just look at the GOP stance on various issues these days vs the past.
Well yeah, the right has moved left, the left has moved further left so what was "moderate" 20 years ago is seen as "far extreme right" as you put it. It's to the point where the left is eating others from the left for being "Alt right" if they don't agree with 100% of the agenda.
The only think the country has moved further left on is lgbt issues which most posters here even you would adnit is a positive thing . Pretty much everything else from trickle down economics(marginalmtax rates) and banking regulation in the past half century has moved farther to the right.
Burning coal ****s over everyone on the planet - doesnt' matter if we make money on it, it is foolish behavior.. DD
