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I live in West Virginia where the Obama EPA's war on coal is one of the biggest issues. It actually started with Gore which is why WV turned Republican in the presidential elections since 2000.
I was surprised to learn that Wyoming is actually the top coal producer in the United States and that Montana and Colorado and Utah also produce coal. Yet we only hear about the War on Coal in the news as it relates to Appalachian areas like WV, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
Is it because coal mining is newer in the West so its not as ingrained in the culture and you have less families that have mined for generations? So it seems less bad when its simply preventing additional economic growth vs destroying the current economy?
I do hope more Senators and Congressmen from the western states also stand up to Obama, the EPA and the Democrats more vocally on this issue. His greenhouse gas emissions laws and limits on power plants will be economically destructive to everyone.
With his war on coal, Obama will eliminate 500,000 jobs, and cause a 20% hike in electric bills to residential consumers and manufacturers.
If Obama really wanted to cut CO2 emissions he would permit fracking on federal lands. Natural gas from private land fracking has already cut our CO2 emissions by about 20%, more than any other country in the world.
Obama policies will have exactly ZERO effect on the climate, since carbon emissions will grow substantially due to increased coal use by the Chinese and Indians. His policies' only result will be to reduce American prosperity.
With his war on coal, Obama will eliminate 500,000 jobs, and cause a 20% hike in electric bills to residential consumers and manufacturers.
If Obama really wanted to cut CO2 emissions he would permit fracking on federal lands. Natural gas from private land fracking has already cut our CO2 emissions by about 20%, more than any other country in the world.
Obama policies will have exactly ZERO effect on the climate, since carbon emissions will grow substantially due to increased coal use by the Chinese and Indians. His policies' only result will be to reduce American prosperity.
And whats funny, the US will export all that coal we don't use to, you guessed it, China.
I live in West Virginia where the Obama EPA's war on coal is one of the biggest issues. It actually started with Gore which is why WV turned Republican in the presidential elections since 2000.
I was surprised to learn that Wyoming is actually the top coal producer in the United States and that Montana and Colorado and Utah also produce coal. Yet we only hear about the War on Coal in the news as it relates to Appalachian areas like WV, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
Is it because coal mining is newer in the West so its not as ingrained in the culture and you have less families that have mined for generations? So it seems less bad when its simply preventing additional economic growth vs destroying the current economy?
I do hope more Senators and Congressmen from the western states also stand up to Obama, the EPA and the Democrats more vocally on this issue. His greenhouse gas emissions laws and limits on power plants will be economically destructive to everyone.
The economies of Kentucky and West Virginia are highly dependent on coal. They are not strong economies to begin with so effectively crippling one of their main sources of revenue is strongly felt throughout the state, and regardless of the political leaning of the citizens, it is seen as a war on their state. The western states have other reliable primary sources of generating revenue so they don't react as strongly. Kentucky and West Virginia are really struggling as a result of some of these regulatory changes.
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There is a coal mining area (several towns) just to my southeast (this is in Utah). It was a huge producing area at one time and was established as a coal mining area well over 100 years ago--probably 150. But it has been slowing down for many, many years. There are many ghost towns and a few of the larger towns that still survive (Price being the largest). Coal is still produced there, but it's minuscule compared to what it was.
Thing is, it's been slowing down for so long that I don't think Obama's policies have really affected it that much. The mines that have been operating over the past decade or so are for the most part still there.
The natural gas industry has had its own little war on coal. Its pretty easy to switch from coal to gas providing a gas line is nearby. The two biggest coal fired plants in the west that have come under attack from environmentalists were the Mohave power station which is now shut down and being dismantled and the Navajo Generating Station in Page. The EPA may force the Navajo station into upgrades which will passed on to the consumers in Arizona. There is really no alternative except using coal.
I live in West Virginia where the Obama EPA's war on coal is one of the biggest issues. It actually started with Gore which is why WV turned Republican in the presidential elections since 2000.
I was surprised to learn that Wyoming is actually the top coal producer in the United States and that Montana and Colorado and Utah also produce coal. Yet we only hear about the War on Coal in the news as it relates to Appalachian areas like WV, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and western Pennsylvania.
Is it because coal mining is newer in the West so its not as ingrained in the culture and you have less families that have mined for generations? So it seems less bad when its simply preventing additional economic growth vs destroying the current economy?
I do hope more Senators and Congressmen from the western states also stand up to Obama, the EPA and the Democrats more vocally on this issue. His greenhouse gas emissions laws and limits on power plants will be economically destructive to everyone.
Republican politicians get huge amounts of campaign money from coal power plant owners. The power plant owners don't want to spend money on new technologies that make their power plants cleaner. And the republicans they give campaign money to stall the laws that make coal power plants cleaner.
Coal-burning is responsible for
• over 13,000 premature deaths every year.
• over 12,000 emergency room visits each year.
• over 20,000 heart attacks every year.
• over 200,000 asthma attacks a year.
• more than $100 billion in annual health costs.
• smog and soot, which can lead to asthma attacks.
(One in ten U.S. schoolchildren suffer from asthma.)
"And Reducing air pollution from the nation’s power plants is good for the nation’s economy. Pollution control technologies, such as scrubbers for SO2, are large projects that require a tremendous amount of skilled labor and materials. Since 2004 roughly 130 scrubbers have been installed at existing power plants. The average scrubber requires 380,000 man-hours to complete."
What I think scares the people at the Navajo Generating station is that there is a surplus of electricity in the west with more solar and wind coming on line. I do think they will put scrubber in their eventually but power can be had from other sources. As an example the Gila Bend Solar plant will be putting out 280 megawatts and another is planed for Mohave, CA. Still thats only a quarter of the Navajo plant. Its a start though. Even in the Navajo community the Navajo power plant is a mixed blessing as it provides jobs but also pollutes and tribal member has high rates of asthma.
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