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The fossil fuel industry employs mostly skilled labor and people with degrees. Mechanics, welders, machine operators, chemists, explosive technicians, surveyors, geologists etc. Furthermore those salaries typically exceed the national averages.
Indeed.
Which the Trump detractors see as no different than a minimum wage job at Arbys. Case in point ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redd Jedd
....And again, more people work in retail (~4 million) than in coal mines (~70K).
Which the Trump detractors see as no different than a minimum wage job at Arbys. Case in point ...
Honestly, we will always need coal for industrial uses but burning it for energy is dated, dumb and dirty. Even if you didn;t account for the external costs of coal, which the industry has gone decades without paying, it's simply going to die out in favor of natural gas and more reliable renewables.
Common people, coal is dead. It has been dead since the late 70's. Like others have mentioned. Up 19% means nothing without context.
From about 1970 until 2008 US coal production doubled. The decline from 2008 was caused by a variety of things. Poor economy, natural gas and an administration that was dong everything they could to put them out of business.
From about 1970 until 2008 US coal production doubled. The decline from 2008 was caused by a variety of things. Poor economy, natural gas and an administration that was dong everything they could to put them out of business.
He/she may have been referring to employment levels. Coal production is less labor intensive now and needs fewer workers.
From about 1970 until 2008 US coal production doubled. The decline from 2008 was caused by a variety of things. Poor economy, natural gas and an administration that was dong everything they could to put them out of business.
Yep and the fact that Obama's been gone 6 months, and coal production is up 19% in just that short time, says it all.
Yep and the fact that Obama's been gone 6 months, and coal production is up 19% in just that short time, says it all.
No it does not!
Nearly all the resurgence in coal prices lately (which relates to increased production) is for MET coal, not steam/thermal. This has much to do with the USA and other economies and the fact world's dominate producer of MET coal, Australia is having problems of late.
For much of Obama's presidency both the US and many world economies were in recession to near depression status; as such the demand for steel dropped. Now things are picking up again and (also again) Australia is having issues, so MET coal prices are up due to demand.
Thermal/steam coal OTHO is not truly increasing and even the most ardent supporters of coal will admit long as the country is awash in cheap natural gas coal for electric power generation will continue to see decreased levels.
Pick any given month since His Orangeness was elected and you'll find a notice of this or that coal burning power plant being shut down. Until or unless someone can come up with technology that makes coal power plants less labor intensive, more clean burning, emit less CO2 and so forth against natural gas *and* can have the thing built at or for less cost, coal's days are numbered.
In the end you'll likely have a few holdout hard core states (usually GOP leaning or lead) that will keep coal for power generation. Everyone else in coming decades likely will have moved on; again this assumes the continued "glut" or at least low cost natural gas.
When the railroads and shipping moved from coal to oil or other energy sources to produce steam there was much wailing and moaning. People did all the could to either derail that process and or try and invent ways to make coal competitive; it all largely went now where/failed. To take things further railroads and shipping largely got shot of steam and went to diesel, electric or nuclear power.
The same thing happened with home heating and the other uses for once dominate King Coal. That left only MET and thermal/steam for power production. The latter is in decline/endangered and the former is in its own way also under attack from natural gas, but in a limited way.
Obama leaves office. He used the EPA to declare war on coal. It failed. He's out of office, his political party destroyed by his policies. Trump yanks back EPA overreach. Coal production up 19% 6 months later.
Obama leaves office. He used the EPA to declare war on coal. It failed. He's out of office, his political party destroyed by his policies. Trump yanks back EPA overreach. Coal production up 19% 6 months later.
It's not complicated.
way to make up your own facts and stick to them no matter what, even when proven to be wrong...
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