Was Obama Terrified of Coal?
Frequent commenter MarcoPolo writes: How much difference a mere nine months can make! One of President Obama’s few real accomplishments was his irrational hatred of the US coal industry. In a mere eight years, President Obama contributed to massive job losses in coal country, the premature shuttering of vital coal-fired power plants, and responsible for once profitable coal companies filing for bankruptcy. Less than one year later President Trump has worked a miracle!
Holy cats, MP. You have some good ideas to contribute, but this sure isn’t one of them.
Obama (and the tens of thousands of scientists employed by the federal government) had an irrational hatred of coal? They had a phobia of rising CO2 concentrations, methane, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, selenium, dozens of different radioactive isotopes, birth defects, cancer, lung disease, climate change, ocean acidification and loss of biodiversity?
I wrote this before I Googled the subject, which enabled me to add: disruption of the nervous system, damage to brain functions, DNA damage and chromosomal damage, allergic reactions, sperm damage, miscarriages, peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, liver disease, severe vomiting, diarrhea, palsy, hypertension, kidney damage, intellectual disorders, and many dozen others I’d have to look up individually to understand.
So Obama and the entire scientific community have an irrational fear of all this stuff? Really?
And even if no one cared about health and the environment, you’re saying that the now-shuttered coal-fired power plants were “vital?” Has the grid become unstable as we’ve endeavored to rid ourselves of lethal poisons?
Yikes. This isn’t your best thinking.
Craig,
So Obama was concerned about “rising CO2 concentrations, methane, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, selenium, dozens of different radioactive isotopes, birth defects, cancer, lung disease, climate change, ocean acidification and loss of biodiversity” eh ?
So let’s be fair, I hope yopu don’t take offense if I ask that we calmly analyze how much is fact in your reply, and how much is just biased, hysterical ranting ?
1) While it’s true there’s always a danger of environmental pollution in the extraction and usage of any natural resource, experience has taught if the process is well regulated and carefully monitored, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Coal still contributes 34% of US electricity. More importantly it provides reliable electricity for industrial production at an economically competitive rate.
Now, let’s look at the Hypocrisy in your reply, shall we ?
1) If President Obama was so environmentally concerned, why instead of destroying an important part of the US economy( along with the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans), why didn’t he tackle the far bigger health threat posed by the continuing use of Marine Grade No 6 fuel oil ?
The dangers to human health and Global Warming are infinitely greater and more scientifically proven any danger posed by the American Coal industry.
Obama could have ended the world usage of bunker oil pollution with the stroke of a pen ! No damage to the US economy, no job losses, no destroyed US communities.
Instead, President Obama maintained regulations compelling US oil companies to continue producing Bunker Oil. Obama even indemnified oil companies from law suits, making the US government and taxpayers complicit in this environmental crime.
2) Oh hey, I can remember a time when you, Obama and your fellow ‘scientists’ were passionately anti-fracking ! But of course the enormous benefits (especially political), seem to have eroded your passionate opposition to a remarkable degree.
3) Only a few months ago, you and all your fellow pundits, declared the US coal industry “dead’! You jeered and ridiculed President’s Trump’s claims of a revival as a fantasy.
Alright, you are fully entitled to oppose coal production, but you are not entitled to continue denying the President has indeed revived the industry.
4) Let’s look at the health effects and pollution dangers inherent in both Wind and Solar technology ?
a) Could you please direct me to any plan proposed or instituted by President Obama (or yourself) to deal with billions of highly pollutant, virtually recyclable, obsolete solar panels ??
b) Could you explain why you prefer the far more toxic and environmentally harmful effects of Cobalt, Neodymium, Cadmium, Mercury, Selenium, silicon tetrachloride, hydrochloric acid, trichlorosilanes, hydrofluoric acid, sodium hydroxide, cadmium telluride, cadmium sulfide, (carcinogen and a genotoxin causing inheritable mutations), all of which are essential ingredients in Wind, Solar and Battery production ?
Could it be that you don’t mind if it’s only Asian’s, African’s South Americans and future generations who suffer the results of your misguided ideology ?
c) I haven’t even included all the fossil fuel energy required to produce Wind turbines and Solar Panels.
5)” Has the grid become unstable as we’ve endeavored to rid ourselves of lethal poisons? ”
The answer is obvious ! Firstly, it’s doubtful if you’ve actually reduced the level of lethal poisons, but the grid was becoming more unstable, expensive and unreliable until the increase of coal fired generation by 14% kicked in this last year.
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Obama’s selective decisions on which environmental policies to follow were dictated largely by the need to secure party donations.
Obama’s war on Coal was only partly to please supporters like yourself in sunny California, mostly it was at the behest of wealthy backers like Buffet, and other billionaires with heavy investment in Renewable Energy.
The Coal industry isn’t perfect by any means, and it certainly isn’t my favourite choice of energy, but I’m not such a hypocrite as to wildly exaggerate Coal’s defects and potential defects, while ignoring or denying the defects in other technologies.
Not the best of idea’s, eh ? Well, once again I extend my welcome for you to leave the comfort of your armchair in Santa Barbara and come join my Odyssey among your fellow American’s (the ones you’ve forgotten or despise)(You can bring a friend) on the next leg of my journey through the coal and rust belt of America.
You’ve brought up the point about Marine Grade No 6 fuel oil many times before. I have no good answer for you here. Yet, to say that Obama isn’t interested in environmental protect because he didn’t address this is silly. The subject isn’t on most people’s radar screens, though I grant that it should be.
Your point about the attack on hundreds of thousands of coal jobs needs some tweaking. To start, there were only about 80,000 going into the Obama administration, and most of the job loss as come as result of automation of processes. Having said this, if every single one of these people are forced to find few jobs that aren’t as ruinous to their own health and that of the environment, that would be a good thing for all concerned.
If you think I’m going to debate you on the environmental damage done by coal, you’re wrong. I don’t argue about things like this, any more than I do about your last challenge (the deleterious effect of raising beef), the flat Earth theory, or climate denial. I don’t spend my limited time of Earth re-establishing facts that have been solidly part of human understanding for very long periods of time.
Having said this, I’m open to meeting you in the Rust Belt to examine whatever it is you’re talking about. Please name few different times and places, and I’ll make arrangements be there.
Craig,
Thank you for your reply.
I think the fundamental difference between us is you are selective when opposing environmental problems according to a preconceived political/ideological agenda.
I have no such hindrance.
Obama’s war on Coal didn’t just affect those directly employed in coal mines but the logistic industries supplying the coal industry. Along with communities and service industries all reliant on the employment created by coal mining.
More than 1,000,000 Americans were driven into poverty or hardship due to Obama’s pointless war on Coal.
(Incidentally, modern coal mining is no longer any more hazardous to health than most other professions, far healthier than construction).
When the Coal industry asks, but what about the benefits provided by Coal ? When the Coal industry asks why the environmental issues of renewable energy are not assessed or even acknowledged, you are are silent.
That’s the problem with political ideology, even well meaning adherents get caught up in the hypocrisy.
It indicates you have strong beliefs, but based on philosophic or emotive rationale, not logical, objective analysis.
If I advocate something, I expect to be able to support my proposals with objective, logical information. I don’t simply dismiss dissent by saying “I don’t waste my life finding out if I’m right or wrong ” !
I’m constantly questioning.
Pretending the US can create that last 33% of baseload electricity without coal is a fantasy. Just as pretending the 36% of baseload power generated by Natural Gas without fracking, is also a fantasy.
Likewise, pretending the hugely expensive 6% Wind and Solar of variable electricity production can be expanded to replace either of the fossil fuels is absurd. The height of environmental irresponsibility is pretending wind and Solar have no environment issues.
The height of hypocrisy is deliberately ignoring those issues for political or ideological reasons.
My main mission in my Odyssey through the US Coal and rust belt is to understand how these industries can benefit from clean(er) technology (or even if it’s possible).
I confess along the way I’ve become fascinated and humbled by the warmth and diversity of an America largely forgotten, misunderstood, and ignored by the American elite and the rest of the world.
Everywhere I traveled on this Odyssey I been met with incredible hospitality, honesty and I’ve learned to respect and empathize the struggle the folks are enduring.
I’m grateful for being able to spend time with my younger son, making up for much of the time missed during his childhood. He also provided me with the contrast between the new affluent American technocrat and older forgotten industrial-rural American.
I’m tremendously grateful to my young American fellow Argonaut for her boundless energy, energy, enthusiasm and ability to charm even the most suspicious curmudgeon.
The trip so far has proved to be enormous fun. I’m grateful to my long suffering staff, colleagues and clients back in the UK and Australia during my prolonged absence.
I’m leaving North Dakota where I had the privilege of attending a Coal industry luncheon and listening to Lori Shaw, a co-founder of http://www.colstrip-united.org/.
This is a really great website. (obviously biased, but very interesting. if only for Loni and her friends enthusiasm)
Loni is a great young American activist. We were intrigued to meet Loni when when we arrived so many folk greeted my fellow Argonaut as “Loni”, the resemblance between to two young women is uncanny !
(everyone has a doppelganger somewhere ! )
Knowing your love of articles with photo’s, I recommend an excellent article from NPR (along with a great photo of Loni Shaw):)
http://www.npr.org/2017/06/10/531789870/town-that-helped-power-northwest-feels-left-behind-in-shift-away-from-coal
Leaving ND I’m heading for an appointment in Detroit, then it’s on to the coal fields of Illinois and an appointment with an old acquaintance whose legal practice is mostly coal litigation.
later this month I’ll be in the Western Coal fields, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana etc. I’m anxious to see the difference and attend a conference on coal field rehabilitation.
This are is much closer to your home and I think the environmental issues would be of more interest you. When I have more details, I could send you an invitation if you feel it would be of interest.
The conference will also be reviewing the President’s decision to encourage the DOE to provide $50 million to fund the ” design, construction and operation of two large-scale pilots for transformational coal technologies to improve coal-powered systems’ performance, efficiency, emission reduction, and cost of electricity”.
I’ve never been to Wyoming or Montana so I’m eager to see how much different the Coal industry and the people are ‘out west’ ! (I can shear sheep so maybe the people in Montana will welcome me).
Every year, the workforce changes sizes and shape, as old technologies become obsolete and are replaced by new and better ones. There’s nothing special about coal as an obsolete technology, nor is there anything unique about the people whose livelihoods depended on coal, whose jobs are being displaced by automation, natural gas, and, to a smaller degree, renewables. Today, almost nobody’s developing film, making floppy disks, typewriters. minicomputers or fax machines, selling buggy whips, pumping customers’ gas, making hulu hoops, or delivering milk. It’s just an unavoidable (and, on the whole happy) truth of our existence.
I find it hard to believe that you’re sincerely sorry about any of this.
Re: the town in the picture that felt abandoned when coal went away, I’m reminded of a prospective client in New Bedford, MA, 19th Century whaling capital, whose motto at the time was “We Light the World.” Of course, this was before gas, which was before electricity, and so this phrase was only a slight exaggeration; they did indeed light the East Coast of the U.S.
Yet I’m not sure anyone regrets the technologies that cost so many of these seafarers their jobs.
Craig,
I felt great empathy for the devastation to UK Coal Miners when their communities and traditions were destroyed as the heavily subsidized and nationalized British Coal industry closed during the 1980’s.
At the time, I believed their cause futile, but that didn’t stop me feeling compassion.
At that time the UK was torn apart by massive left wing protests and bitter trade union rage at the pit closures. The legacy of hatred toward the Thatcher Government still lingers.
Thirty years later, I note with considerable irony the UK green-left castigating Conservative energy policies and condemning coal use, while still condemning the Thatcher Government’s anti coal policy. But that’s the left for you, masters of hypocrisy !
Unlike whale oil, coal still provides over 40% of the world’s electricity production. Your assertion of obsolescence would appear very premature !
Surely it’s better to invest in clean(er) coal technology than simply pretend alternatives already exist, while doing nothing environmentally positive except fantasizing ?
President Trump’s policies have shown, without deliberate anti-coal federal government policies, the Coal Industry and coal communities are reviving, especially in export markets.
I’m hoping to meet Lori’s two Montana ranchers who have developed their own strain of Sainfoin on reclaimed coal land that’s been strip mined.
I’m an early adherent of Sainforn as natural soil enrichment and high yield forage for livestock. Lori’s interview with these good people is a great example of the vibrancy, charm and optimism she and her fellow contributors inspire on http://www.Colstrip United.org.
I find it hard to believe you think the opinions of these young American citizens, efforts to sustain and improve their small communities in which they feel justifiable pride, are somehow less deserving and inferior to the self-centred, privileged, spoiled, intolerant radical student demonstrators screaming incoherently at UC-Berkely ?
These folk are your fellow Americans. Their lives matter too.
I also find it incongruous how you are willing to demonstrate against Gas Pipelines and fracking, while extolling gas as a replacement for Coal !
Oh, but then I forgot, Warren Buffet,( the Democrat parties largest donor) invested $ billions in rail rolling stock to transport oil and gas. (I wonder if Buffet had instead invested in pipelines, if President Obama’s opposition to pipelines, may have suddenly evaporated ?)
The Coal industry will eventually die, but not for many, many decades. Coal provides economic and reliable ‘Power on Demand ” for industrialized societies.
The US shale revolution will continue to provide economic advantages for several generations of US consumers, but as NG export demand grows, the US must start to conserve it’s energy advantage.
Coal will remain economically important. Hopefully, developing technology will mitigate environmental concerns. The Coal Industry is working hard to develop environmental technology.
In the meantime, why are RFA advocates like yourself, not addressing (or even willing to discuss) the equally massive environmental issues created by renewable energy ?