What’s Happening in the U.S. Coal Industry Is Most Certainly Not Helping the Miners
I’m lucky enough to have been born a straight while male, adopted as an infant into an affluent family with terrific values that included the importance of education. As a result of this fortuitous combination, I personally have relatively little to fear from the Trump administration (other than perhaps its assault on banking regulation).
It’s a cruel irony that people like me, i.e., those who have the least to lose, are the most strident critics of the U.S. president. By contrast, the working class, most of whom were never given the benefits I received as an accident of birth (adoption), are direct victims of Trump’s tax breaks for the rich, escalation of the military, commerce wars with U.S. trading partners, and, most notably, his vigorous attack on healthcare and public education. Yet here’s the punch line: their support of Trump in unflagging, regardless of his utter disregard for their welfare.
Perhaps the most obvious and most tragic case is coal miners. From this article:
Since Trump took office, the number of mining jobs has gone up. But it hasn’t doubled, no matter what lies Scott Pruitt tries to spread. Instead, jobs in mining increased from about 50,300 when Trump took office, to 51,900 in October—an increase of about 3 percent. But something else has gone up much faster. Deaths in U.S. coal mines this year have surged ahead of last year’s, and federal safety officials say workers who are new to a mine have been especially vulnerable to fatal accidents.
Here are people whose families are losing loved ones, and they’re still clinging on the the notion that Trump was sent by God to Make America Great Again. How much more punishment do they need to suffer? It’s not enough that coal miners find themselves in a dying industry–they have wind up literally six feet under ground? What does it take?
Like so many people of compassion, I wait impatiently for the next shoe to drop in the Mueller probe. Is Flynn cooperating? Is this national nightmare approaching its end? On behalf of every American, even those too ignorant to know what’s happening right in front of their eye, I sure hope so.
Craig,
I’m astounded by your ill-informed and deliberately disingenuous misrepresentation of employment in the US coal industry.
Coal mining hasn’t been the dangerous, unhealthy workplace of 100 ago for many decades, or US miners wouldn’t be fighting so hard to keep the industry alive.
Unlike you, blinded by prejudice and deriving all your information from inaccurate and selective sources, I’ve just completed a three month tour of the US Coal mining industry.
Coal mining is one of the safest, most highly skilled occupations in America. Installing solar panels and wind turbines is on a per capita basis more dangerous.
US Coal industry employment since the election of President Trump has not only ceased to lose jobs, but has more than doubled while the flow on benefits benefits of increased economic activity has multiplied employment opportunists throughout coal mining communities and the general economy.
Each Coal industry job creates eleven associated jobs.
Over the last three months I’ve provided my first hand experiences, backed by many highly reputable and accurate sources, concerning the US coal mining industry, it’s practices and communities whose livelihoods depend on this industry.
The “working ” people whom you arrogantly claim to feel fortunate not to be countered among, don’t want your sympathy or condescension !
They love working in the coal industry. They are not “dupes”, “downtrodden slaves” or too ignorant to know better ! Most are highly skilled workers who love what they do.
Miners love their jobs and are proud to work in the Coal industry. Attitudes like yours have converted a huge swathe of traditional ‘working class’ democrat voters to become the most loyal President Trump supporters.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, list the most dangerous US occupations as :
Farmers, ranchers and agricultural managers.
Truck drivers.
Structural iron and steel workers.
Refuse and recyclable material collectors.
Roofers. (including solar panels installers)
Aircraft pilots and flight engineers. …
Fishers and fishing workers.
Logging workers.
In fact, coal mining is the safest of all jobs in the broader mining industry.
The article you quote is deliberately misleading, using BLS figures without regard for the BLS disclaimer.
BLS figures carry a warning that the statistics must be interpreted in context.
For instance, BLS information may not be accurate unless interpreted with other statistics. ie;
The BLS may not record an increase in coal truck drivers, coal rail loaders, ( the amount of coal loaded onto rail cars has increased 21.5 % in 2017) contract electricians surveyors, mechanics, equipment service technicians, management and office employees, computer operators and other support staff are also not included.
These employees are counted in other statistical categories. Like all industries, the greatest increase in coal industry employment has been among support staff for rapidly mechanized industry. To counter this anomaly, the BLS advises increase should be multiplied by a minimum of 11 times to be accurate.
On top of this multiplying affect must be taken account employment associated with the economic activity generation in the community.
Employment in cafes, shops, construction, infrastructure, banking, postal and community services, school teachers, linesmen, bus drivers, accommodation, etc.
Not included in these statistics are the huge number of jobs created in land reclamation and rehabilitation paid for by the Coal industry.
Your lurid claim “Deaths in U.S. coal mines this year have surged ahead of last year’s” is a complete and deliberate falsehood !
The article quoted figures from all mining in the the ” metal and nonmetal mining ” segment. The “surge” was actually and increase from six to ten deaths.
Those deaths included a miner killed driving to work, while another was working on high voltage overhead transmission lines in crossing a mining zone.
Another example of your disingenuous information is the claim thecoal industry hasn’t increased production under the Trump administration.
Anti-Trump critics have produced reams of graphs, charts and statistics proving the demand for US coal for US electricity generation hasn’t greatly increased, so the President’s claim Coal production has increased is a lie !
In any other circumstance such an illogical claim would be comical, but we live in weird times. This really is “fake news”, but has become widely and repeatedly quoted in the mainstream media.
The obvious flaw in the reasoning is not all US Coal is sold to US electricity utilities. The US has become a major Coal exporter, particularly to the Baltic states, and Ukraine thus helping to negate Russian energy dominance, while helping the US balance of trade.
Craig, this sought of bias and malicious disinformation should be beneath you ! Your hatreds and prejudice are affecting your judgement and damaging your credibility.
You may retreat back to a small group of like minded fanatics, but is that what you set out to do all those years ago ?
The truth is the truth, it must be faced no matter how uncomfortable. The truth can only be acquired by being open minded and realistic. It means listening to other people with whom you disagree, but who may have some knowledge to impart.
Burying yourself in a bunker, and refusing to hear unpleasant truths, never ends well.
I implore you, open your heart, mind and considerable intellect and rejoin the rest of us in a more moderate, less idealistic,( but more productive) journey to make our economy, planet and future a better place to prosper.
Reach out to your fellow human beings and listen to their hopes and ambitions, the y may not be the same as yours, but they don’t deserve supercilious contempt.
The election of Donald Trump seems to have unhinged you. The Trump Presidency is a reality. Regardless of the US administration, much can still be accomplished.
I urge you to leave your friends and supporters in Santa Barbara at take a road trip among people not like yourself. Get to know your fellow American, especially different types of Americans.
These people will surprise you.
Nothing can be accomplished by sitting in a bunker, hoping the nasty President will go away !
Craig,
Just thought you should consider the latest information from the EIA.
“U.S. coal production during second quarter 2017 totaled 187.1 million short tons. This was 5.1% lower than the previous quarter and 16.6% higher than second quarter 2016. Production in the Western Region, which represented about 53.1% of total U.S. coal production in second quarter 2017, totaled about 99.4 million short tons (19.7% higher than second quarter 2016) “.
And from Reuters :
“The previously unpublished figures provided to Reuters by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed exports of the fuel from January through May totaled 36.79 million tons, up 60.3 percent from 22.94 million tons in the same period in 2016. While reflecting a bounce from 2016, the shipments remained well-below volumes recorded in equivalent periods the previous five years.
They included a surge to several European countries during the 2017 period, including a 175 percent increase in shipments to the United Kingdom, and a doubling to France – which had suffered a series of nuclear power plant outages that required it and regional neighbors to rely more heavily on coal.
“If Europe wants to lecture Trump on climate then EU member states need transition plans to phase out polluting coal,” said Laurence Watson, a data scientist working on coal at independent think tank Carbon Tracker Initiative in London “.
Coal is a difficult industry. Although essential for most industrial nations as base load power, there are certainly environmental and health problems associate with coal mining and use.
There’s also quite a bit of exaggeration and hysteria anong the more extreme critics of Coal, but there are also very real concerns needing to be addressed by the industry, with more scientific research to be undertaken.