The End of Coal?
Are human health and environmental stewardship ever the reason for broad-ranging energy policy here in the U.S.? Well, you could look at the impressive number of accomplishments made during the Obama administration and conclude that the answer is Yes. Having said that, we need to keep in mind that a) many of these are fairly small in scope, compared to the enormity of the eco-damage we’re doing every day, and b) the Trump administration has already put a spear through a great number of them–and more each week.
But are things turning around? Could be. The U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, chaired by Tea Party Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, held a hearing this week titled “Assessing Innovative and Alternative Uses of Coal,” which featured testimony from Vernon Haltom, executive director of Coal River Mountain Watch, a West Virginia-based nonprofit working to end mountaintop removal mining. Check this out; it’s encouraging.
Craig,
You have my sincere sympathy. It must be very hard to realize all those rainbow like dreams woven by the Obama administration of a utopian nirvana just around the corner, were illusory.
How sad to discover at the end of an eight year party paid for by the unfortunate taxpayer, you find yourself with nothing more than a hangover, out in the cold grey dawn of reality, desperately seeking a way to leave someone else to pay the Chinese caterer’s bill.
Truly distressing. But never mind, there’s always your old buddy Vernon Haltom to drone on about ” the end of Coal”. How comforting !
Like an old hippie reanimated by the sound of an half forgotten Crosby Stills and Nash melody, the rantings of ol’ Vernon are music to your ears.
Ol’ Vernon’s one of those “dyed in the wool”, “back to nature”, “all resources should be left in the ground” guys, still desperately living the quixotic Obama crusade.
His dreary repetitions of old mantras and slogans has a certain nostalgia, in contrast with the loud, vigorous enthusiasm generated by dramatic revival of fortune taking place in the coal industry.
Ol’ Vernon sneeringly dismisses (without any evidence) the massive and exciting advances in technology and enormous environmental benefits beginning to become available as a result of clean(er) coal technology.
Not for ol’ Vernon ! That ol’ boy is still stuck in a time warp, stalwartly ranting tales of century old union disputes, ancient “coal wars”, 50 year old industrial accidents, and work practices that disappeared in the mid 20th century. (although your photo keeps the old stereo type alive).
Ol’ Vernon’s beard maybe bushier and even more unkempt, the slogan on his grubby T shirt less convincing, but the eyes peering through the thick glasses still burn with the passion of a true radical. He may look as if he just slept in the bushes he emerged from (or smoking) but Vernon remain an eco-pest of influence among his dwindling group of supporters. (just $5 dollars a week and you can be his facebook buddy)
In a few years (with luck) Vernon will qualify for eco-protection grant as an endangered species.
In the meantime, the descendants of those Union leaders Vernon eulogizes are busy suing States and Cities for divesting funds invested in fossil fuel industries ! These law suits are historically unique as the unions break with former Democrat allies and forge closer ties with a populist President.
Poor ol’ Vernon, turned away (and he brought his own banjo) from a Union BBQ . No one wanted to hear the old Pete Seeger (another radical who had never worked a day’s manual labour in his life) song’s.
But as long as there’s life in the old goat, good ol’ Vernon will bleat on about obsolete diseases, union battles, and ancient conditions. Coal workers will tolerate him since the return of prosperity, also brings a certain degree of tolerance.
Craig, do yourself a favour, stop wallowing in nostalgia and investigate the exciting new environmentally beneficial technologies being developed in the new coal industry. be part of tomorrow, not yesterday !