Shitstain Can Bellow All The Lies He Wants, But Coal Is Not Coming Back

[hatrack]

EDIT

As aging coal-fired power plants are shut — roughly 20 of 380 have closed or are in the process of shutting since Mr. Trump took office — coal’s share of the nation’s power mix has plummeted from nearly half in 2008 to roughly a third today.

Last year, coal consumption in the United States fell by 2.4 percent, falling to its lowest level in nearly four decades. In the early weeks of 2018, national coal production has continued to decline from a year ago despite the frigid winter. A weather-related increase in exports last year yielded a modest gain in jobs, but it is not considered sustainable. The decline in demand has forced a 38 percent drop in the nation’s coal production in a little less than a decade. Now only the most efficient mines containing the highest-quality coal are able to survive.

EDIT

The most successful mines these days, particularly here in Appalachia, produce metallurgical coal for steel making in the United States and abroad. 4 West produces only thermal coal for a nearby power plant, which will now rely on other local mines. “It’s just come to a point where the mine is not economical to continue,” said Brian Osborn, senior vice president for operations for Mepco Holdings, owner of the 4 West mine.

The stress is being particularly felt here in Greene County, where coal mines have been closing for years, chewing-tobacco advertisements adorn the sides of barns, and graffiti claiming that the Environmental Protection Agency has “ruined this country” defaces the road sign at the entrance of one abandoned mine. Three coal mines are left here, after one closed nearly two years ago, laying off roughly 500 workers as its owner, Alpha Natural Resources, curtailed its operations while filing for bankruptcy protection. A total of 2,000 coal miners work in the county, but that number will be shaved by nearly 20 percent by June 1 after workers finish cleaning up the 4 West mine and remove equipment for the final closing.

EDIT

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/business/energy-environment/coal-miners.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness-energy-environment&action=click&contentCollection=energy-environment&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

[dhol82]

1. I did not realize coal miners made such a high salary.

One guy made $106,000 last year.
In that area that is a lot of money!
It will be tough to find another job that pays the same.

[mountain grammy]

2. The United Mine Workers was one of the strongest unions in America.

I met many UMW members in my union days, nearly 30 years ago. These men and women would stand up to management and walk off the job over safety concerns.. they were fearless.

There are three reasons workers in dirty, dangerous jobs that require little education make good wages.
1. Union
2. Union
3. Union

[dhol82]

3. Is there any union left?

[NNadir]

4. The reality is however, it never went anywhere.

Between 2000 and 2016, coal was the fastest growing source of energy on this planet.

This data comes from the 2017 World Energy Outlook: International Energy Agency: 2017 World Energy Outlook

It comes from Table 2.2 on page 79 of the report, which I have taken the liberty of translating from the unfortunate unit MTOE to the SI unit EJ, exajoules:

In 2000, the world was consuming 96.8 exajoules of coal annually; by 2016, 157.2, a change of 60.5 EJ.

In 2000, the world was consuming 87.5 exajoules of natural gas annually; by 2016, it was consuming 125.9 exajoules, a gain of 39.1 exajoules.

We're rather provincial in the US; we think that if coal use in the United States has declined because we love natural gas so much in this country, the same is true everywhere else.

This is not even remotely true.

Worldwide, by the way, so called "renewable energy" as represented by solar and wind increased from 2.5 exajoules in 2000 to 9.4 exajoules in 2016, an increase of 6.9 exajoules.

In the "percent talk" that the "renewables will save us" squad so love, this means that the growth of so called "renewable energy" that everybody (myself excluded) loves so much, solar and wind combined, grew only by 11.4% as fast as coal.

No other form of energy in the increase for total world energy consumption from 420.2 EJ in 2000 to 576.1 EJ in 2016 grew as fast as coal. Combined, coal, gas and oil grew by 129.7 EJ.

In 2000, the fossil fuel share of world energy was 80%. In 2016 it was 81%.

The provincial "coal is dead" meme is simply an act of denial, resting on top of so many other forms of denial. It's no less a statement of denial than any words that come out of the mouth of Jim Inhofe.

Coal is not dead, however much we might wish it so.

Trump has nothing to do with it either way. He's irrelevant in the broad sweep of history; an inconsequential racist fool with tiny hands and a tiny brain to match.

By the way, the reporting in the New York Times on issues in energy issues is notoriously bad. I don't think one can work there if one has an engineering degree.

I'll pay more attention to writing there on energy and the environment when they demonstrate that they are equally as interested in the seven million people who die each year from air pollution, in part because coal is not dead, as they do to Fukushima's someday potential for radiation deaths.