This is really sad....

#11

CY,

you make good points,.. but check this. I work in the energy industry, and monitor coal facility regulation as part of my work.

As a former safety and security engineer fighting for safety harnesses and rebreathers, you are competeing against the same budget needs for TOILET PAPER and COFFEE CREAMER. The facilities budget is vital. Increasing it too much will scare investors which will kill your business credit, and kill your presence in the market, which will inevitably lead to mass job loss. Most of the explosions in coal mines are due to human error, or violations of safety that workers refuse to follow, so supervisors refuse to enforce. Very few are due to any lack of regulation, but the regulations are outdated. The truth is most coal plants refine more coal that they were ever intended to at any one time. Their business is thriving. This is due to miners working constantly. We still need the coal industry, and will for at least another decade. We also have seen a focus on coal, as oil has become the source of middle eastern bloodshed and crooked politics. Coal is the only currently feasible buffer to foreign oil dominating our market.

If most people were to change their bills, the first they would decrease is their power bill. This means coal and natural gas are essentially the most disputed prices in the American market. The competition is fierce, and the pressure is on the coal industry to make revenue to get the US interest out of foreign oil, and into domestic fuel. In fact, we have to report every ounce of coal we get and burn, and how many BTU it generates, who we transmit that to, and what control area it is finally consumed in.

The federal govt. this last year put another five million dollars into the works to analyze the industry with even more scrutiny. They have found that most workers will shrug off regulations if they are able to. The obvious solution would be to automate the extraction process, but this would result in mass joblessness, and all the horrors that come with it.

thus, we have to get coal workers the work they need, while we try to refurbish facilities, and at th same time, the coal industry has to be profitable enough to attract investments, to ultimately lower the power bill of the American People to foster the confidence of the American consumer, to drive our country's economy, so we don't end up being Canadian or Mexican. Those facilities that do not pass inspection can not close down, or more than 80% of Americans will have no electricity to their homes, places of business, and hospitals within one week. the economy would be completely crippled... and in turn the rest of americans would not be able to afford itafter one month. not even bill gates.

so do we accept that some unfortunate men doing a VERY important job die on the job, for what ever reason,.. or do we accept that millions of americans would de if they quit doing that dangerous job,.. if there would even be an America left?

It is for that reason, I pay homage to coal miners; a force as vital as the fuel they provide.

vertical,
raum

#12

Yeah, it's a hard and life risking job that is necessary for our country. Sort of like the US military.

RIP to all that died.

#13

I appreciate the new light, Raum. =)

Though I'm not saying that we should close all mining factories in favor of safer conditions for workers. I'm proposing an attention to detail and a better formulated rescue plan. Regardless, I have zero effect on the mining industry and to debate its saftey and ways of improving it is a bit pointless, lol.

I'm especially fond of your last sentiment,
"I pay homage to coal miners; a force as vital as the fuel they provide."
Agreed. /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />