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Article: Caring about the future for surface miners
- Article from:
- Charleston Gazette
- Article date:
- July 11, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Charleston Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Here are two seemingly disparate points it seems we can all agree
on:
1. Mountaintop-removal coal miners just want to make a decent
living for themselves and their families. This is what we call the
American Dream, and it's what most West Virginians want.
2. Coal has a limited and declining future as a fuel. The costs
to the planet are too high, and America is not willing to pay those
costs forever - to our health, planetary climate and a livable world
for our coming generations. Coal's decline might be hastened by cap-
and-trade or EPA regulation.
To quote Bob Dylan, "You don't have to be a weatherman to tell
which way the wind blows." We can all read the handwriting on the
wall - the coal ...