Seriously Trump To Give Everyone Coal For Christmas
Christmas morning, don’t be surprised if you wake up and find a huge lump of coal in your stocking.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been naughty or nice because the naughtiest politician of all is in charge of doling out these “gifts.” Donald Trump has spent the last year pledging to restore the American coal industry, and unlike many of his other campaign promises, he hasn’t changed his tune on this one since the election.
Never mind that coal is doomed regardless of Trump’s actions. As America’s dirtiest and most expensive source of energy, coal can’t compete; it just doesn’t make sense on an environmental or economic level.
Trump’s focus on coal jobs is rather disingenuous, too. While it’s true that Obama’s Clean Power Plan would put an estimated 24,000 coal workers out of a job, it would also create about 120,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector. Overall, that’s a definite boost for the economy.
Perhaps because traditional coal states gave Trump his Electoral College victory, the president-elect feels obligated to repay them. By that same token, however, red states have the best potential for growth in the renewable energy sector given their sunny/windy conditions. Besides, coal industry workers can be retrained in the solar sector a lot more easily than most people seem to assume.
This past Monday, President Barack Obama actually enacted new coal regulations to help protect water supplies. Per the new rules, coal mine companies that pollute local streams will be financially responsible for cleaning the water once the mining in the area is complete.
It’s a good idea, but don’t expect it to last. Trump has already vowed to repeal it; that and all sorts of other steps Obama took to advance the clean energy movement in favor of promoting coal.
Backtracking will be difficult, though. 44 percent of our coal comes from companies that have declared bankruptcy in recent years. Trump can loosen regulations on air pollution, but that doesn’t make these mines more profitable.
Even Robert Murray, the CEO of Murray Energy, the country’s biggest coal mining company, thinks Trump needs to “temper his expectations.” Murray has millions of financial reasons to hope that Trump throws his support behind the coal industry, yet he recognizes that there’s no way to actually return to coal’s glory days.
Trump can do his part to make sure the mines reopen, but he can’t force the private sector to buy a product they don’t want. While miners can pull the coal up from underground, we’ll have to find some use for that coal other than burning it.
And that’s why coal seems destined for our stockings. Thanks, Trump, for giving everyone a gift that almost no one wants.Trump Wants To Give Everyone Coal For Christmas | Care2 Causes:
