[Hoot Gibson]

The Obama administration's war on coal continues. I take some measure of satisfaction in the fact that when the blackouts and brownouts begin, many of Obama's supporters will be just as cold and miserable as those of us who saw this coming.

Is this Obama's idea of spreading the wealth? It looks more like Jimmy Carter's program of spreading misery.

[INDENT]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Obama administration's own experts estimate their proposal for protecting streams from coal mining would eliminate thousands of jobs and slash production across much of the country, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement document says the agency's preferred rules would impose standards for water quality and restrictions on mining methods that would affect the quality or quantity of streams near coal mines. The rules are supposed to replace Bush-era regulations that set up buffer zones around streams and were aimed chiefly at mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia.

The proposal — part of a draft environmental impact statement — would affect coal mines from Louisiana to Alaska.

The office, a branch of the Interior Department, estimated that the protections would trim coal production to the point that an estimated 7,000 of the nation's 80,600 coal mining jobs would be lost. Production would decrease or stay flat in 22 states, but climb 15 percent in North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.

[/INDENT]

[Old School]

My guess would be that OSM's estimated number of jobs lost is very conservative. Reports are leaking out that even OSM's experienced technical personnal are saying the document has little depth of understanding of technical issues.

On another note, the EPA has reported that natural gas is not as clean for the environment as once thought. Keep in mind this is coming from the EPA, so it may not have any merit. Who knows?

[TheRealVille]

The Obama administration's war on coal continues. I take some measure of satisfaction in the fact that when the blackouts and brownouts begin, many of Obama's supporters will be just as cold and miserable as those of us who saw this coming.

Is this Obama's idea of spreading the wealth? It looks more like Jimmy Carter's program of spreading misery.

[INDENT][/INDENT]

You live in DC, so you should be ok. Most of America, outside of the coal fields, don't rely on coal to electrify, or heat and cool. Where does DC's electric from?

[Old School]

You live in DC, so you should be ok. Most of America, outside of the coal fields, don't rely on coal to electrify, or heat and cool. Where does DC's electric from?

Overall, around 50% of the nations electricy comes from coal.

[Hoot Gibson]

You live in DC, so you should be ok. Most of America, outside of the coal fields, don't rely on coal to electrify, or heat and cool. Where does DC's electric from?

Wrong. As Old School says, coal provides about 50% of the nation's electricity. It is our biggest source of electrical power by far.

As for people in DC being OK, I am more concerned about how Americans fare. Federal spending keeps salaries and the standard of living high in this area but when reality finally comes to the people of the DC metro area, folks around here are in for a rude awakening.

[Wildcatk23]

Wrong. As Old School says, coal provides about 50% of the nation's electricity. It is our biggest source of electrical power by far.

As for people in DC being OK, I am more concerned about how Americans fare. Federal spending keeps salaries and the standard of living high in this area but when reality finally comes to the people of the DC metro area, folks around here are in for a rude awakening.

If its 50% and the other sources are 50% that makes it an equal share of the source for electricity correct?

[SKINNYPIG]

If coal does in fact produce 50% of electricity produced, why put your boot on it's throat? We don't (at this time) have a formidable replacement for coal...So why not give the industry some slack? I'm almost certain the coal mining industry can mine coal without "destroying" our streams.

[Hoot Gibson]

If its 50% and the other sources are 50% that makes it an equal share of the source for electricity correct?

Like I said, coal fired power plants are the largest source of electrical power in this country by a wide margin - coal contributes almost twice that of its nearest competitor, natural gas. So, although you are correct, my statement was absolutely correct as well.

In 2009, the sources of electrical power in US were as follows:

44.5 percent - coal.
23.3 percent - natural gas
20.2 percent - nuclear power
6.9 percent - conventional hydroelectric methods

All other sources accounted for only 5.1 percent was produced by all other methods combined.

The chuckleheads who believe that our own federal government's war on the coal industry will not cripple our economy even further are dragging the rest of us toward a national train wreck.

The attached file was created from statistics that you can find at the US Energy Information Administration web site.

[vundy33]

Like I said, coal fired power plants are the largest source of electrical power in this country by a wide margin - coal contributes almost twice that of its nearest competitor, natural gas. So, although you are correct, my statement was absolutely correct as well.

In 2009, the sources of electrical power in US were as follows:

44.5 percent - coal.
23.3 percent - natural gas
20.2 percent - nuclear power
6.9 percent - conventional hydroelectric methods

All other sources accounted for only 5.1 percent was produced by all other methods combined.

The chuckleheads who believe that our own federal government's war on the coal industry will not cripple our economy even further are dragging the rest of us toward a national train wreck.

The attached file was created from statistics that you can find at the US Energy Information Administration web site.

See this post Wildcat?

If its 50% and the other sources are 50% that makes it an equal share of the source for electricity correct?

Dude, come on, you're smarter than that. I literally lol'd AND facepalmed..