[Coach_Owens87]

All this proves is that the Coal companies had figured out a way, or several ways to make more money with a smaller workforce. It's called "downsizing". It was all the rave in the 1990's. And let me tell you something else in case you forgot. Corporate downsizing in any industry does nothing for the middle class working people of this country. All it succeeds in doing is allowing these coal barons sitting(symbolically) on top of their own private mountain, in a 20,000 square foot chalet overlooking Pikeville. Not unlike a 5 year old does with his Army Men!!!!
Meanwhile, thanks to downsizing, more families are out of work. And the coal companies try to bust the union.
What it boils down to is, the coal companies have been robbing the families of central Appalachia for way to long. I don't propose doing away with not 1 coal job. Because that 1 job supports a whole family.
Someday soon a Global emissions reduction treaty of some kind will be accepted and part of that will include a reduction of coal energy usage and a total change in the processing of coal.
But by that time the industry will have become stagnant. The natural resources and landscape will be gone. No tourism and no harvesting of the "renewable" natural resources. It'll all be gone.
But the coal companies are good at telling the future. So they'll mine the hell out of Kentucky, West Virginia and anywhere else they think there's an extra buck to be made for as long as we let them. The industry needs to change and that can only be done by the ownership. Who can make the ownership change? The government? The UMWA? Who? When?

Great Post.

Thats the truth that seemingly no one here wants to accept.