But you did state an argument that I strongly disagree with. It’s this one: coal is essential for our energy needs.

There are two ways to parse this. One is to hold ‘energy needs’ as a given and look for other sources of energy that can meet those perceived needs. If you make that statement this way, then it may be true that coal is essential to meeting energy demand.

The other way is to recognize energy needs themselves probably need to be changed. humans have not always used coal to make electricity, heck humans have for millions of years been completely ignorant of electricity. ITS NOT A GIVEN.

Recognizing that there are other ways for things to be eliminates part of the confusion.

If you think things are fine they way they are, then we will probably disagree.

Cheers.

the issue as i see it is that resource extraction industries have applied the scientific method to maximize or optimize their profits. i have no quarrel with that use of science, after all that is what it is for. but this method cannot provide the justification for those technologies outside of the brute force economic equation. this does not stop the mouthpieces, lackies and fellow travellers of the Coal Empire from making those claims, however.

Witness Delores: [coal] is essential for our energy needs.

Only if you grant that the way things are at this moment are they way they are supposed to be. That is notoriously and historically shoddy philosophy, and anti-humanitarian to boot. Social progressives and prometheans would rather eat the poor, now.

we don’t need coal. Big Industry does. when you define your own personal ontology to be synonymous with Big Industry, then you have effectively dehumanized yourself and you have stopped the critical thinking process.

carping about the frame of the argument (know it all uppity activists, or whatever you heard from National or Massey) is a clear sign that you cannot grasp the topic on its merits alone. the claim that we need coal is manifestly false. the claim that we need to compromise and work with the suits that have refused to acknowledge basic human rights (such as the Marsh Fork debacle) is wrong in more complex ways, but it is simple enough to just expose the middle ground fallacy as the capitulation to entrenched business interest that it is.

I agree that people make an honest living at coal mining. It is the coal industry that is the dishonest party here.

http://endmtr.com/2008/04/21/that-was-sure-short-lived-umwa-back-pedals/#comment-137

btw – thanks to your comment and your friends, I intend to work doubly hard at letting people know of the danger associated with the Walker campaign. If you don’t like it then I would say I am accomplishing my mission.

At some point you are going to realize that we must work with industry of all shapes and sizes to balance economic and environmental concerns. If you truly “cared” about the welfare of Appalachians you would work harder to make sure that the school system works, that in the 21st century area residents have water and sewer, that decent jobs were available and not driven run away to more balanced states, and hold the 80+ year ruling political system you continually support accountable for the 2nd world living conditions found all over this state.