In the world of energy politics, the sudden vanishing of the word 'coal' is a remarkable and unprecedented event.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Nowhere has the political power of coal been more obvious than in presidential campaigns.
Coal mines make the news only when they explode, collapse, kill. It's exciting! Tragedy! Fodder for a cable-news frenzy.
Then there was the whole concept of coal mining, which is a culture unto itself, the most dangerous occupation in the world, and which draws and develops a certain kind of man.
Coal is absolutely critical to our nation's economic health and global competitiveness.
I do believe that the coal industry sees the cultural shift toward cleaner energy and global warming solutions as a threat to their interests.
The Department of Energy made an investment that failed, and it got raked over the coals for that failed investment. This is ridiculous. The fact of the matter is, the government should be making a lot of risky investments, the majority of which are likely to fail.
Even the biggest coal boosters have long admitted that coal is a dying industry - the fight has always been over how fast and how hard the industry will fall.
The coal mining industry is very destructive and it doesn't have to be.
New discoveries and production of resources like shale oil and gas are dramatically altering our energy supply outlook and the entire global geopolitical landscape. And the pace of change - particularly in the past few years - continues to accelerate.
Coal mining is an industry rife with mismanagement, corruption, greed and an almost blatant disregard for the safety, health and quality of life of its work force. Everyone knows this. Everyone has always known it.