[DevilsWin]

Downsizing?....I don't think so!! Couldn't it be because of better technology and equipment!. 30 years ago underground coal mines could not economically mine seams that were less than 70% recovery rate, (meaning 7 tons of coal for every 10 raw tons mined) todays coal companies are mining seams that have a recovery rate of 35% to 45%. In the 1970's surface mines were mining seams over 7 foot thick with little or no rock in the seam, today surface mines are mining coal seams that are split with small seams of coal and rock, A coal seam may look like this (10" of coal, then 15" of rock, then 15" of coal, then 14" of rock and another 17" of coal), a loader would come in and remove the top 10" of coal, then come back and remove the 15" of rock and so on until all of the coal seams have been removed, now 30 years ago companies would have left this seam alone. In 1979 there were 35,902 coal miners that averaged 1.54 tons of coal per man hour worked, then in 2004 there were 15,522 coal miners that averaged 3.13 tons of coal per man hour. From 1979 to 2004 the tons per man hour has doubled, how can you downsize and double your production rate? There is a shortage of coal miners across Appalachia, many companies are hiring people with no mining experience. So do you still think coal companies are downsizing? I don't think so...I think the technology and equipment is better today than it was 30 years ago. DW let me ask you can you name one industry that has not changed or upgraded their equipment or production method with new technology in the last 30 years.

You brought up the Union, I disagree I don't think it's as much as coal companies trying to bust the union as the union is self distructing. Let's check the facts, from 1970 to 2006 total coal production percentages mined by union operation has decreased from 70% to 11%. From 1975 to 2006 total employed coal miners with union representation have declined from 127,500 to 12,340, and before you try to blame it on the Republicians this downward trend has continued under both Republician and Democratic administrations. Coal companies alone could not do that much damage to the union.

I have one question, If a energy resource is renewable how can it be gone forever?

Sounds like a typical response from a "Union Busting Company Man".

Are any of you members of the UMWA?

A renewable natural resource is for example, tobacco or corn or anything else you can produce naturally from one season to the next. Just look at the deserts in Africa. They were once lush fertile lands. But due to over farming the topsoil became sand and dust. So now that once renewable resource is gone forever. Instead of Corn and Sugarcane and Grain now all they harvest is famine and drought.