[Old School]

OK, point of it all is this..You say we need to prepare for the future. How? You say there are alternative energy sources, and that we'll never run out of energy, which is true. NOW, tell me, until those sources are prevalent in this area, what should they do without mining? How will they get the money to use those alternative energy sources around this area? And what alternative energy sources would work not only around here, but for the entire country? Because coal makes up 52% of our nations power. Of which Im sure your well aware. You say theres no such thing as clean coal, that its an oxymoron. You say you love those that stand up to the coal operators. Yet you even admit that coal is our best option. What the hell do you want them to do? You want them to mine cleaner? Ill bet you want 200mph sports cars to get 60 miles per gallon to dont you? Yeah, we all oppose greedy power companies, who doesnt? You say that I may not realize it but coal is not our savior, but right now, IT IS. Until our "smarter generation" comes up with ways that our region can make a decent living, IT IS the only hope for many families to make ends meet. And explain to me how you'd mine coal cleaner? You say we are a smarter generation, which I still believe is crap, by the way. Our generation is a wasteful generation. Our generation is lazy and selfish. And I do love this area, but like I said, when Im getting paid $58,000 a year to plant trees, stock streams, and bitch about coal companies, Ill stop mining. Until then, mining IS my savior. As its been for our family for over 100 years. And Im not angry. Im realistic.

TidesHoss32, that's one point I've been trying to get across, why are they trying to shut down coal mining when there is no alternative energy scource ready to replace coal. I know most of the environmentalist will say that they are only against surface mining, but that is simply not true, they want to shut down the mining industry altogether, just look at all the current court cases against coal mining today. These pending cases effect both underground and surface mines. If I were a environmentalist I think it would be logical to develop a alterntive engery that could replace the electricity produced by coal first, then try to shut down the coal industry. That's just my opinion, I guess that's why they won't play with any of the environmental groups