# Fuck Coal. It's Time Has Passed **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 16, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891 "2016-12-16T22:19:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/1 "2016-12-16T22:19:11Z")
Look, I am sorry that you come from a long line of coal miners. Really. I know it’s part of your identity. But it’s over. The world is leaving it behind, and now comes word that black lung is massively on the rise (or previously under reported) > **[Advanced Black Lung Cases Surge In Appalachia](https://www.npr.org/2016/12/15/505577680/advanced-black-lung-cases-surge-in-appalachia)** > > An NPR investigation has documented dramatic spikes in complicated black lung, the most serious stage of the deadly coal miners' disease. Look, I am trying really hard to avoid the buggy whip comment. But we now have much better options with increased access to natural gas. Where we do use coal, the open drag mines in TX and MT are much cheaper and safer (if not more environmentally friendly). And, of course, coal is filthy. Stop telling me that your pride (and inaction, and inertia) means that we owe you a mining job. We (society) don’t. It’s time for the next thing, and Donald Trump can’t change that and I don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/2 "2016-12-16T22:27:45Z")
**Moderator Action** This was accidentally posted in GQ when it was intended for the Pit, so let’s move this to where it was intended. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/3 "2016-12-16T23:42:37Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > Stop telling me that your pride (and inaction, and inertia) means that we owe you a mining job. We (society) don’t. Even if coal isn’t economically viable anymore, we do still owe them jobs. It’s the capitalist way. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/4 "2016-12-16T23:57:33Z")
You’d think, if “trickle down” worked at all, it would surely work for those half a mile underground. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/5 "2016-12-17T00:02:57Z")
Yeah, but think of what time of year it is. What are we going to put in the stockings of everyone who voted for Trump? Huh??? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/6 "2016-12-17T00:26:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, but think of what time of year it is. What are we going to put in the stockings of everyone who voted for Trump? Huh??? A lump of kohl? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/7 "2016-12-17T00:56:31Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, but think of what time of year it is. What are we going to put in the stockings of everyone who voted for Trump? Huh??? Ever see the solidified Evil from _Time Bandits?_ It looks like coal and it’s pure Evil; they’d love it, it’s a combination of their two favorite things. And symbolically perfect. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/8 "2016-12-17T01:02:00Z")
Isn’t coal critical to making steel? Of course, with Trump leading the way in buying Chinese steel, I guess the U.S. steel industry won’t be ramping up production any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/9 "2016-12-17T01:42:25Z")
1. I believe that we DO owe jobs to all members of society. That’s a debate for another day, but I don’t want the miners without livelihoods. But we gotta meet halfway, and if coal mining in West Virginia doesn’t make sense then that’s just too bad 2. Interestingly, I tried to look at how much coal is needed for steel production (relative to total), annually, and the numbers I found were so all over the map I have no idea 3. I can’t believe I used the contraction for the possessive Its in the title. I shall now write lengthy self criticisms and prostrate myself before the village ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/10 "2016-12-17T02:07:19Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Isn’t coal critical to making steel? . . . You need a gob-ton of heat, but coal isn’t the only super-hot burning fuel. If you absolutely had to, you could do it with charcoal, or natural gas, or even an unshielded atomic pile… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/11 "2016-12-17T02:10:40Z")
Fuck apostrophes, too. Its too difficult to figure out how they work. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/12 "2016-12-17T02:58:25Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > 1. I believe that we DO owe jobs to all members of society. That’s a debate for another day, but I don’t want the miners without livelihoods. But we gotta meet halfway, and if coal mining in West Virginia doesn’t make sense then that’s just too bad I would like to see our federal taxes going to pay coal miners a good salary to get really high on sinsemilla and dance naked in the sunshine through fields of wildflowers. Coal mining is a really shitty job, and I figure we owe them. Also, I’d like to watch that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/13 "2016-12-17T03:23:15Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > The world is leaving it behind, and now comes word that black lung is massively on the rise (or previously under reported) > [Advanced Black Lung Cases Surge In Appalachia : NPR](http://www.npr.org/2016/12/15/505577680/advanced-black-lung-cases-surge-in-appalachia) Hey, just in time to repeal Obamacare, too! Let’s hope Congress jumps on that right quick when they reconvene. We want to make sure Trump voters get _exactly_ what they voted for, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/14 "2016-12-17T03:40:16Z")
So you are wanting Trump voters to die of Black Lung to make them pay for their stupidity ? ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/15 "2016-12-17T03:43:54Z")
I’m naughty every year, so there will be some small continued demand for coal while I still breath. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/16 "2016-12-17T03:49:27Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > So you are wanting Trump voters to die of Black Lung to make them pay for their stupidity ? Hey, I’m not the one who voted for more coal jobs, less environmental protection, and no healthcare. Seems to me that these people are getting exactly what they wanted. The GOP is still the “party of personal responsibility,” right? Well, consider me a convert to their message. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/17 "2016-12-17T03:50:40Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > So you are wanting Trump voters to die of Black Lung to make them pay for their stupidity ? Trump promises to bring back mining jobs. Miners, despite knowing the risks, vote for Trump to bring back mining jobs. And it’s _our_ fucking fault!? ETA: At least you admit that Trump voters are stupid. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/18 "2016-12-17T04:21:43Z")
Coal miners and their families voted overwhelmingly to go back into the mines, suppress their union, roll back safety regulations, and deny themselves healthcare, and against the promise of employment in cleaner industries that won’t kill them sooner, and everyone else later. In short, they committed suicide just to satisfy their bigotry against immigrants, nonwhites, nonchristians, LGBTQ persons, and independent women. I’d rather they did not have their preference, but if they get their way, let them have the whole of it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/19 "2016-12-17T04:40:20Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > So you are wanting Trump voters to die of Black Lung to make them pay for their stupidity ? They are doing it to themselves. And nobody who voted for Trump deserves sympathy for anything as far as I’m concerned. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891/20 "2016-12-17T05:52:50Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > So you are wanting Trump voters to die of Black Lung to make them pay for their stupidity ? Maybe their kids will be smarter. They are the ones who voted against unions and against EPA and against OSHA and against ACA. They want the damn guvment out of their lives. I say we give them what they asked for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuck-coal-its-time-has-passed/774891.md?page=2)