I thought COAL was a dying industry, with declining demand

Apparently the world is not turning away from coal as an energy source. Per this report global demand rose 6%. But the West Virginia coal mines can’t find workers. I seem to remember a huge announcement for a deal involving millions of tons of Russian coal to China. I also remember past reports of how China is supposedly going Green. Coal is far from dead, but it will now power the industry and consumer power needs of countries that don’t actually give a damn about global warming alarmists’ opinions or environmental impacts.

West Virginia coal mines struggling through hiring shortage as demand increases worldwide Global demand for coal increased by 6% last year and could rise more this year

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China has the 4th largest coal reserves behind us, Australia, and Russia. Is their mining industry under developed?

It probably is, but I’m sure they are expanding it as fast as they can. But they can build coal fired power plants faster, and are, to meet their growing power needs. They pay lip service to green energy for likes from gullible Western climate alarmists, but are expanding their use of fossil fuels.

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If they ban mountaintop removal mining and require them to mine in a traditional manner, I have no issue with resuming production.

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Penn State had some land they’ve owned since the first started in the Lincoln days. They used it as dairy pasture etc. for theory Ag college for mor than a century. Eventually, it was impractical to pasture cattle there, the surrounding area had developed too much.

Penn State wanted to sell Penn State’s land to developers.

The plan was nixed because other people, people with zero ownership interest felt (correctly) that “Pastures are pretty to drive by on my way to work in the morning. Suburban developments are not pretty to drive by.”

So Penn State’s ability to do what Penn State wanted with Penn State’s land was outlawed.

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Now, about the mountaintops that someone does not own. What is it that the nonwners want to prevent?

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A visual inconvenience to themselves. :wink:

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Speaking of dirty energy, did you know that Biomass makes up the vast majority of all “Green” energy worldwide?

It’s the fastest growing energy market on Earth. Thousands of new biomass energy plants right here in the USA, less than 10 years old.

Did you know they get most of their “biomass” from the living, green forests?

Did you know they have to add tire chips and plastic to the green wood in order for it to burn efficiently enough?

Did you know that wood is one of the few energy sources that emits more CO2 than coal??

:rofl:

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Without coal, oil and gas, BILLIONS would starve to death. Liberals trying to stop production is as evil as trying to stop potato and rice production.

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Yeah but when you burn wood the carbon is catch0and-release.

When you burn a 70-year-old tree every atom of carbon is one it took out of the atmosphere in the past 70 years. I’m not saying burning wood is a solution, but it is carbon neutral.

And then there’s this world, where biomass burning is skyrocketing, while coal burning continues to rise.

Green Energy - brought to you by the Fossil Fuel industry itself. A grift so successful, our entire economic sovereignty could be hijacked, to the sound of thunderous lib applause. :wink:

ETA: Some of those plants are also burning things like railroad ties and diapers.

Since you mention property rights.

I own substantial property in West Virginia.

Mountaintop removal mining is extremely destructive to the surrounding land and to the property values of surrounding area.

Natural beauty is itself a commodity that is bought and sold by people such as myself.

Bans on mountaintop removal mining will NOT prevent the extraction of coal. It might make it a tad slower and a tad bit more inefficient, but frankly.

The kicker for me is that the companies have NOT ONCE followed through on their commitment to restore and remediate these areas once mining has stopped. And I have personally seen the messes they leave.

They can drill a ■■■■■■■ shaft in the ground and get the coal that way.

MY PROPERTY RIGHTS are just as important as those of the mining companies and they don’t have a right to operate in a way that debases the value of my property, nor any other West Virginia property owner.

West Virginia should consider its OTHER bread and butter, that being tourism. A State that has so little going for it should be careful that it does not sacrifice one bread and butter for another bread and butter. Traditional shaft mining will get to the coal.

So you want to buy a small piece of land and exercise control over all the land all the way to the horizon?

Same del apply if you live on a mountain top or on the plains? The horizon is pretty far away on mountain tops. Maybe you should consider living in a valley.

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By that logic, I shouldn’t have to cope with my neighbors building a house across the lake. It was bare land when I moved in. I get the want but banning mining in that way because you need pretty property is a huge issue for your neighbor. How about instead, you go buy the mountain top with your community and agree not to mine there. You’re using government as a hammer to get your way and it’s not right.

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Isn’t Penn State a state college? If so, every citizen of that state has ownership interest, even if it is something as nebulous as a pretty commute.

I do believe it’s a public university, so partially state funded. You’re correct that if that’s the case, it belongs to the tax payer so with that in mind, what Gaius and other tax payers say in that area should be implemented. I would feel differently if it was private property. :wink:

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Do you believe that a private land owner should have no say in what another land owner does with his land? And by extension, the government should have no say either?

It is state-related not state-owned, legally it is an independent non-profit.

Even so the matte was not sent to state voters. The township treated Penn State like any other private entity. It gave the “protesters” what they wanted and would not approve any development of the land. The people who enjoy seeing ten seconds of green while they whiz past at 45 mph got to decide how that land was to be used.

I believe in property rights. If there are no deed restrictions, I don’t believe you have the right to tell me what to do with my property. If everyone gets together and institutes deed restrictions, then you buy the land, then absolutely I should abide by those deed restrictions. For instance, I can’t build a commercial range on my property but I can shoot there on my own. I’m ok with that restriction because I don’t want a commercial range next to me either. I don’t have the right to put up a mobile home and I’m ok with that. If I want to put a mobile home on property, I’ll find a piece of property that doesn’t have a deed restriction. I don’t believe in zoning laws instituted by government and government alone.

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Okay.

But if you live on a mountain that’s higher than mine then you can see my property.

To some people that gives you the right.