There are a lot of things our ancestors did in the past that we no longer do. We no longer attempt to treat syphilis with arsenic. We no longer smoke cigarettes on airplanes. We no longer have our young children ride in cars without car seats.
A lot of our ancestors also worked in dirty, dangerous environments like coal mines. My own grandfather worked in a mine, and years later he died from lung cancer.
So when people start talking about how we need to save these amazing coal jobs because it’s what our parents and grandparents did, I have to wonder why.
There is a reason why we’ve been transitioning away from coal. Actually, there are several. First, there is not an endless supply of coal. That is a fact. Best case scenario, we have about 50 years left. Why do we want to wait until that day comes before we start to even think about alternative sources?
Secondly, natural gas is cheaper and more abundant at the moment. Lastly, renewable energy is cleaner and with it comes new jobs. And lots of them!
According to a report released earlier this year, “sustainability now collectively represents four to four and a half million jobs in the U.S., up from 3.4 million in 2011.” Also, the entire coal industry employs fewer people than Arby’s…freakin’ Arby’s!
At most, there are currently 70,000 coal miners in the United States. Why are we so focused on keeping them employed in their current positions? These folks have the skills we need to get sustainable energy technology up to par.
Another great thing about green jobs is “due to the on-site nature of many renewable and energy efficiency jobs, these jobs cannot be outsourced and can pay above average wages.”
With all of the great characteristics of sustainability, there are still far too many people out there who want to turn a blind eye to all of them in favor of what? Tradition?
Listen. Coal has done its job. Our homes have been heated as a result of its gift to us, and for that we are thankful. But it’s also caused a lot of problems, both health-related and environmental.
Just like we no longer put cocaine in Coca-Cola because, you know, we realized how bad it was, we can no longer sacrifice the environment for 70,000 jobs. There is a better way. And we have to take it.