[jdubs]

So much lost opportunity for the united states to become a leader in exporting new technology.

At least we have coal.

[JohnTHaller]

An industry that employees about as many people as the #18 fast food chain in the US.

[jdubs]

Fair enough, but who's to say the reusable energy industry wouldn't absorb those jobs over the next few years? Seems like we're putting that industry on life support and moving future industries out 10 years, which would be more globally competitive.

[Spooky23]

That scratches the surface. There are a lot of railroad jobs and other sectors supporting coal as well.

[JohnTHaller]

Even if you add in all the transportation and power plant jobs, it's still only about the size of the #10 fast food chain. For example, Domino's Pizza (#8) employs more people than all of coal mining, transport and power generation combined plus another 90,000.

[vinni2]

Beautiful clean coal!