I'm in Oregon this week, three thousand (and some odd) miles from home, but following with the rest of the country the saga of the miners trapped in Utah's Crandall Canyon Coal mine. These catastrophes are nothing new, and little seems to change - as far as mining practices, safety measures or working conditions - no matter how many lives are lost in the pursuit of cheap coal to feed our quest for cheap energy. It almost seems the country's become inured to the tragic consequences of our coal mining industry, accepting the human loss since as the inevitable price of easy-to-produce electricity since, for most of us, it's far removed from our daily existence.
We don't have to accept the high cost - in human lives and environmental devastation - of feeding our thirst for energy. After all, that's the cost of non-renewable (and in the case of coal, very dirty) energy. Wind, solar, or wave-harnessing power don't carry these exhorbitant costs. Yet in this country, the most formidable obstacle to installing wind farms to harness a (nearly) free source of energy is the all-too-familiar NIMBY (not in my back yard!) phenomenon. It rings vociferously along the shores of Cape Cod, where ocean-front property owners protest that the proposed Cape Wind farm will ruin their view, impede pleasure boats and generally destroy the local tourist economy. None of these arguments are legitimate, of course, since they're really just a rationalization for residents who don't want a wind farm in their "back yard". Hmm, I don't recall hearing quite so much kvetching the last time an oil tanker spilled goo on the Cape Cod shoreline....
The fact is, there's some cost to any form of energy we produce, but why not make that cost - to humans and the environment we depend on - as small as possible. I'm guessing the loss of human life doesn't seem like a worthy trade-off to the Utah miners' families, and it shouldn't be an acceptable price to any of us. It's time to rethink the real cost of feeding our energy thirst, and stop accepting the high cost of non-renewable energy.
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The mining accident is a tragedy. Its such a risky profession which has become even more risky during the Bush administration. Many safety regulations have been trimmed back during his reign and mine owners have responded to increased freedoms by been taking greater safety risks in order to increase profits. This is yet one more method that government is supporting fossil fuel related industries in this country. We must ensure to elect a person as our next leader who will bring about unilateral change in energy policies and priorities.
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