Tag: geology

The Coming Decline and Fall of Big Coal.  Appalachian mountaintop removal mining has taken off in recent years in no small part because there’s not much left worth mining underground.  All the eastern coal fields are in declining production, despite these extreme techniques, and large increases in hiring.  Yet somehow, these developments are being couched by the industry as resulting from the Obama administration and environmental regulations.  Really it’s a geological special case of that Sagan quote: “The Universe is not required to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.”