Opinion: Trumps Trade Stupidity May Fatally Injure the Coal Industry

[TheBlackAdder]

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Here is an interesting article, about the possible impact to Western Coal:


http://www.politicususa.com/2017/05/01/trumps-trade-stupidity-fatally-injure-coal-industry.html

Ms. Clark’s “Tweet” contained the letter she sent to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ban American coal shipments out of Canadian ports. Clark’s letter read in part:

“For many years, a high volume of U.S. thermal coal has been shipped through BC on its way to Asia. It’s not good for the environment, but friends and trading partners cooperate. So we haven’t pressed the issue with the federal government that regulates the port.
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“As you may know, over the past five years, every proposed coal export facility on the West Coast of the United States has been rejected or withdrawn, typically as a result of ecological or environmental concerns. . . . Oregon, Washington, and California have all made significant commitments to eliminate the use of coal as a source of electricity for their citizens. In fact, in August 2016, Governor Jerry Brown of California signed Bill 1279 that banned the provision of any state transportation funding for new coal export terminals.”

According to the policy director of the Seattle, Washington’s Sightline Institute, Eric de Place:

“In trying to land a blow on the Canadian timber industry. Trump may have accidentally knocked out the Western coal industry. In the context of how bad off [U.S. mines in the Powder River Basin] are, this could be what brings them to their knees.”

There is much more, about how Canada is willing to assist the US Coal Industry, even thought it is against dirty coal.

However, one could really question this too much, since Canada is strip-mining Tar Sands for US export too.

There are a lot of politicians, on both sides of the border, who are plugged into Tar Sands. If they were sincere about the fossil fuel approach, they would shut down the tar sands facility too. But, that's just my take. Perhaps, that will be the next level of hardball.


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