Vance Kennedy: What about families who depend on coal mining

Re “Court thumbs nose at clean energy future” (Page 11A, Feb. 15): The op-ed fails to address a major aspect of the coal problem. It is easy to criticize coal companies, and the politicians who defend them, on environmental grounds. No question, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could wipe out humanity if allowed to continue increasing as it has in the past. If I had my druthers, I would stop all mining and burning of coal immediately. But it would be a truly major economic problem for the country as a whole and an absolute disaster for the thousands of families who depend on coal mining for food and lodging.

The challenge is to replace coal mining as a source of income for thousands of families, many of whom may have relatively little formal education. Do we just let these families starve? What do we do with them? It’s conceivable the Supreme Court was wondering about that problem when they delayed the EPA’s directive.

I grew up in the Pittsburgh, Penn., area when it was a major steel center. International competition gradually reduced that industry, but it was done over decades. We do not have decades to gradually reduce coal mining. These families are our countrymen. We have an obligation to them. Will we just ignore that?

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Vance Kennedy: What about families who depend on coal mining."