Barry Levine writes that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging environmentalists to have some compassion for the coal miners they help put out of work because they can't be easily retrained to do other jobs. "Mark Zuckerberg says you can teach them to code and everything will be great. I don't know how to break it to you but no" said Bloomberg. "You're not going to teach a coal miner to code." Bloomberg, who is an environmental activist, said while he gives "a lot of money to the Sierra Club" to shut down coal-fired power plants and to promote green energy projects, society needs to "have some compassion to do it gently."
Thousands of coal mining jobs have been shed throughout the country, there were about two thousand fewer coal miners in March 2014 than at the same time last year. Coal-reliant states, like Kentucky have been hit especially hard with more than 2,200 mining jobs lost in that state alone last year a 23 percent decline. Bloomberg suggested subsidies to help displaced workers, like coal miners, and maybe even retaining. But Bloomberg said retraining isn't always an option, especially in an economy becoming increasingly tech savvy. Bloomberg stressed the need for the retraining to be "realistic."
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 12 2014, @04:57PM
Not only is their job dirty and dangerous, it is harder than one might think.there are many jobs in a mine, but most people who work there are skillled tradesmen.the eqipment hasn't stood still either; mines have been mechanized for decades, and the control systems become more advanced as technology in general is computerized.
And though Bloomberg's sympathy is welcome and needed,coal miners don't necessarily have to hang up their lamps; there's no reason other new mines can't be opened; there are lots of other minerals we need.