Comments on: Coal mining costs Appalachians five times more in early deaths than it provides in economic benefits http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:59:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Claire http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-90701 Claire Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:24:05 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-90701 Unfortunately, too many progressive orgs are just as silo'ed and can't seem to figure out how to educate, much less reach out to, folks outside their constituencies. Given how much Obama has been emphasizing preventive health care, it's almost a no-brainer that prevention (and the attendant lower costs) should start at the source -- in this case, coal mining and coal-based power plants. If it takes a carrot for those industries, so be it, even, to be able to reduce coal use. Anything to counteract all those horrid provisions in ACES. Unfortunately, too many progressive orgs are just as silo’ed and can’t seem to figure out how to educate, much less reach out to, folks outside their constituencies. Given how much Obama has been emphasizing preventive health care, it’s almost a no-brainer that prevention (and the attendant lower costs) should start at the source — in this case, coal mining and coal-based power plants. If it takes a carrot for those industries, so be it, even, to be able to reduce coal use. Anything to counteract all those horrid provisions in ACES.

]]> By: James Newberry http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-82262 James Newberry Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:41:18 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-82262 The US Capitol of capital, permanent public indebtedness and ecologic destruction. We need to "restructure" from twentieth century madness to twenty-first century sustainability, equality, justice and peace. There is too much centralized corporate physical and political power. Thanks Bill Becker. The US Capitol of capital, permanent public indebtedness and ecologic destruction.

We need to “restructure” from twentieth century madness to twenty-first century sustainability, equality, justice and peace. There is too much centralized corporate physical and political power. Thanks Bill Becker.

]]> By: Gary http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-81992 Gary Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:09:56 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-81992 Bill, I completely agree. Congress' way of dealing with issues separately from energy to healthcare to climate change creates a byzantine layer of laws that are incoherent. Parochial interests, like Collin Peterson toward agriculture, are holding up crucial legislation, like Waxman Markey. Internationally, it's become obvious that climate change will require new levels of international cooperation to ward off catastrophic climate disasters in developing countries fueled (literally) by the consumption and developement of richer nations. for more go to climatesecurity.blogspot.com Bill, I completely agree. Congress’ way of dealing with issues separately from energy to healthcare to climate change creates a byzantine layer of laws that are incoherent. Parochial interests, like Collin Peterson toward agriculture, are holding up crucial legislation, like Waxman Markey. Internationally, it’s become obvious that climate change will require new levels of international cooperation to ward off catastrophic climate disasters in developing countries fueled (literally) by the consumption and developement of richer nations.

for more

go to climatesecurity.blogspot.com

]]> By: jbrosius http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-81987 jbrosius Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:04:07 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-81987 Dr. Steve Ostroff, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said the West Virginia University study presents an interesting hypothesis that both requires and deserves further study. More study needed "The paper demonstrated a potentially important relationship between health outcomes and location near a coal mine, but it doesn't prove a cause," said Dr. Ostroff. "It's an interesting finding, an important finding, but before you can take it to the bank you need to do a lot more study." He said academics will need to do that additional work because the state health department doesn't have the resources to do it yet, though it has received funding from the CDC to establish an environmental health data base for the state. In Pennsylvania, Armstrong, Greene, Indiana and Somerset counties had mining operations that dug more than 4 million tons of coal in 2006, the latest year for which records are available from the state. Mining operations in Clearfield, Elk and Washington counties dug more than 3.4 million tons each. Greene County numbers Greene County mines were by far the biggest producers, pulling out almost 42 million tons annually. In 2005, for example, Greene County residents had a bronchus and lung cancer rate of 86.9 per 100,000, much higher than the state average of 70 per 100,000. But that doesn't prove that mining was the cause of those cancers. Dr. Hendryx's latest findings -- which take into account and adjust for variables of age, income, education, county poverty rate, smoking rate and obesity rate -- make a case for mining's negative health effect on both men and women who live near surface and underground mining operations. We are still dealing with an untedted hypothesis. How do we differentiate between deaths of minors and non minors and subsurface minors and surface minors. We also see variables such as smoking and drinking that were not isolated here. I see they claimed in the 42 billion cost that it was 3.8 million dollars per person and that was for 10,000+ persons. Common sense tells me that if a worker dies before retirement, he is replaced by a worker that is a new hire and the economic loss is less than 60 days and not economic loss for 50 years. If we want to use the same math, we could then calculate if all the 55,000 workers were fired, and the mining ceased the economic impact of 3.8 million per person would total or 550 billion dollars. Dr. Steve Ostroff, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said the West Virginia University study presents an interesting hypothesis that both requires and deserves further study.

More study needed
“The paper demonstrated a potentially important relationship between health outcomes and location near a coal mine, but it doesn’t prove a cause,” said Dr. Ostroff. “It’s an interesting finding, an important finding, but before you can take it to the bank you need to do a lot more study.”

He said academics will need to do that additional work because the state health department doesn’t have the resources to do it yet, though it has received funding from the CDC to establish an environmental health data base for the state.

In Pennsylvania, Armstrong, Greene, Indiana and Somerset counties had mining operations that dug more than 4 million tons of coal in 2006, the latest year for which records are available from the state. Mining operations in Clearfield, Elk and Washington counties dug more than 3.4 million tons each.

Greene County numbers

Greene County mines were by far the biggest producers, pulling out almost 42 million tons annually. In 2005, for example, Greene County residents had a bronchus and lung cancer rate of 86.9 per 100,000, much higher than the state average of 70 per 100,000. But that doesn’t prove that mining was the cause of those cancers.

Dr. Hendryx’s latest findings — which take into account and adjust for variables of age, income, education, county poverty rate, smoking rate and obesity rate — make a case for mining’s negative health effect on both men and women who live near surface and underground mining operations.

We are still dealing with an untedted hypothesis. How do we differentiate between deaths of minors and non minors and subsurface minors and surface minors. We also see variables such as smoking and drinking that were not isolated here.

I see they claimed in the 42 billion cost that it was 3.8 million dollars per person and that was for 10,000+ persons. Common sense tells me that if a worker dies before retirement, he is replaced by a worker that is a new hire and the economic loss is less than 60 days and not economic loss for 50 years.
If we want to use the same math, we could then calculate if all the 55,000 workers were fired, and the mining ceased the economic impact of 3.8 million per person would total or 550 billion dollars.

]]> By: Nathan Srigley http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-81963 Nathan Srigley Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:26:55 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-81963 To top it off that mountain top mining operation looks like a polished off T-Bone steak. Ahh, the american dream. To top it off that mountain top mining operation looks like a polished off T-Bone steak. Ahh, the american dream.

]]> By: Matt Dernoga http://climateprogress.org/2009/06/22/coal-mining-costs-appalachians-five-times-more-in-early-deaths-than-it-provides-in-economic-benefits/#comment-81897 Matt Dernoga Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:45:26 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/?p=8218#comment-81897 Very well written Bill Very well written Bill

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