Coal- Holding Our Economy Together?: Coal Energy: Non Renewable Energy Articles: Eco20/20

Coal- Holding Our Economy Together?

Ezra Drissman
Editorial

Let's talk about numbers. When the chips are down everyone wants clean air and water. These are important and nice things that everyone wants and deserves. But there are some very important things that everyone needs to consider.

I am talking about coal and the proposed idea of a carbon tax or cap and trade.

Coal plants are abundant in the United States. According to the Department of Energy they produce around 49% of the energy that we use. Coal also produces an enormous quandary for both citizens and politicians alike. That is, burning coal produces a large amount of pollution and co2. However it also makes up a significant portion of the energy we use at an affordable price.

How do we switch from coal without severely crippling our economy further? Some will answer that the tax will only hurt a few states. That answer on the surface is correct, but let the auto industry serve as a case study. The woes of a few states can easily lead to the woes of the nation.

The numbers: Michigan gets 60-65% of its electricity from coal, Wisconsin; 40-45%, Pennsylvania; 55-60%, Illinois; 45-50%. The whopping numbers come out of Indiana and Ohio; 80-90%.

If these statistics don't alarm you they should. An increase on taxes would not only hurt the economies of these states but do more than that. In Michigan, ads are run by the local energy companies all the time trying to help people pay for their bills. This tax will have a direct affect on the citizens of these already hurting states.

This is not meant to be an attack on carbon taxing or a defense of coal, absolutely not. These are the real problems that need to be addressed. Sometimes, first identifying the problem is the most important part before coming up with a solution.

Coal Resources