9 replies to this topic

[adam_a]

Article here:


America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Good news. Thanks.

[Besoeker]

adam_a, on 23 April 2013 - 04:51 PM, said:

Article here:


America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners

Maybe coal mining is more automated.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Miner deaths, coal ash spills wiping out entire towns, more people aware of coal's pollution, milder winters;
solar panel prices coming down are all contributing factors.

[still learning]

Besoeker, on 24 April 2013 - 12:55 PM, said:

Maybe coal mining is more automated.

Looking at a BLS table (here http://www.bls.gov/o...ics4_212100.htm ), with 87 thousand plus employed in coal in the US, with 26+% in "extraction," I don't see any entry for just "miner."  Mostly machine operators of some kind in extraction.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Whatever their title, people working underground mining coal are dying from their work.
China's death rate is massive, but ours is unacceptable too.
http://frankwarner.t...al_mining_.html

[E3 wise]

happy dance, da da da, da da, da da, happy dance

[adam_a]

I think it is an important milestone because it defangs the argument that 'going green costs jobs,' at least in the broad sense. And as the coal runs down I think it is good that we can bring another skilled job to take its place, though I doubt the solar jobs pay as much.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

adam_a, on 26 April 2013 - 10:35 AM, said:

I think it is an important milestone because it defangs the argument that 'going green costs jobs,' at least in the broad sense. And as the coal runs down I think it is good that we can bring another skilled job to take its place, though I doubt the solar jobs pay as much.

Yeah but, installers won't get black lung disease from it either, and all the other money they spend on health care
so it may be more in the long run.

[Eclipse]

adam_a, on 23 April 2013 - 04:51 PM, said:

Article here:


America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners

This is not good news. What this proves is that coal is a more efficient energy source. It simply takes less people to produce more energy. That's one equation that matters for price and effectiveness. MORE people = more salaries, more human energy expended, all for less energy. Solar is also a poorer form of intermittent, unreliable energy. It's like a prima donna. "Oh, I just don't DO night time, and I'll need longer breaks in winter". I wish it were not the case, as I love the *idea* of renewable energy, but I'm convinced we need BIG hits of BASELOAD energy that require FEWER people to run, because that's one of the measures of ongoing cost.