Coal jobs are lost when keeping streams clean, because they can’t keep streams clean.

Quick post from phone:  Republicans overturned a rule that required coal companies to test water streams for environmental damage and adhere to certain levels when mining. Coal company lobbyists paid Republicans to say “the rule will cost American jobs.”

Ask yourself, how would hiring several environmental impact inspectors actual costs American jobs? If a company needs to adhere to stricter guidelines to keep our water safe, that would only increase the amount of jobs. More products would be needed to maintain those standards in addition to the staff responsible for testing.

There are a few reasons it could cost American jobs:

– It’s impossible for the coal industry to keep our water safe when mining near streams, therefore they can’t work at all. Unfortunately for them, this saves lives and as such takes precedence over a few jobs (not to GOP representatives that get money to put jobs over lives)

– It’s impossible for the coal industry to be profitable if a few thousand dollars of environmental testing are added to their task. The margins are too short as nat gas is very low in price.

In both scenarios clean energy can create jobs and save the environment. Unfortunately for clean energy it doesn’t pay off Congress to act like complete fucking assholes!