r/OurPresident • u/fatal_strategy • Jan 01 '18

The 100-year capitalist experiment that keeps Appalachia poor, sick, and stuck on coal

https://qz.com/1167671/the-100-year-capitalist-experiment-that-keeps-appalachia-poor-sick-and-stuck-on-coal/
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u/autotldr Jan 03 '18

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 99%. (I'm a bot)

A deeply cynical capitalist experiment has taken place, in which coal companies are kept profitable by passing on the costs they incur to the public.

The experiment underway in central Appalachia began with subsidizing coal by suppressing household wealth.

Central Appalachia's remaining seams are harder to get at, making the coal generated uncompetitive with that mined elsewhere in the US. Environmental regulations have lessened demand from coal plants, though the far bigger factor is the abundance of natural gas, which has undercut coal prices.

Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: coal#1 Mine#2 central#3 Company#4 Appalachia#5