Coal has certainly taken a beating lately, reputation-wise. Websites like Coal-is-Dirty.com highlight all of the problems with using coal as an energy source, not the least of which is the astounding amount of pollution it produces – which not only harms the environment, but is a serious health hazard as well. That doesn’t mean that the coal industry is going anywhere for the time being, though. As gas prices rise, a lot of people who are more concerned about their wallets than global warming are wondering why we can’t just increase use of the abundance of coal located right here in the USA. Currently, half of the electricity in the United States is powered by coal.
For his cable television show, 30 Days, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock returned to his home state of West Virginia to explore what it’s really like to be part of the coal industry – specifically, to experience daily life as a coal miner. Watch it below and check out our commentary afterward.
On his first day, Spurlock was overwhelmed by the difficulty of shoveling coal onto a moving belt. Sweating profusely and covered in soot, he commented, “I’d like to think that what I’m shoveling here is powering the electricity for a children’s hospital, but in reality, what I’m shoveling here is probably powering some guy masturbating in front of his computer.”
His trainer on the belt said, “All you need to be a coal miner is a weak mind and a strong back. That’s all you need.” That doesn’t mean it doesn’t take skill, though: there are a million things that can go wrong at any point in the day. Coal mining is definitely hard work, and dangerous work at that: probably not worth the average $65,000 annual salary miners make.
The miners are painfully aware of how much West Virginia and the nation depend upon them. That hasn’t stopped many of them from discouraging their children from working in the mines, though. They want them to go to college instead, and avoid falling into the trap of working in a coal mine. These men are all too aware of the fact that every day, they risk never seeing the outside of the mine again.
With this episode, Spurlock has provided a great opportunity to hear what coal miners really think about the industry as well. One miner commented that it’s about time to start using other sources of energy, and that coal miners aren’t stupid – they just can’t pass up the high pay in an area that doesn’t provide any other opportunities. “You’ve got to do something to raise a family.”
The show raises the important point that coal is destined to be a thing of the past as the world looks toward cleaner sources of energy. Wouldn’t it be great to provide these coal miners with safer jobs that won’t give them cancer or leave their families without a husband and father? Imagine if new, renewable energy industries set up shop in places like West Virginia to give these people a new life – a life without coal. In the meantime, more restrictions need to be in place to protect miners and the environment. It may take a long time, but we can only hope that the future holds better things for these people and the rest of the nation.
30 Days airs on FX Tuesdays at 10pm.
Link [Hulu]
