From: Jed Rothwell Daniel Rocha wrote:
Save for the workers, is that good or bad? It is bad for the workers and good for everyone else. In my opinion, the workers deserve help from the rest of society. It does not have to be “either-or” (workers vs environment) except under blind adherence to an archaic form of capitalism. There is an alternative and we could be far more farsighted about protecting jobs and protecting the environment at the same time – but it is intrusive and yes, it smacks of socialism in a political year. The simple solution to the Coal dilemma – which can both protect coal jobs, actually add other jobs, and improve the environment AND lower the Trade Deficit - costs too much for private industry to tackle and it involves heavy intervention to accelerate mass production of structural carbon, as well as incentives to use it – and the automobile is the obvious target for this (due to weight saving) and well as aerospace. Coal could be an ideal replacement for imported steel…that is, when it is in the form of graphite fiber or nanotubes. Nanotubes are 10 times stronger than steel by weight. A significant % of hot rolled steel comes from abroad, and with enough incentives, directed and aimed directly at imported steel, it could be completely replaced with some form of structure carbon - and the bonus is lighter weight, more jobs and better fuel economy… but of course, the downside is more government intervention. The cost would be high initially, but with megaton mass production and subsidies let’s face it – nothing is cheaper than coal… and coal is mostly carbon. The initial cost would be worth it, due to fringe benefits. We are not talking about carbon steel, but something like carbon nanotube reinforced plastic bodied cars, as a starter. Change the electric car subsidy to include the CRP subsidy (using US coal) and the initial change can be done with those new Teslas and the ones from GM, if they do not “Bolt” (an even worse name than the No-va). The Chinese would not like this but oddly this is one proposal that both the Koch Brothers and Bernie would embrace. Why do we have to base every decision on China Trade? It is not really “free trade” now and it never has been.
