Left out in the coal-ed?

摘要

Few countries are blessed with as much coal as the US: the lower 48 states hold a total of almost 1 trillion t of reserves and resources, and it is used to generate almost half of all electricity consumed in the country. But coal is so bedeviled with a host of challenges, from slowing demand and environmental regulation to pending climate change laws, that some might think that the demise of the industry is nigh. "Between legislation and the economy, we're going to have our hands full,' says Luke Popovich, vice president of external communications for the National Mining Association (NMA), an industry lobby group based in DC. "But, it's not as dire as some sectors." By most measuring sticks, 2008 was an outstanding year for US coal. The sector employs 83,000 people, up from 71,000 in 2003. Production hit 1.17 billion t, a record high. The top ten producers account for over two-thirds of the production; the top five - Peabody, Rio Tinto, Arch, Foundation and Consol - account for over half.