Thanks for the information HO, always informative. From my research, "The Coal Bin" is prescient. The word from climate scientists is that China's coal burning is already directly impacting weather on the West Coast through heightened levels of particulates (more rain--I didn't think that was possible).

I have to take issue with your description of US coal mining as being under the direction of laws that "significantly improve mine working conditions"--no matter how much pixie dust is sprinkled over coal mining, it will never be a safe activity. I agree that conditions have changed somewhat since the 1970s, but they haven't fundamentally altered the nature of coal mining (not that you were advocating a position like that). Workers have not benefitted from rising coal prices or legislation nearly as much as mine owners.

Two recommendations of further reading/watching for the TOD faithful interested in coal:

(1) An Oscar winning 1976 documentary on coal workers, entitled "Harlan County USA"--one of the best films I've ever seen.

(2) An article by Paul J. Nyden entitled "Rank-and-File Rellions in the Coal Fields, 1964-80" that was published in the 03/07 issue of the Monthly Review--it should be available by the end of the week at: http://www.monthlyreview.org