March 13, 2020 - It’s been a very busy week for the “Saving US Coal” campaign. Each month the Energy Information Administration (EIA) releases its Short-Term Energy Outlook and every month it gets worse and worse for coal. This month, EIA forecasts that U.S. coal production will total 573 million short tons (MMst) in 2020, down no less than 117 MMst or 17% from 2019.

“This lower production figure reflects the EIA estimate for declining demand for coal in the electric power sector as well as lower demand for exports,” said Bill Reid, Managing Editor, CoalZoom. “The destruction of the coal industry continues and that’s why we kept our promise to the American coal industry by acting earlier this week to repeal the EPA CO2 Endangerment Finding.”

Bill Reid

On Monday, the “Saving US Coal” swung into action when the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change filed the petition with the US EPA asking it to repeal its Endangerment Finding for Greenhouse Gases under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act (74FR 66,496, Dec 15, 2009).

“Unless this Finding is repealed, EPA will be free to attack all fossil fuel use and will continue to decimate coal,” continued Reid. “Our action therefore is a very big step is saving what’s left of the coal industry and we are excited to reach this major milestone in our campaign.”

The 139-page petition was made despite the fact that donations received for the extensive work were way below budget. In order to get the filing done, the participants had to reach deep into their own pockets but they were focused to succeed with this vital part of the plan. CoalZoom is continuing its appeal to everyone, who is either directly or indirectly connected with the coal industry, to make a donation to help fund these efforts.

Highlighting numerous peer-reviewed studies, the petition says that multiple observations made over the past decade confirm that the projected risks and adverse consequences of rising greenhouse gases are failing to materialize. In fact, CO2 emissions and fossil fuel use during the Modern Era have actually enhanced life and improved humanity’s standard of living.  The petition shows:

1.       There is nothing unusual or unnatural about Earth’s current warmth or rate of warming.

2.       Historic and modern records of atmospheric CO2 and temperature violate established principles of causation.

3.       Model-based temperature projections since 1979 artificially inflate warming (compared to observations) by a factor of three, invalidating the models and all their ancillary claims associated with greenhouse gas-induced warming.

4.       Key adverse effects of greenhouse gas-induced warming, including extreme weather events, temperature- induced mortality and sea level rise, are not occurring despite EPA predictions they should be worsening.

In November last year, CoalZoom teamed up with respected industry leader, Fred Palmer, who heads up the “Saving US Coal” campaign and is also Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change. The Center is headed up by internationally-renowned scientist, Dr. Craig Idso, who is Chairman, and recently joining the Center was well-known economist, Frank Clemente. This has resulted in the petition, with Dr. Idso being the lead author, being filed with EPA.

Dr. Craig Idso

“Please stand and fight for coal with us,” appealed Reid. “With the filing of the petition, we have clearly shown how determined we are to save coal. We have much more to do BUT we cannot do everything that needs to be done without your help. Please, please, make a donation now!”

A donation form can be found here to make it easy to do.