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kathyv · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 5:11 am Post subject: So sad

Such a sad time for people in Utah, USA.

There was a mine that had a cave in, severe enough to register on the Richter scale. Rescuers have been drilling and searching from the ground, heard what they thought might have been those trapped and search and rescue teams went in today. There was another cave in and 2 rescuers were killed, 7 others are in the hosp.

There seems to be more and more of this kind of tragedy in US mines, I wonder why.

It's bad we are still so dependent on coal. It's not worth the cost of so many lives.

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I don't have hobbies; hobbies cost money. Interests are quite free.
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Rinty · Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 7:12 am Post subject:

All industries take lives kathy. What's not acceptable though is companies taking short cuts in the name of profit.

Chinese miners die every day and not just in the mines. America is bastion of health and safety by comparison and very few miners die. Miners are expected to take their tools and equipment home with the, including explosives which in most countries would be left in a safe environment after a shift. This has resulted in houses blowing up people being killed.

We can extract coal safely and, if we are willing to spend the money on investment, drastically reduce the carbon emissions.

I dont think we can judge whether coal is worth the loss of life when you could equally say is profit worth the loss of life, is household energy worth the loss of life, is working at all worth it?

mairead · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 5:37 am Post subject:

Progress has always been at the cost of lives, but it is nonetheless a tragedy which might have been avoided and the loss to the families is devastating.
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I fear not hell, nor English strife,
For Scotland, I will give my life