I think we often overlay our own experiences on to other seemingly similar issues and forget how complex a lot of problems are. Changing energy infrastructure on a global scale is not the same as changing out your oil burning furnace at home.

It can be really difficult to have a rational conversation around these basic topics when they appear easily solvable.

The "build a fence" idea surrounding immigration springs to mind as a incredibley obvious example.

But even in this I'm being far too simplistic about the myriad factors that contribute to the outrage at your suggestion about coal.

I think too there is the matter of a echo chamber. The belief that everyone else's experience is similar or is otherwise not that large a segment of the population and therefore not as deserving consideration.

Also, there is the classic I often fall victim to, the wanting to just be mad and not really have a discussion but go through the motions both understanding that you're not truly having intellectual discorce but just wailing at the void together so as to not be so terrified all the time.

I honestly think this one happens quite a lot here and you largely got hate because you brought the gross part of reality to the table when others wanted to just have a group wail at the void.

I would love to be free of the grip of coal mining, Ive lived in coal towns and have a somewhat more fleshed out understanding then your average joe. The reality is that it's not something that is likely to happen within most of our lifetimes. A movement towards more ethical practices is the direction, as you suggested, that we should be focusing our energy on... But man do I love tossing out an unthinking "fuck you" at the corrupt folks steering the world in self indulgent, misery laden, empaty void directions.

Sorry if I blathered on, I appreciate your time!

Hope it's going well today :))

I misread sorry. You dont think its okay to sell asbestos but is fine to sell carcinogenic coal. Fine. Stop calling me elitist because I think its bad to push coal exports. The folks who benefit from coal exports are energy elites not every day people. You are the one pushing elitism.

India is willing to buy energy so instead of giving them elitist, entitled, supremacist lectures and coal, you could be building and selling them renewables. Your goal here is to profit off fossil combustion and that is the reason you are choosing coal customers that happen to be in India. I seek to minimize emissions while you try to increase emissions, that is how we differ.