26 Coal Miners Dead, 11 Trapped After Explosion
The rescue of Chilean coal miners was met with cheers, but the recent coal explosion in Yuzhou, China, killed 26 miners and trapped 11, and rescue efforts might not be successful due to a lack of resources.
Such a loss of human life and cause of human misery are reminders that the energy we consume comes at a very high price.
Flip a switch and the light comes on. Turn a dial and the toaster runs. Push a button and the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, all operate without a single glitch. It's all too easy.
Such easy access to electricity produced by burning coal is part of the reason why some people leave their lights on in rooms when no one's there; leave the TV on when no one is watching; leave the stereo on when no one is listening.
Not every consumer is wasteful, but to those who don't think about the social cost of electricity derived from the mining and burning of coal, please take a few seconds to check if you habitually leave lights and other electrical appliances on because it's just more convenient for you to turn it on and leave it on.
For the sake of improving the quality of life for those in the energy industries and for the sake of sustainability, I hope innovations in clean, renewable alternative energies move forward as quickly as possible, so that no spouse or child will ever need to grieve over the death of a loved one.
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