State’s fate lies in coal debate

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Smack dab in the middle of the biggest controversy the university has seen in awhile, UK hosted “A Forum on Coal in Kentucky.” The day-long event on Thursday was dedicated to the past, present and future of coal and had been planned for quite some time. The timing couldn’t have been better to try and help UK quell some of the negative discourse on the coal debate.

But no matter how balanced you try to keep the debate, or how “fair” a forum is, the debate never seems to arrive at solutions.

Experts from both sides. pro-coal and advocates for change, debated the various issues of the little black rock, culminating with “Coal in Kentucky.” The event featured some of the pre-eminent names in the field, including Joe Craft, president and CEO of Alliance Coal.

According to a Nov. 6 Kernel article, both sides at the forum agreed reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is key as coal use increases in the 21st century.

Yet the two sides are worlds apart from where they need to be and the argument never gets past flinging counterpoints, pointing fingers and decreeing the other side as wrong.

Craft, one of the main faces of the pro-coal front, holds a most interesting role in the debate. As a prominent donor to UK, Craft is known as a “coal guy.” However, he is a business man who dove head-first into the coal business when it became an economic power.

Craft’s interests seem to be more economically motivated and less concerned with the long-term environmental effects. Yes, he wants to bring more jobs to Kentucky and ensure the state’s economic well-being, but if here is to be a movement for change, he probably won’t be spearheading it.

“Coal is our future fuel. It is dependable, we know where it is and it’s stable.” Fred Palmer, the event’s other pro-coal speaker said. But as it stands, the consensus seems to be moving towards renewable sources.

UK must be at the forefront of hosting forums like this, and should ultimately be one of the leaders in the quest for solutions. Additionally, students must take advantage of having these big name speakers debating the major issues. Education is the only way to truly create healthy debate.

Kentucky cannot be left behind as the issue becomes more important by the day. We can’t go and dump coal tomorrow for some of the renewable sources on the horizon. The state must begin planning for a world without coal to make sure if, and when, coal does end up by the wayside, Kentucky isn’t stuck there too.