King Coal's Precarious Reign

Seventy men work at the Tusky underground coal mine in Eastern Ohio. Pitch black except for the light on their headlamps, underground coal mining is still rigorous physical labor. The ceiling of the mine is only 42 inches high, requiring the miners to spend each 10-hour shift on their hands and knees. But unlike the stereotype that portrays coal miners as struggling and impoverished, the Tusky mine provides workers with a good middle class living, which is the only option for many people in rural America in this depressed economic climate. At the same time, the US is the largest coal user in the world today, and coal is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. In response to this, new 'cap and trade' legislation aims to limit the amount of greenhouse gas that any company can emit, employing a gradual, yet substantial reduction over time. If passed, it could put an end to the coal industry in Ohio. These seventy men are working to raise their family’s everyday, caught between the growing consequences of global climate change and the limited employment choices in a depressed economy.