$86 Million More Against the Climate

Once again, future generations’ ability to endure on the planet has been compromised by our current chronic inability to live within our means. The Montana State Land Board voted last week to accept $86 million from Arch Coal Inc. for rights to dig nearly a billion tons of coal from beneath state land in southern Montana. Each of the 3 yes voters, including Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer, cited the state’s budget woes as the main reason to take the money.

Both Arch Coal and Schweitzer say it will be at least 7 years before mining begins in the area. (Pshah, that’s such a long time from now, what have we got to worry about!?!)

Of course, the unspoken claim behind those words is that in 7 years, when Arch starts thrashing the valleys of southern Montana to dig the black stuff up, power plant technology will be so clean we will all want personal coal plants in our backyards, and scientists will have perfected flying climate repair fairies. If not, well, its the scientists’ fault, or the feds’, but definitely not the Land Boards’, or Arch Coals’, and thank goodness, by then Governor Schweitzer will have retired to his ranch, so what does he care. (Though there will be more rain in January than he’s used to, which will put a damper on snowmobiling with the kids.)

Arch Coal also plans on using the coal beneath Montana “for export to emerging Asia” where all those coal power plants being built today will definitely be clean and green tomorrow.