How Appalachia Deteriorated With The Decline Of Coal | Part 1

Eastern Kentucky and most of Appalachia had a thriving coal industry for more than 100 years. We went to coal country to talk to people about how much Appalachia has changed with its decline.
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#Appalachia #Coal
Part 2: • How Coal's Decline Des...
Part 3: • The People Who Are Bri...
Additional archival photos provided by the SKCTC Appalachian Archives, from their U.S. Coal & Coke, International Harvester, Ewell Balltrip, and Kentucky Coal Museum Photo Collections.
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[@erin19030]

I was born in coal country. Black lung took my young dad when I was 5. Mom took us out of there, never to return. She saved my life . As a male I would have followed my dad into hell.

[@chamboyette853]

White male privilege?

[@x2turtlemasterx2]

I live in Whitesburg, and I can tell you hands down that this film does not represent the area accurately at all. A business surviving for a year (Heritage Kitchen) is not a sign of success. I wonder why they didn't discuss the several dozen businesses that have came and went in the last handful of years? If I were to walk down Main Street of Whitesburg, I could name at least 8 businesses that have closed their doors in the last 5 years, and that isn't even counting the outlying areas. Why? Because this region has zero infrastructure without the coal business. On main street, there are only a handful of actual businesses that have made it for more than a couple of years, and those few businesses only employ about 5 people each. And these people are going to sit and talk about how this is a great area for entrepreneurs? Give me a break. If that was the case, our largest and most successful business wouldn't be the local Wal-Mart that isn't even open 24/7. The biggest portion of the viable workforce in this area can't even pass a drug test. Really, this production is just as bad as any before it. When we were thriving because of coal, we were portrayed as being poor, ignorant, and far from industrialized. Now that coal is gone and we are doing worse than we ever have, we are being portrayed as a blossoming little town full of entrepreneurial potential. If you cannot represent this area accurately, then seriously, just do us all a favor and quit making films about it.

[@easttnchipsters1663]

x2turtlemasterx2 👍

[@tigergreg8]

Well written comment.

[@Doki_Dokers]

Too long I hate essays

[@nancyhicksgribble9799]

Well listen to the narrarotor with her valley girl voice, automatically labeling us hillbillies because we voted for Trump.

[@Longashe]

Can't expect much understanding from some KZbin kids who haven't even grown up yet.

[@jsmcguireIII]

My granddaddy worked for the Main Island Creek Coal company in Omar WV. He saw the Battle of Blair Mountain. My father went on to WVU and Yale and got THE HELL OUT. Everything my Granddaddy did was to make sure that happened.

[@treyhannah7228]

Im from mingo county buddy right beside logan

[@jenmb2679]

That's great for you

[@blacksthrnbelle]

Thank you for sharing. I pray more people will realize (like your grandfather),with education your opportunities are limitless.

[@zth3223]

I live in north central average..Preston county..I'm a 5th generation miner..but it's about gone around here..coal has been a big part of my life..both my great grand parents owned small mines around here in the 40s to 60s ..I grew up with my one grand dad a superintendent until he retired..I used to go to the mine with him and load coal trucks with him when I was 8 or so in the late 80s ..now things have changed a lot

[@shaesennett9120]

"yes some of the worst poverty in the U.S. is there but what my producers and I found in appalachia was a much more 'human' story" literally wtf haha

[@tinyswag]

Smh... journalists

[@eringiesler6485]

Right? Poverty is pretty human.

[@accidentalanarchist3304]

Appalachia's coal story is so familiar to me. My Dad was a coal miner in Scotland until the mid 80's, then *Maggie Thatcher* along with Labour leader *Neil Kinnock* got stuck in and the mines were devastated. Now I'm all for a clean, green environment, and am also anti-Fracking, but the way the families (thousands of them) who were seriously dependent on the mines for a living were shafted was terrible. We still use opencast coalmines to sell to other countries, and we're even importing coal from bloody Russia, I mean how fair is this to the British coal miners, who lost everything they had? It's all smoke and mirrors...

[@emilereske]

Jane Smith j

[@toddcollett9102]

Jane Smith u said a mouth full of truth , i live here in harlan County ky . In Cumberland and i work in the coal mines , the poverty is horrible and so many people dont have a way to make ends meet , so ofcourse we have an epidemic of drug addiction and drug dealing its sad , "A wise man that is desperate will do things he knows better than doing" If you give a man enough desperation u can steal his hope and his sight

[@thefrosty1925]

Countless communities up and down the UK were devastated by it, mine partially and many nearby. Instead of giving communities time to shift their focus to other industries, good ol' Maggie pulled the rug right from under their feet. We would be a much stronger and wealthier country now if she had let a gradual transition take place..

[@SuperPhunThyme9]

I don't see any issue with fracking (that is worth its ban, at least). I pay 3 cents per kW/h, and that's after all the hidden taxes and regulatory hinderences have roughly tripled it from possibly 1cent per kW/h. ...Idk if you realize what your sacrificing is all.....now sure one day we may have fusion power, and it will all be for not...except you will have spent a huge chunk of your potential life's savings on electricity between now and then-be it via your own power bill, or the increase in local prices for goods and services ....our whole economy is energy, nothing more, and for now, nearly all of our technology depends on that energy first and foremost, which means energy abundance directly correlates to the wealth we can earn for our hard labor.

[@eringiesler6485]

And it’s the companies fault

[@Zones33]

I think it's very interesting how diverse the city was... Something that definitely suprises you first but makes sense once you really think about it

[@darcgibson5099]

This is inevitable. Coal is just too harmful to the environment and to people and drinking water etc. What needs to happen is retraining. These coal miners need to be helped into a new job, perhaps in modern energy industries or the like. Companies that mechanise or move overseas or shut mines should be made to retrain their workers as part of their redundancy package.

[@conservativethought1460]

Take a hike liberal

[@mattdolges]

When it is realistic to use other energy sources , OK. Till then I'll keep mining..

[@fordrac1ng81]

Retraining is great, but then they all have to sell their land they've had in the family for generations and move to the city? There are no jobs here. I got lucky and work from home two days a week and travel 3 days a week for work. I keep my land, get to buy things in the cities where I travel.

[@jesterd14]

It's the nature of the world, fracking has been a boon for natural gas, but a death sentence for coal. Whenever one industry goes up, another goes down. The government can't force a power plant to burn coal when natural gas is cheaper.

[@markpatterson3723]

Can not believe you didn't cover the battle of Blair Mountain

[@smithgraincattlesgc4940]

mark patterson that’s a story for wv not eastern Kentucky

[@jenmb2679]

Is there a video about it?.never heard of it.

[@jenmb2679]

I live in Michigan and I'm 33 and even I know about it..

[@markpatterson3723]

@@jenmb2679 watch the mine wars on PBS

[@amberbailey4196]

I really wish that the people commenting would have some empathy and not be so ignorant and ignore the facts at hand. I support cleaner production, but people have to understand just how hard it is to live here. People here only have coal as a source of income, it's what most of our towns were created for. Coal camps haven't been shut down, there are still people living there. It's fine to not support coal, but support the workers that have now lost anything because there's nothing coming here to replace coal mining jobs. Don't blame education, either. A lot of people here do have a college degree, any job in these small towns and cities are full of competition and nothing is promised. Not everyone has the resources to move away. Just don't blame poverty on things that are out of people's control. Just be happy that you're not having to go through the same thing. Have respect and look at things from a reality stand point.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Appalachia’s poplar are so humble and kind I like the bald gentleman with the beard who he was road with people of different walks of life.

[@jmow429]

I live in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania and you can see the damage done by the downfall of coal here

[@aidanmalloy9626]

James Mowery yea I'm from Hazleton I know exactly what your talking aboiy

[@ther1rida]

1:27 "COAL LIPSTICK"

[@D9526328443789]

ther1rida ther1rida 😂

[@stphnmrrs3982]

Well here in Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina it was all Textiles. Whole towns were born from Mill Hills, and the company provided everything for the community. It's been over 20 years since they left and there are numerous communities that haven't recovered. Poverty is still rampant because that was recent enough where most of those workers are unable to be retrained for new good jobs. I can only imagine that's what gonna happen when coal leaves as well...

[@tl5108]

Eastern PA n a lot of western PA is in disrepair. The coal left, the steel left, lumber ain't super great, the oil left. We got natural gas but that doesn't really employ a ton of people. Luckily Pittsburgh was able to turn themselves around n make it

[@GrandNoble]

this is dope

[@rando8773]

Those clean energy people should get over there and hire them all. Although I'm not sure how much sun Appalachia gets.

[@metabeard3788]

You could toss wind turbines on those mountain tops

[@enginerepairguy]

Coal is just to expensive.

[@chiraqveteran2989]

@@metabeard3788 As a matter of fact, we do. It just doesn't create as many jobs as folks like to say.

[@everettduncan7543]

​@@chiraqveteran2989and the reason? Less maintence needed.

[@bobbypaluga4346]

Folks last call to learn new skills and leave the coal industry before it collapses. Miners have been gone deaf to 25 years of similar messages, while retraining community classes have been easily available. Save your health, get out

[@realistblue-_-136]

Bro coal town is literally a labor camp you go home then get to work everyday till you die of black lung that’s horrifying

[@toddcollett9102]

Its still the same , thank God i just got on over in Va.

[@mansamusa8410]

This reminds me of district 12 in hunger games

[@bratcli3]

Come to West Virginia!

[@KevinCummingsFitness]

Yes!!

[@Jemalacane0]

Kentucky has 3 non powered dams. Each represent a 400 megawatt potential.

[@glblb3030]

interesting,

[@anitatichacek1460]

When all else runs out they will have coal to keep them warm...then everyone else freezing and will regret they're rudest to them...

[@dustinscheller7795]

There's only so much minable coal not many guys wanna go down 200 feet anymore for a 32 inch seam let alone long wall mining which needs 10 or less guys to mine 100x as much as a crew used to

[@jordanjedra591]

dustin scheller I work in an 8ft seam. It’s not all low. And it’s a bit more than 200 feet down lol

[@dustinscheller7795]

@@jordanjedra591 are they hiring

[@jordanjedra591]

dustin scheller for now they are. Even hiring red hats

[@dustinscheller7795]

@@jordanjedra591 where's it at, I'm from Pennsylvania and the only new mine is Acosta and since quecreek is just about tapped a lot of the remaining positions at Acosta will go to them, you in long wall or just continuous miner?

[@jordanjedra591]

dustin scheller there are several mines near wheeling WV. The mines are owned by Murray. They have long wall as well as cm sections

[@lemfarba4827]

One armed brakeman at 1:38

[@stevesyphax]

Three things that are needed in southeastern Kentucky 1 infrastructure. To help the development of the area there needs to be an interstate highway into the Appalachian area. 2 The government, both state and federal need to offer incentives for companies to come to the area. They did it for Toyoda why not wind energy or solar? There's plenty of money in the lottery and grants. 3 Train the people in the area for the industries you want. So many people from Appalachia Have left and worked in Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Detroit. they are a very mechanical and learn fast.

[@benjaminmcclure8483]

Thank you for correcting your mispronunciation.

[@debbiecooper1677]

My family didnt mine . we worked C/O

[@croissantmania]

2:16 patient was smoking in the hospital?

[@rachelclark7782]

That was an old photo. At the time it was taken that could be found in every hospital in every state.

[@docrose57]

Liked the video. Leave your politics out of your reporting.

[@daniellong2543]

Starting a "documentary" with a political statement keeps it from being a documentary. Also, Al Jazeera broadcasting "Untold America" doesn't make sense.

[@IdiotBoxProductionsTV]

“Appa laysha” yankee

[@wbw911]

I am a coal miner, like my father before me.

[@lamBETTERthanY0U]

Your family reunion is a gay pride parade

[@billywhite3020]

In 2012 I got layed off In Cumberland ky

[@SithSereyPheap1]

And that's what made America great !

[@hauntedmoodylady]

Notice that these Leftist didn't mention their hero, Ossama/Obama Hussein (my daddy was a Muslim brotherhood organizer). During the Marxist/Muslim first campaign (2008) he said, 'your utility rates will necessarily skyrock" what the hell did that mean. It meant he would use the arbitrary power of the Federal government (not any power he legitimately had, that would have came from Congress, he knew then of course if you disagree with him you were a racist) to put such regulatory requirements on coal fired power plants that they would shut down completely, spend astronomical sums to meet absurd EPA requirements, or switch to oil or gas as fuel. Obama really didn't mind if coal mined in KY if it was shipped to China, just do not burn it in the US. And, don't forget what Hiltabeast said "I'll put those coal miners out of business". Who you vote for is important, the Dems. have a strategy to coheres you vote one way or another shut down your job in the mines, put you on welfare, and remind you every day you have them to thank..

[@kangkim150]

Can you cite your source where he said "my daddy was a Muslim brotherhood organizer"?

[@eringiesler6485]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@MENGGELABA100KALI]

Everrithang coal..was coal

[@anandpanchikal3217]

hii i am willing to come and set up shop to star working a mine

[@LFDSETH]

Firstly, I’m offended that liberals covered a story about my beloved Eastern Kentucky, secondly, can anyone tell me the song played on the fiddle at 1:06 ???

[@Kevin-id5hx]

Why the hell would you not wear a respirator that thumb nail says alot

[@erin19030]

When coal was Kin, we were all peasants and serfs.

[@RedRider1600]

I think your timeline is a bit off. Coal was King 10 years ago before gas fracking and solar and wind took off. Coal was our biggest source of energy for power generation when The Apprentice was in its first few seasons. Coal was still King when Obama was first elected President.

[@thegrumpydragon7601]

I live in Appalachia, but in southern Ohio

[@jenmb2679]

screw that, I would've joined the military. why didn't they think it's a good idea to get an education?

[@chiraqveteran2989]

There's a reason West Virginia has the highest rate of military enlistment.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

Hopefully they can be retooled for something else, coal was destined to fail from the beginning.

[@jklmn101]

Oh, I don't know. They've just been using it for a few thousand years all over the planet.

[@tl5108]

Coal still hasn't failed. American coal is just stumbling because the govt.

[@ai.117unsc4]

0:20 and now they say only kalle bla bla bla around the internet

[@user-nq4fd6kg5l]

So she thought they wer not human

[@JD-nx6fy]

And trump did absolutely nothing for the coal industry talk about suckers

[@jakewestin4176]

Nice video but spare me with the shaking effect on the still images. Its stupid, obnoxious, distracting, and does not respect the original image.

[@Icutmetal]

Ok

[@jasonstanley7197]

They go to appleshop for an accurate opinion!! lol what a joke

[@travis1190]

Damn you can hear her spit in her mouth as she talked. Take a step back from the mic!!!!

[@tube100ize]

Coal is dead, get over it.

[@RithyThanFOE]

Welcome to the Free Markets lol people who cares about people.

[@RussianKutthroat]

tube100ize yes but the history will live on forever

[@msvicky2895]

I was gonna watch this but when u insulted President Trump I left.That was a cheap petty thing to do

[@heidimurphy4463]

Leis,lies more lies

[@nathanwilson2975]

Fracking isn't an energy form

[@bwanabwana9523]

Nathan Wilson , and International Harvester does not make International Scouts anymore, they were tougher than any other 4×4 ever made, ask me how I KNOW

[@nathanwilson2975]

@@bwanabwana9523 what?

[@Jemalacane0]

Natural gas is and it has a higher heating value than coal and burns much cleaner and can be burned in a combined cycle. Destroying mountains is not an energy form.

[@pabootlegger]

I wondered if anyone else picked up on the fracking comment. Part of the process to develop natural gas, not a energy source.

[@RedRider1600]

@@Jemalacane0 We have plenty of mountains. Holes, pits, and valleys are cool too. When the trees and plants regrow, you can't tell the difference. Those mining pits could be used for trash dumps or turned into lakes. After the dumps are full they are turned into parks, golf courses, or covered up and reclaimed by nature.

[@jimderess2206]

This story is over told...

[@TM-vq1bf]

It’s Appalachia “sh” in the north, dear

[@nickmale329]

lip smacking anyone

[@erin19030]

Home of the snake cult.

[@jaggass]

Coal miners have a perfect excuse for blackface.

[@yeerrr2726]

Meth up

[@IDHP]

MAGA!

[@bsilva48]

awful music choice, jeez.

[@bobbybabylon1385]

Inbred hillbillies with legal child brides playing with poison snakes in church.

[@jbcurdog72]

Trump 2020!!! I enjoyed this til you threw shade on our president...