What Coal Miners Think About Climate Change

Coal miners and climate activists regularly face off in heated and sometimes violent confrontations in the coal mining towns of Australia’s Queensland. On one hand, Australia is the world’s largest exporter of coal, and on the other, it’s becoming a social pariah in a world going more green. Filmmaker and Environmental activist Kim Nguyen goes deep within Australia’s coal country to meet miners trying to preserve coal towns, aboriginal activists trying to stop the Adani Carmichael coal mining project, and a horseman infamous for assaulting climate protestors. All to ask- how do you get coal miners to give up that one thing their livelihood depends on?
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[@marqpsmythe228]

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” ~Upton Sinclair

[@MichaelDodge27]

I had this quote (or some version of it) kicking around in my head during the video so thank you for reminding me!

[@jocelyncooper1738]

@Free Thinker you people are such cowards. Just say the n word. We know it’s what you mean.

[@charlesmiv3842]

@Free Thinker sad troll

[@jtr7377]

@Free Thinker Anyone ever tell you that you think too highly of yourself? Hard to even take your username seriously when you side with fossil fuel barons.

[@DoyleHargraves]

This Sinclair quote also applies to gov't bureaucrats mismanaging everything from homelessness to green jobs. Coal miners aren't scientist. But they are smart enough to know when "climate science" is corrupted by money from foreign & domestic governments in order to reach a previously agreed-upon conclusion. Regular people all over this planet have learned to stop trusting government officials, the press, and so-called journalist.

[@mathuinh]

The trick is not to make the mistake Britain made in the 1980s by abandoning mining communities with no alternative employment or training and letting the towns decay

[@growurown207]

its happened in PA as well, once the coals gone they skip town

[@kiri101]

That wasn't a mistake, it was very intentional.

[@jtr7377]

It is honestly not that hard, it's just that government assistance/social safety nets have been villainized these past few decades. Not to mention the effective propaganda campaign that fossil fuel companies have waged against any meaningful action to combat climate change. Also, nuclear power supported by other renewable energy sources should be the future, not fossil fuel.

[@agme8045]

Towns like that, that gravitate around just one industry, are unviable.

[@Astelch]

I think that’s the problem and the worry coal miners have. Biden took out the pipeline without giving the workers an alternative job choice that pays similar. Coal miners are afraid of waking up and losing their livelihood. Governments need to invest in clean energy jobs if they want to push this transition. Then again it comes down to even more government spending and taxpayers have a different opinion on which is more of a dire issue they want their politicians to focus on

[@philmstud2k]

I doubt that if each coal miner was offered a renewable energy job with an easier workload, higher pay, and better benefits that they'd still be so attached to coal.

[@GrayDogNowIDK]

Its a fear of the unknown but most importantly heritage, heritage is massive in mining communities

[@UnitedGaming420]

@@GrayDogNowIDK I don't trust you. The second we look away your gunna snap my neck. (Referring to his name and profile pic for those who are not familiar).

[@GrayDogNowIDK]

@@UnitedGaming420 All I have to do is wait, all you need to do is blink.... Checkmate

[@anthonymoney9423]

You can't just go from beating rocks to working on computers. Also what about the people training to work clean energy already why do they have to wait

[@GrayDogNowIDK]

@@anthonymoney9423 I hate that I have to say this, but there will be alot of green energy jobs. The entire world is going to be investing on it

[@JC-lj2zq]

Bravo to the reporter. His transparency was really refreshing. Giving a breakdown of his previous work history and his background so the viewer could get more understanding of where he was coming from and why was also a nice touch. Good stuff 👌

[@timsutherland8691]

Actually, Journalists shouldn't be required to give out their private details, backgrounds and positions. They're there to give out the news. Do you care how the Author of the last book you read votes?

[@lucash6888]

@@stationorange From Creators who've been approached by Vice: Yes, they don't pay very well

[@lucash6888]

​@@stationorange I believe Louis Rossman was told he would make less than what Australia's minimum wage is currently

[@leahflower9924]

I was expecting Appalachian accents instead I heard Aussie accents lol 🦘

[@Manx123]

"reporter" lol

[@marcl.1346]

So many people in here missing the point. It is vital that you give all the families that are dependant on the coal industry for their livelihoods a worthy alternative instead of just closing mines down and calling them dumb. It also actually doesn't matter either if they believe in climate change or not, give these people a REAL alternative and we can all go further together.

[@roberthicks1612]

First you have to prove that there is a need to get rid of coal. So far you have nothing but politicians claiming there is a need to give total power to china.

[@RamoArt]

I agree that they need an alternative. We can't expect them to just stop mining coal and starve to death. Let's say there's an alternative though. Same pay, same amount of work. People stick to what they know - just giving them an alternative isn't enough if they don't see an issue with that they're doing now.

[@InvictusByz]

A lot of these folks don't WANT alternatives, though, they want to preserve what they see as their way of life. There's not much alternative that would be appealing to someone who just genuinely wants the small coal-dependent community they grew up in to be successful the way it already is. The unfortunately reality is that coal usage needs to go away, and that IS going to cause some entire communities to disappear, communities that never would have existed in the first place if it weren't for the coal. We need to accept the reality that we can't offer a meaningful alternative in every instance, and sometime what we're asking of these folks is just sacrifice, plain and simple.

[@InvictusByz]

@@roberthicks1612 The only way you could believe that is if you don't believe the over 88,000 peer-reviewed papers on the subject. 100% of peer reviewed papers indicate climate change is occurring, according to a 2019 meta-analysis. According to the same sources, 99% of papers indicate that climate change is the result of human activity.

[@roberthicks1612]

@@RamoArt "if they don't see an issue with that they're doing now." That is the entire problem. The alarmist claim there is a reason for them to stop BUT they can not prove it and they claim the proof will not show up for decades. The problem with THAT claim is that they have been making it for over a century and it has not happened yet.

[@kaze987]

One takeaway is that these guys work in coal because there is no other alternative but for coal. But in these small tiny towns that are only there BECAUSE of coal, of course, there is no other source of industry. Good reporting.

[@audiowithdrawl5948]

@@roberthicks1612 what if that civilization is destroying the same land that civilization lives on. Does the current people ignore the effects they’ll leave on their future children and legacy they leave? Why not sustain the civilization instead of destroying itself and find an alternative to survive and not kill the future residents of that same civilization

[@roberthicks1612]

@@audiowithdrawl5948 Yes, there are a few third world countries that destroy the land they need to sustain themselves but that is because they are not allowed to use fossil fuels and such and use methods that would protect the land. Advance countries like the US and most of Europe do not follow the practices that destroy the land. Farmers know how to protect their land in ways that will keep it productive for centuries. Many times, governments, not knowing how to farm, try to tell farmers their job, and it ends up ruining the ability of the land to provide for the people. It is really stupid to think that people that depend on farms are going to destroy those farms for a single harvest or something of that nature. My family has been farming the same land for generations and it is more productive now than ever before. Coal is not renewable, but bio fuels use the same starting materials and are renewable. Using technology, we can use algae to produce bio diesel and algae bodies, which can replace coal, but instead of having to wait millions of years, we can do it in weeks. Instead of letting our waste destroy the environment, we can use it to feed the algae. Socialism can not do things like that because it requires that you turn over control of things like that to politicians that have no idea what they are doing. Capitalism can find the solutions to problems, while socialist big government can only create problems we need more solutions to.

[@audiowithdrawl5948]

@@roberthicks1612 farming is fine, fossil fuel usage is the destruction part.

[@roberthicks1612]

@@audiowithdrawl5948 How do you think they farm? with horses? They use fossil fuels. Also the cost of transporting food and stuff to you with electric vehicles will be about 5 times the cost of doing it with fossil fuels.

[@yoresistersass9326]

@@roberthicks1612 bingo.. but that will never come into people's minds . They can't stop and think about what you're saying..how can they?we literally live in a world where 12-year-olds don't even know that a egg came from a f****** chicken and 16 yr teens that can't read an analog clock.

[@jaredkutney7075]

I swear the coal miner who ran over a protestor with his horse is surprisingly the most moderate and sympathetic of all the coal miners interviewed lol. He believed in climate change, and said the only reason he works for coal/defends coal is because his livelihood depends on it.

[@worldwed]

Yeah it's rough for these guys My dad used to teach in Whyalla which lost a lot of work from the steel industry and man, it was a miserable place...

[@sammyd7857]

What sort of idiot would believe climate change is made by man but then say he depends on the coal industry

[@dvgese]

Coal and coal miners aren’t the problem. The problem is greedy corporations.

[@gstpierre69]

The professionalism of the reporter was outstanding. He has been living his life supporting a cause and he’s talking to people that don’t believe in the basic truth of it.

[@maartent9697]

They're also probably getting influenced by their company otherwise they wouldn't sound so confident or they don't wanna believe it out of fear for their salary disappearing.

[@RotchildFrancoisJr]

What I struggled with a little bit was the line between journalist and activist. I don’t know if you can be both of those things and still be impartial/unbiased when reporting.

[@mexemsu.g.d.975]

@@RotchildFrancoisJr can b tough ,but possible

[@charlesmiv3842]

@@RotchildFrancoisJr there’s nothing to be impartial or not impartial about when it comes to basic truisms. It’s either you accept science or you don’t.

[@maartent9697]

@@RotchildFrancoisJr Well that's why he's a great journalist and asks others mainly the pro-coal party about their opinions, even though they are opposites of eachother and some spread false information he still let's them finish what they want to tell. He even showed the side as why so many towns are pro-coal because they're dependent on it as a town. Showing boths sides of the coin without shoving his own opinions down people's throat, the only side he showed of his activism was his stance on the problem and his history with it. So what makes you think he's impartial if he treated everyone equally and gave everyone a voice? Not agreeing with someone's point doesn't automatically make you impartial, in most cases people are just misinformed

[@rrt5000]

I worked in the coal mining industry as an engineer, production supervisor, and project manager mostly in southwestern pennsylvania (greene county). I'm now a nurse. It's a feast or famine industry that is dying. It was fun and I miss the hell out of those guys. But never again for me.

[@batalorian7997]

I'm trying to tinto nursing. Any advice?

[@angeladoll9785]

Thank you! What you're doing now may not be as fun but you're helping people which I hope is more rewarding in the end❤️

[@joshuawagner1149]

@@batalorian7997 I'm also a nurse. Try to find a hospital with a "new grad" program of some kind. I went to a very small school and my clinicals were crap. A new grad program worked me up from 1 to 7 patients slowly. Really helped. Also read the fine print. Part of that program was that I agreed to work for them for a year or two. If you happen to have a lawyer friend, ask them if this is actually enforceable (many places have policies or agreements of "do X or pay back Y," but lawyers can be pricey and most places won't take the time and money to make good on that threat. ;)

[@batalorian7997]

@@joshuawagner1149 never even considered that. I still have a long way to go before I get to think about new grad program. I still have to meet the prerequisites and hopefully get accepted into a nursing school

[@batalorian7997]

@@joshuawagner1149 still that was actually very helpful. Thank you

[@dasritzoo9234]

The best argument against coal miners that don't want to lose coal (and they don't for a very valid reason mind you) is that governments should have paid training programs for miners to learn how to build and maintain renewable energy sources. We will always need more energy, and it will always need to be maintained. Why not train these people who are obviously very hard working people to do this job and pay them to learn? Market it as both a safer and healthier job that has no chance of being phased out? It's a win win for everyone.

[@pidgey6830]

I grew up out in the bush, though I live in the city now. Seeing life going by in these communities makes me feel a little homesick. The way the houses are, the way the schools are. Even simple things, like the way businesses are set up. I can understand why they'd want to protect their way of life. These aren't bad people. They're people whose whole life depends on coal mining. No wonder that don't care about climate change: If we took away their industry, then they may as well have been ravaged by climate change in full force. For those who've lived in those places their whole lives it really would be the end of the world.

[@aloistyler]

so the world should suffer because corporations placed a monopoly on these innocent people? you’re romanticizing something that is evil

[@leonh4799]

This is why we need a system that can support people as they transition into a different career, otherwise they will always try to defend their livelihood at the cost of progress (or the planet), many industries are like this

[@detroitwhat4017]

I agree. Personally, I think universal incomes are the way to go. Not as some far left hair brain scheme but simply that jobs like coal mining, or manufacturing or fast food and other service industries will eventually be phased out, either by automation or because they are contributing to climate change. It just makes sense in consumer economies to continue consumer behavior, even when jobs are going to be harder to come by.

[@EnaVerse]

Yes exactly! the same argument applies to poaching too but people aren’t ready to confront that either

[@mike-sk2li]

F the planet. I'm spending maybe 70 years on it. let the next guy deal with it. I'm the guy that burns my trash and dumps my used oil on the ground.

[@mynewcolour]

To be honest it doesn’t matter much if these people do defend their industry or not. Power doesn’t lie with them. They are used by power.

[@yb000]

Hillary told guys like these that they can go code, one of the sparse good bits she managed to say during her clown show of a campaign Coding is a job that often dishes out $100K with no college education right out the gate But with folks like these it's not really about lack of alternatives but more about unwillingness to apply their minds, which is why Trump was elected to aptly represent them

[@UberHypnotoad]

Yeah, it’s not like Australia has sunlight or anything…

[@PM-im8nq]

Solar is a scam

[@thathondacivicat3am665]

Solar panels are very expensive, and only last 10 years or so, same goes for wind turbines. I don't know why we just don't use fission reactors.

[@lenoio512]

@@thathondacivicat3am665 yeah solar panels have to be rebuilt every 10 years thats way more costly than literally operating an atomic reactor not to mention the opportunity cost of are way smaller for solar. Solar panels are way easier accessible than fission reactors, not that sluggish when it comes to new developements and funding in solar literally has decreased because it is too good for decentralized energy production. The reason isnt efficiency the reason is it becomes harder to justify and manage one energy provider you have to pay when a decentralized network makes a lot more sense with solar.

[@justaguy6100]

It's not possible to base the future of solar energy on the current technology. Since 1960 solar panels have gone from 14% efficiency to almost 50% as measured in capture of watts per square meter of sunlight's available energy. The cost has dropped over time as well, not as dramatically as the efficiency has increased per panel, about 13%, but if you do factor that efficiency in then it cost MANY TIMES less per kilowatt hour today. Longevity is also increasing. Technology is always on the move. Storage technology is also improving all the time. Meanwhile Australia is in a horrific drought, the fires were devastating, and climate change is at the root of that. I worry about automation taking jobs all the time, and no you're not going to teach someone who's been mining for 25-30 years and teach them to code, I get that. So there honestly HAS to be public support for those displaced by new technologies, honestly in all sectors. But there will be jobs in sustainable energy production as well, from manufacture to installation to maintenance to the science behind it. And personally I'm a proponent of thorium reactors for thermal generation, at least until that long-awaited fusion breakthrough happens.

[@redwhite_040]

@@PM-im8nq Solar energy is not a scam. I have them myself and it's to easiest way to generate energy without a huge investment or nuisance

[@everydayengineering817]

One of the most difficult components of this problem, is that these towns were usually only very small places before industry moves in. Therefore, a large majority of the people working in these areas have usually migrated within a reasonably short amount of time, and are trapped by debt, and lack of alternative local opportunity. I personally believe the best policy is one of transition - stop encouraging coal expansion and the migration of people while at the same time stimulating other industry elsewhere.

[@frederickdietz3148]

So you're saying we need to fund existing coal plants for the purpose of efficiency

[@megsley]

this is the problem when you base your entire town on one industry - if the industry dies, so does the town.

[@spinitback8884]

The disbelief from old people that likely won't be alive to deal with the implications of CC is scary. They don't believe because that's how they made their livelihood.

[@Briggsian]

It's really unfortunate that many of the people who have the ability to effect significant change as an individual, won't be alive to experience the consequences of their own inaction.

[@Astelch]

It is. Many of them see it as “as long as I don’t experience it in my lifetime who cares.” I think people are missing the bigger picture; it’s not about seeing it in your lifetime it’s about what your grandkids will see and what the future generations will see and experience. Imo I think just because you won’t be alive to see it so you’ll sleep well is selfish and greedy. Climate change will get to that point where the change is irreversible then future generations will suffer just bcuz the older generation did not want to act.

[@howwitty]

To make any kind of progress they had to be headstrong despite adverse circumstances, didn't they? When it's all over they'll expect to be forgiven.

[@Astelch]

@@tuckerbugeater you’re arguing an entire different point. I’m arguing the old generation dnt believe much in science and the ones who believe in it dnt care because they won’t see the ramifications of it in their lifetime.

[@warped_rider]

@@tuckerbugeater surely there's a more productive way to spend your time than this

[@christianfrohlich3835]

I think this documentary makes pretty clear that it's a waste of time to try to persuade individual coal miners. Pressure on politicians is the way to go and then giving these fellas an alternative.

[@UnblestMATT]

My takeaway was that it is vital to talk to these people, not to persuade them but to show that "Greenies" are listening and not just forcing a world of change.

[@Astelch]

Well I understand them in a sense where some of them know the amount of coal going around it does affect the climate but where else do they go? Minimum wage jobs? A lot of them need a transition into clean energy or else they’re out of a job to support their families. I think it’s the government responsibility to create these jobs for these coal miners to turn to.

[@baddreams0919]

I would actually make the miners talk to people from around the world who have had their life's affected by climate change

[@christianfrohlich3835]

@@baddreams0919 but what's the benefit? these guys are not to blame; given their own situation, they can hardly think objectively about climate change. It is too much to demand that they sabotage their own livelihoods. They need new jobs, new perspectives and then their opinions might catch up with science.

[@baddreams0919]

@@christianfrohlich3835 something that surprises me is that the government hasnt said like: ok, we're gonna close all coal plants, but here you have a solar panel factory for you to work at. Even better we are gonna make some deals with the factory so your wages can be better in exchange for lower taxes for the company.

[@steffanmoody7294]

I work in the steel industry in the UK as an engineer, I am 24 and very clued into climate change, the main reasons which I take from this video is that people have no other source of good income in that area. Its a simular situation to the steel works in port Talbot which I work in, which produces alot of air pollution in the area. It is such a massive provider of high paid jobs that if it was to close or down size then the whole community would be impacted not just for the people who work at the plant.

[@tractorandfarmingvlogs8931]

As a farmer I can assure you that climate change is real. Unexpected rains, floods and heat are the challenges we as farmers are facing since last 4 years.these unexpected sudden changes are effecting the yield Edit-: this is what I have observed

[@friedallen3577]

Geo engineering you sod

[@jhonklan3794]

yield has been growing consistently. What climate models dont predict is tech adaptation.

[@Rygoat]

I'm West Australian "Born and bred" and I honestly hate how much our government is influenced by the coal industry and by people at least adjacent to climate change deniers. I feel for the people in these towns who for generations have been miners, but we cant sacrifice our world so that some people want to keep their career or tradition. I think sometimes the complete denial of climate change is a safety mechanism, people dont like being told they've been fighting just for things to end. The people in towns like Meekathara have been struggling already, taking away the mining income is a death sentence. So to stay alive they're just trying to ignore the inevitable end. Hell in Meekathara we all were buying the majority of our groceries from a Coles Express petrol station because it was the only way to be able to afford bread, milk and pasta. The local shops were massively overpriced and were struggling to stay open due to loss of business and also from constant food thefts. It's a slow death they're already experiencing, they need to adopt to the idea of at least a secondary income source... West Australia should be shifting to developing a Silicon Valley of sorts around one of these towns, upgrade their infrastructure, train technicians, engineers and scientists, develop new technology, get CSIRO involved and private funding to start silicon chip fabrication and lithium batteries. Start the shift now, rather than waiting for the day the mines actually close

[@skilled1140]

Same thing happened in many communities that were only sustained by logging and the saw mills that were needed.

[@cancerino666]

It's not even about preserving their careers and mining traditions, because its a delusion to think its still possible. Coal is just not even economically viable anymore, its been long beaten by the alternatives.

[@Snarkonymous]

@@salahad-din4114 You are wrong on a number of things: Green energy, particularly wind and solar are now cheaper than building and operating a traditional power plant. That has been known for awhile. Even Forbes admits it. It's easy to say the green party lies. I notice you don't point out anything in particular. Your sea energy comment just seems asinine. I don't know of anyone claiming that a sea turbine can run an entire country. Literally ten seconds of googling debunks everything you have typed. You should try it rather than depending on whatever sources of disinformation you are relying on now. People aren't taking the word of governments. They are taking the word of the overwhelming majority of climate scientists and experts in the renewable energy field.

[@ericcloud1023]

in the USA our coal belt in the Appalachian Mountain's has been dying for like 30-40 years, there are less than 50,000 jobs in the entire industry (miners, management, corporate) yet still Republicans (FYI screw the Democrats to! both suck) use them as props in their campaign. their towns are dead or dying, Opiates are the new moonshine there and there is no recovery coming....ever. they'd have to strike gold for mining to return. it's sad but the world has done this for ever. unfortunately their way of life will die, and the only thing they can do is prepare their children to be what the economy is currently hiring. unfortunately many are uneducated hillbillies that indoctrinate their families from birth to be completely backwards & willfully ignorant of the wider world

[@Snarkonymous]

Hate to break it to you but your misinformation is 5 to 10 years old. The problem is not whether renewables can power cities or countries, the problem is energy storage. A problem that is being tackled. Look up the Tesla energy storage solution for Victoria which once had rolling blackouts using legacy power plants. It's ironic that you mention Scotland. It shows the depth of the misinformation that you have swallowed and are now regurgitating. Scotland saw 97 percent of its energy needs met by renewable sources in 2020 lol. As for your personal observation of the ocean... I think it's best if I don't speak to your powers of observation.

[@Kaseyberg]

The fact that corporations have such a strong influence on people's lives that they cant afford to do anything differently is horrible

[@ghostdriver5880]

Nothing to do with corporations it's people's lively hoods

[@edwardroh89]

@@ghostdriver5880 corporation MADE this people's livelihoods.

[@jhonklan3794]

its not corporations, its tech development. Coal is no longer a good source of energy. Nothing will change that.

[@Mahbu]

One of the hardest things to come to grips with is nothing truly lasts forever, at least not in its original form. Change may not come all at once but it will come and you need to be ready for it or at least accept it. Whole industries will die. New ones will arise. Some for good, some for ill. Some will benefit, some won't.

[@HellNoMoreBiden]

You have a battery operated vehicle with components from Russia. We don't have enough solar to run our businesses and homes so how are you going to charge a battery operated car? With Coal. The emissions of these coal plants in the west emit one quarter of the emissions a plant does in China. So to put all these people out of work when you need to tell China to straighten up their act.

[@Mahbu]

@@HellNoMoreBiden As I said, some for good. Some for Ill. But to your point. . no. Coal is a dead end, I'm sorry. It's not coming back. At most we are seeing the last desperate gasps in some areas and maybe a brief resurgence in Europe during the Ukraine War. But it's done. It's on its way out. So how do we power up electric cars? Yes, fine. Some fossil fuel powerplants are going to be used but more and more of our power will come from hydro, wind turbines, solar, and thermal. Nuclear still provides a lot of power, too.

[@HellNoMoreBiden]

@@Mahbu not in my lifetime. If your 30 and live to 70 then it's possible. I'm speaking of entirely now and nothing from coal will take absolutely that long

[@kyledamron]

Kim, you're doing a great job. We need to stop the mining, but we also need to provide alternatives for all the miners too. We can't close their mines and leave them to pick up the pieces. Hopefully, we can accomplish both asap

[@madsvigan2898]

Could work to make coal factories into bio gas factories.

[@johncronin5311]

Why do we gave to close down mines?

[@brock6286]

and we need to find something to replace the amount of income to Australia coal brings, since coal is like $350 a ton.

[@kaiwhitehouse812]

@@madsvigan2898 these arent factories they are mines

[@madsvigan2898]

@@kaiwhitehouse812 still need a refinery some where

[@nrsrymj]

It really doesn't matter what they think about it. This dying industry has to go. We should take care of the people who lose their jobs, but it's well past time to accept objective reality and reorient energy policy accordingly.

[@X2LR8]

Big "Green" wants the coal industry to die. $$$

[@jonathanvillegas7570]

@@X2LR8 Big "Green" or Big Coal is just big money that will win either way but at least one isn't polluting. The business is profitable. It's a business of energy. Big "Coal" is investing in Big "Green". They're not dumb. They know they will die out eventually as Green energy would be easier and have 0 pushback. They still however have billions invested in coal mines and will squeeze out any last profits they can. You also don't understand that big money will win, not big green or big coal. A coal company has nothing stopping it from moving its billions into green energy. They'll be Big "Green" in no time. Their main directive is profit, you are not their priority and they do not have any allegiance to coal , only to profits.

[@jimmydane34]

@@jonathanvillegas7570 Thank u! This is exactly how they will operate. Maximize profits as much as possoble. However possible and whereever possible. Period.... Keep making profits. Move all assets to futurr technology in the Energy sector. .

[@williammcguire5685]

No you quit your job and you find something else to do that's what you should do. Coal is an important resource and it serves a great need. Far as you know electricity comes from the switch on the wall that's as far as you've gotten into it. Oil and coal runs this country you're not going to light up NYC with windmills.

[@gianni_schicchi]

@@williammcguire5685 "Natural gas, nuclear, and hydropower consistently generate more than 90% of New York's electricity"

[@R0bobb1e]

These are the exact same arguments we were making in high school 25 years ago. I was raised in Queensland and have very strong feelings regarding the natural beauty of Western Queensland. There is a solution, we just need to have civil conversations, like you have here, in order to deliver a future that is not beholden to Coal Mines. I sincerely appreciate the people that worked in the mines who want a better future too. Thank you for your work! I know how dangerous it can be to have a different opinion in Australia, let alone, Western Queensland.

[@user-fs3dg1po2z]

What the video didn't really make clear is that most of the people working in the mines in central QLD are not living in those little towns, they are driving or flying in and staying in camps. Most of them don't care about the little towns and have no interest in moving out there. They want to live on the coast somewhere, and working in the mines affords a swankier lifestyle than working in the city does. You only have to look at places like Yeppoon or Mackay to see where all the money goes.

[@DancerVeiled]

Turns out most lower-class people aren't willing to go hungry and potentially die for the benefit of people they don't know who largely live in big cities, who'd have guessed? It's a sucky situation, on either side. I'm not gonna lie, it hurts to think about both. On some level this is a microcosm of status warfare, as thinking about the future is a luxury only allowed to those with means to care. This is also painful in the medical field, for the lower-education technicians and nurses. It's hard job, you don't get paid a lot, and people are losing their livelihoods from the cost (in the USA, that is) of the services you're the face of. It's a unique kind of pain that cuts like nothing else, because it's a job you do for people's benefits, but you see it hurting them all the same and you can't do anything about it.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

it seems like those miners are not at all used to talking about climate change. I think they're kinda surprising each other when some of them admit that they don't believe that climate change is fake, or even that industrial activity has something to do with it. I also think it's interesting that coal miners on one hand feel a need to deny that coal burning has a climate impact, but on the other hand these guys, who mine coal with massive machinery, whose families for many generations have mined coal, know better than almost anybody else how absolutely massive the global scale of coal mining is. yet they're supposed to pretend that it's ridiculous that burning all that coal changes the atmosphere in significant ways. they would know better than to heat their house with an indoor coal fire with no chimney, but when it's out in the atmosphere, the combustion gases are supposed to do nothing regardless of the amount?

[@bipslone8880]

When you live in a small town with one industry, you live in an echo chamber.

[@MyKharli]

@@bipslone8880 Its the same in the rural farming community i live in , there still draining peatlands ,draining bogs ,ripping up hedges , vandalising woodland for their `biofuel` generators . in the midst of a climate catastrophe and wildlife crisis . The countryside is an industrialised sprayed tilled mess mostly used as overstocked cattle lots degrading soil terribly .

[@owenokane9643]

It's all about self preservation for these guys in these towns but there fighting a losing battle because the pendulum has swung and will keep on swinging to green energy.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

owen okane somewhere early in this video, one of the coal people actually claims that the motivation of the anti-coal people is to destroy the coal people's way of life. I thought that was pretty amazing.

[@fortusvictus8297]

@@Ass_of_Amalek They are not entirely wrong, and can find justification in many public statements of war in recent years from some rather numbskull politicians who have inherited the baton of the 'green movement'. I mean, even Biden specifically said he wanted to directly end every coal job, even though that makes no sense as the POTUS has not constitutional authority to even make such moves, but it was good politics and it fed the machine of both parties and both viewpoints. As long as people are fighting the binary war, no one has to actually DO anything to transition or innovate anything new in the energy industry.

[@RW-nr6bh]

I actually did work in the coal industry, in the UK, at a time when "clean coal" and carbon capture looked like it could provide the sustainable future. You certainly never found such hardline polarised attitudes in the industry in Britain, indeed there were many, myself included who thought without a genuinely effective way to mitigate carbon emissions, the industry had no real future. In the end the mine closed and the carbon capture powers station was never built. The person making this video has made a very important step, as Desmond Tutu, I think, said "if you wish for peace, don't talk to your friends, talk to your enemies", this is similar in a different context.

[@leftistadvocate9718]

carbon capture and storage systems have always been woefully inefficient, unfortunately.

[@RW-nr6bh]

@@leftistadvocate9718 Yes, that's proven to be so. We still don't seem anywhere near to an effective and economical CCS power station. I personally don't think we'll ever see one, we need to move on with renewables. I often wonder about the potential for geothermal; there is a vast resource of heat down there, even at UK coal mining depths, down to about 1000 yards, it was significantly hotter than surface temperature. When I worked in the mine I began to wonder if the heat, not the coal, was the long term answer for energy. I wonder what we would need to tap it effectively.

[@HellNoMoreBiden]

Yes your problem for all of us is China. In the USA the coal fired plants emit one quarter what China does. So you can clean up your country and your Nations all over the world but China will still be the culprit. When the power plant in the Ukraine that melted and sent radioactive material to the West. There was a question as to what happened because Russia wasn't saying it occurred. No one today is talking about China they produce more emissions than all of us combined especially when our plants emissions are one quarter of theirs.

[@leftistadvocate9718]

@@HellNoMoreBiden per capita china pollutes less than America. it's a country of over a billion. comparing total pollution of each country is an unreasonable way of measuring it

[@HellNoMoreBiden]

@@leftistadvocate9718 How is what you think even remotely true? China, with more than 10,065 million tons of CO2 released. United States, with 5,416 million tons of CO2.

[@Chordonblue]

So, perhaps part of the reason WHY these mines exist is to power countries who are building your vehicles, your drones, your cameras, etc. You can make this documentary because some people in China and elsewhere make the equipment cheaply enough for you to be able to afford it. A large part of that process involves cheap energy - and you need only look at what's happened to China's energy grid when they boycotted all Aussie coal to see those effects. So while, on one hand, I understand the global warming perspective and do not deny the science, what I ALSO notice is that the activists seem to have NO PROBLEM using the tools provided to them by that cheap energy. If these workers need to do without a job, perhaps you need to also do away with the things those jobs are directly providing to you as well... Or, why not go to the SOURCE of the need and protest there (China, for instance). Ah... Yeah... Probably wouldn't want to do that.

[@spuggym8986]

Shutting down mines is a very tricky thing, the Aussie government should learn from the mistakes of the UK where successive governments ripped the heart out of towns and even cities in the UK with nothing to replace it. Mining does need to stop, but people need jobs, hopefully a peaceful solution can be reached.

[@Coolsomeone234]

The mines here are already propped via subsidies, and Labor states they'll going to shut down naturally

[@28ebdh3udnav]

They're not thinking of climate change, they're thinking of their jobs

[@erwina4738]

Yeah they are being completely selfish. They are also uneducated so they don’t understand science.

[@Neockoen]

@@erwina4738 I wouldn’t say selfish per sé, these people haven’t known anything but the mines. If there are no alternatives they are going to lose their way of life. I’m all for energy transition ASAP, but there should be good paying alternatives for these people.

[@Astelch]

@@erwina4738 well. In their perspective they’re too old to go back to school to learn or earn a degree. Their families have been coal miners for decades and it’s all they know. After high school join the coal mines support yourself and your family. They’re afraid of waking up and finding the government shutting down their livelihood. They’re just asking for an alternative job that they can transition to and I believe it is a very fair proposition. If we as a society want this clean energy we need to support it all the way and allow this transition to happen. The greedy people are the ones ignorant that climate change doesn’t exist.

[@owenmb984]

@@erwina4738 crypto in your name but you're calling other people selfish and uneducated... Lol

[@erwina4738]

@@Neockoen Well, they should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, learn a skill, and find a new job while they have the chance instead of making execuses.

[@sookendestroy1]

I always kind of laugh and also feel bad when miners say you cant shut down coal, that you need it. The whale oil industry used to be collossal before oil and synthetic sources ruined them. We didnt keep whale oil around though, we moved to something better, more sustainable.

[@coal_man]

It's going to be cold in Europe next winter when Putin turns off your gas. You won't survive without coal.

[@dangerbirb4981]

​@@coal_man You're not really disproving his point. The energy revolution is happening. I've read that China is hoarding lithium and has been pushing hard in the renewable energy sector. They don't want to be energy dependent on other countries and neither does any other country with defense on its mind. And as a bonus, it'll cut down on emissions which is better for everyone.

[@Cuzzyrorydriftmansilviasx]

@@dangerbirb4981 have u seen the destruction lithium mining causes by any chance

[@walterhumanolo5586]

@@Cuzzyrorydriftmansilviasx have you seen the destruction mining anything causes by any chance?

[@Cuzzyrorydriftmansilviasx]

@@walterhumanolo5586 sure have coal miner myself and its disgusting still not as bad as lithium

[@PeteJohnsMusic]

Just so you know… the folks at the start. This is not Australia or Australians. Super sad. But… watch until the end. This was 1 minute if the worst behaviour. There’s some real gems in here.

[@sangle120]

There's such a broad range of what Australians. Clearly when you look at our election results there are many who do believe climate change is a real issue. We need to as a country offer real alternatives to a coal based economy because continuing to rely on coal with no exit plan is economic suicide in the long term- but we're stuck in short term thinking.

[@PumpkinSpicePretzels]

If the miners want their side of the story to be heard, they better stop ignoring the climate scientists' side; you can't expect to be listened to if you won't listen.

[@Mitch-zr4wb]

Lol

[@neegas3490]

Exactly

[@rwwars6948]

From someone who has worked in simular conditions (Not coal) It's less about ignoring and more about not wanting the hassle. We know climate change is a issue, but unless you give us a alternative. It's just listening to a woman complain. We're talking about shutting down a large portion of the economy with no alternative, meaning a entire global problem that will leave millions out of the jobs, and money to spend. You can't just instantly wipe coal off of the earth instantly. It has to be gradually taken down little by little so the world's economy can recover.

[@rwwars6948]

The only sustainable energy supply we have right now is nuclear energy and elons idea of Giga factories. Both are extremely hated by the left.

[@rwwars6948]

You see, the left likes to bish about problems and offer 0 fixes (or aleast those that has 0 results or makes it worst) On the right, we know it's a problem. But the fixes we offer you don't like. This is with every fuking political issue known to man. Left- complain that historically black communities have 0 to no investments or opportunities Right- makes it where companies have incentives by giving tax breaks to their companies if they offer good paying jobs by building in low income communities Left-youre giving tax breaks to multi millionares!! So on and so on

[@DCFatCat]

Black Lung Matters....

[@jakejhons5138]

The handful full of people who make the big money from coal are hiding behind the low wage workers and their families. It is up to society to educate these people and give them alternative way of earning a living.

[@kryptonarie6367]

Exactly!

[@twagoner21]

unfortunately the party they've chosen to get behind is burning books. Hey....maybe that's the new power source!?!?!

[@molom5027]

Guys. Let's be serious. Every day we drive cars with metal that was melted by coal and we are all agreeing that we have to stop the use of coal. What alternative have we provided for melting the hard metals in the world? Be realistic. Are you going to use solar panels to melt iron and other metal types of substances. If we don't tackle this problem, then we are not serious. Be practical and every realistic person will agree with you.

[@KingZNIN]

You're right we should only use coal for everything forever. Sarcasm aside hydrogen works for iron and steel.

[@123spleege]

Coal: Kids out of high school in the coal towns are basically handed a life at 18 that includes a large progressive salary structure, union benefits, housing, (depending on location), and a great pension. Who is going to compete with that? IF, ( a big IF), society plans on replacing coal, you are going to have to understand exactly what is being taken away. I would be interested to hear how many miners own their own homes, cars...etc..... Look at the presenter...no assets and a dodgy future.

[@williamjreed]

Just wanted to add, you all having a chat will change things. I grew up in coal mining towns in Appalachia in the United States. The coal mining industry was taken away without anything else being brought in. You cannot expect people to change unless industry is brought in prior to help them sustain their lives. People will choose health over coal, but you have to give them that choice!

[@gameboypunk660]

There's nothing else there for them to do in these small coal mining towns nothing but coal they can move and find other sorts of work they sound like imbeciles who want to fight the future

[@twagoner21]

the help you're suggesting for these people, unfortunately, is socialism. They know that's bad.

[@taragnor]

@@twagoner21 The vast majority of people that think socialism is bad aren't even able to correctly define what it is.

[@bobbun9630]

I agree with this in principle, but it should be said that it's not really that simple. People have to pay attention, be ready to accept change, and not be swayed by emotional rhetoric. I understand that's not always easy, but coal mining communities have not necessarily acted rationally in this regard. Coal is slowly dying in Appalachia. That's not because it's being "killed" some "agenda" of "haters". People who make that claim attribute more power to haters than they actually have. Coal is dying because of market forces--everyone outside of coal country wants cleaner energy, and customers are going to get what they want. Coal jobs are dying even faster because of automation on top of those market forces. If politician #1 acknowledges the reality that coal is dying and suggests spending some money on retraining and to assisting communities in economically diversifying, and politician #2 promises they're going to "bring back coal", the impulse may be to accept what politician #2 says, but the answer (to the extent that politicians have any effectiveness at all) is to go with option #1.

[@SpaceShipDee]

@@taragnor 100% true. Australia has so many social welfare and support programs that the majority of Americans that "hate Socialism" would think that Australia is a socialist country. If they could define what it was.

[@jujitsujew23]

18:46 man says climate change is "a big money grabbing fraud" 23:29 SAME MAN "I do believe that we are affecting the climate"

[@lindsaydale307]

I worked for a demolition company that would buy and tear down old coal plants. One of the main thing many don’t realize coal is all they know and have. There is no other form of money for them. No one wants to help bring up new jobs. That’s also why opioids tend to run high in the areas I worked in

[@robertkerr9527]

Unfortunate solar farms, and wind farms are not clean and green as we are led to believe. Both of them are extremely disruptive to the surrounding ecosystems. And they regularly produce large amounts of difficult if not impossible to recycle materials. There are no easy answers. But the much smaller, safer nuclear reactors are tiny and extremely efficient. Much of the rare metals needed to produce all the electric cars are being mined illegally by child labor in places like the Congo 🇨🇩 🤔 . Activists and politicians have us putting the cart before the horse. We're are already facing the reality here in Switzerland of what to do with the thousands of old electric bicycle batteries we've been accumulating for over 5 years now.

[@petername2608]

We should forget about climate change ,we have care about jobs and making profit, and destroy our planet 🤣.let the future suffer right

[@nrsjuggalo]

Thats what the baby boomers did to us. Our children don't have future we live in a world where all we do is argue talk and protest about what we should do without any action.

[@J3NN4F1R3]

You basically summed up how republikkkans feel about it

[@andrewboyce7268]

@@J3NN4F1R3 both parties suck. One wants to go back to the 1950s the other wants to shout at the sky and do nothing. If they met in the middle maybe then we won't destroy this rock we live on.

[@slickimz223]

I'm surprised short minded people like u still existed in this era of progressive knowledge.

[@nrsjuggalo]

@Free Thinker 😎

[@stuartmatthews91]

Most of these miners seem to have an intuitive understanding that coal and burning it is simply bad for people, from a health perspective. The argument they keep preaching is there needs to be an alternative. They understand the control this industry has over them and would welcome a change but can't or more likely won't put it together that mandating it is the only way that happens. They have too much to loose.

[@theherooftime2]

We can’t just shut off coal because we still need energy. We should have been transitioning into green energy a long time ago

[@macnasty1805]

It's almost like asking the plantation owner his thought on slavery.

[@wizzzer1337]

the more I look at Australian politics, the more I'm convinced it's just upside down United States...

[@MattyClivingthedream]

Yep, both are run by Rupert Murdoch. The biggest climate change denier.

[@lastplayer7048]

Agreed

[@jareddeemee8582]

He said “I think black coal matters is more important than (wait I shouldn’t say black lives) ummm criminals in jails!! Ahh yea… they’ll know what I mean.”

[@kalebrosenberg8294]

I'm european and I didnt get some of the socio-cultural nuances of the problems down there. I get this though - blaming the workers for what is happening is the wrong path. They are dependent on their wage, which they work hard for. The problem you face with your activism Kim, is that you're only facing the consequence of a problem, not it's cause. Our economic system is based on exploitation. Not only of the workers but also natural ressources. It is in integral part of it and would not function without that fact. The alternative would be a radical change in how we produce the goods (like energy) we need. But for that we would have to change the ownership of the means we need to produce into public hands. Only then, without the intend and need to exploit, because nobody would actually profit from production, we could make meaningful changes. Changes that go beyond greenwashing promises. What we need to do Kim, is to abolish capitalism.

[@dsolis7532]

This is not pro coal or pro climate change, is strongly pro people. Governments need to get solutions to this people… not just let them die

[@CrystalMouse1]

What I'm observing is that when you got entire towns dependant on one major, reliable source of income for hundreds of years, there better be something just as reliable available to replace it. Plus you've got generations programmed (for good and bad) for one particular way of living. So it's no wonder why they're resistant. Communities have been abandoned rather than supported. Same is happening to disabled people like myself. We've always had to rely on other people to keep us alive. Before social security, families either took care of us or abused us. Now, it's the taxpayers and maybe family. But it's painful when I hear that we're supposed to not have any assistance because we're lazy. Like coal miners are not stupid or inconsiderate. We've got a system that has room for improvement and I'm not sure how it'll happen

[@graylinshowell7051]

For me, what was said at the beginning of the video of about the Black Lives Matter movement really says everything about this topic. These coal miners, everyone dependent on his industry, they have their views so heavily skewed by their own personal experience that they cannot attempt to see someone else's perspective. They feel like everyone else should take care of everyone else and they'll just worry about themselves.

[@chemengineer15]

Thank you. I was disgusted by that man.

[@capitaldelusion8518]

I saw every point through in this video, but the way you put that makes the most sense. Pretty unfair to think like that, but there were some that kinda saw Kim's point and gave him time of day, saying they'd be interested in moving forward but it's like they're just stuck in their old ways

[@RangerLifts]

I like the open conversation with no heated elements.

[@michaeltrevino201]

The problem with these people is that they cannot see beyond the industry that has built their community and livelihoods. Because of that, they become so defensive of their way to earn a living. Then, confirmation bias completely takes over their brains to where they cannot hear or even try to understand real science. In a way I feel sorry for them, but then I hear how ignorant they speak the people that want to bring awareness of how fossil fuels are destroying our atmosphere. They have dug themselves in so deep that there is no way they can see beyond their own bias. Truly sad.

[@packerpf]

I was ready to comment something about west virginia but vice did a swerve and went Australia with this nice...btw coal is a dying commodity that serves little purpose anymore that can be replaced with something else.

[@syrianballsman6421]

Has it been replaced with something else though?

[@kraevorn7483]

@@syrianballsman6421 Being Replaced with natural gas.

[@krishankyadav8486]

@@syrianballsman6421 well, it would be if the people in charge would just stop before every single gram of it has been burnt just because it's bringing in the most profit right now

[@DTA-me3kv]

What are you going to replace it with? I actually live in West Virginia smart ass... So what's gonna replace all those jobs and people's livelihoods???

[@jmjames8787]

@@DTA-me3kv a different job. Should cars have never been invented just to keep the horse and carriage people in business?

[@jaykillxreaperofdeath6967]

These people's opinions will never change. No one can accept that there way of life is hurting others.

[@ciaranthompson3375]

whom exactly is it hurting?

[@jaykillxreaperofdeath6967]

@@ciaranthompson3375 well hurting the climate which in turn hurts the next generation. Also but I'm not sure, the aboriginal people of Australia and the miners themselves who have coal lung and other health problems.

[@faffrin5216]

Did either of you watch the film before they commented. It seems clear to me having watched in full, that the coal industry hurts a lot of people globally including those who it employs. It's also clear that the opinions of "these people" were quite a long way from being predictable or fixed. There is hope for solutions and a better furture for everyone so long as judgements and assumption can be set aside and real conversations can be had.

[@jaykillxreaperofdeath6967]

@@faffrin5216 I would beg to differ they may have been open to conversation but none where willing to change there mind I the end they still did not believe in climate change and the ones who did just didn't care enough about it.

[@BrokeredHeart]

@@jaykillxreaperofdeath6967 Until the rhetoric changes from morality to dollars and cents, they won't see the point in transitioning to clean, renewable energies or new industries in these coal mining towns. Yes, the coal industry precipitated their founding of these towns, but looking around at these main streets, for all the prosperity and wealth those mines have, it's clearly not being distributed to the people of Clarmont. They're defending an industry that pays well enough to the few who are required to run the operations, but the bulk of the profit doesn't stay there in their community. If it really is such a desirable industry to keep on, why hasn't their town improved? Why can't they attract new businesses to them? Why aren't the men, women and children better off? Adani is keeping some of them well-employed, but none of them are particularly interested in projecting a better, more prosperous future for themselves, or question the reality that coal is not providing them with the same benefits and standard of living that wealthier townships and rural communities have. Leaving the future aside, and the uncomfortable awareness of what a a warmer planet could mean for these people, the issue should be what's at stake for them now, and why their situation frankly sucks.

[@beaujest4]

regardless of whatever the energy source is, we will still need gas, oil and coal for our daily lifestyle

[@brianquade143]

It blows my mind how these people don't understand the difference between climate change and weather. I'm a farmer in Wisconsin & have been planting my vegetables a month earlier than usual, because our winters are getting shorter every year.

[@Tron-Jockey]

Shhh, you'll be ostracized by MAGA. You're not supposed to be able to figure this out. Being erudite, cerebral, having common sense, an understanding of science, and the ability to be objective could get you labeled .........................................a Liberal!

[@johnnypops6430]

This is a fantastic doc! We need governments to commit to a green jobs transition!

[@Stratinvllc]

We need $70 a gallon gasoline NOW to save the planet.

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@Stratinvllc We need a bioweapon to eradicate the anti-vaxxers. Maybe the next Covid variant.

[@gameboypunk660]

@@Stratinvllc dumb were going electric

[@twagoner21]

@@gameboypunk660 has it hit you yet Gameboy?

[@twagoner21]

Unfortunately, the miners can't accept help from big government. that's socialism. It's ok. They have bootstraps.

[@PraetorianAU]

The coal industry is using the same arguments that the horse & cart industry did when cars were replacing them. Germany went through the same thing when they shutdown the coal mining industry. They offered each worker early retirement with large settlement packages. To those that wanted to continue working, they provided training / schooling and also helped them go straight into new jobs. We can do the same here.

[@Mitnixbinichfroh]

dont forget all of the subsides that are needed for coal mines and the jobs created in other energy producing departements (like wind and solar)

[@AsbestosMuffins]

na they're using the same arguments the tobacco industry does, they scare the living hell out of people while also making them fall in love with their product

[@rob9726]

@@Mitnixbinichfroh To be honest, if we shifted subsidies from coal to wind or solar, the actual cost only increases by a small amount, and because these are renewable resources, those subsidies could be gradually phased out as supply overtakes demand, unlike with coal which is exhaustible.

[@roodsound]

This is the dialog we need. Real dialog and real solutions. Not finger pointing, yelling and making more enemies. Instead of protesting, how about setting up a program at a local community college to re-train and help place these hard working people into high paying jobs installing solar & maintaining the new systems.

[@teletesselator]

Coal is clean - zero emissions since I was in high school in the mid 1980's. That's in almost all western countries. China is a different story. The only thing that comes out of a coal power plant is good old CO2 (plant food) - scrubber tech is so good these days. And in the past 10 years there is even secondary "scrubbers" that turn that CO2 into a nice black powder that's used for the manufacture of carbon fiber, and other carbon based composites. If it's mined sensibly coal is a very VERY "green" energy source! As far as "climate change" is concerned mankind is responsible for only about 5% of it. It is happening and mankind contributes to it but it's miniscule. Studies show that even if we shut down EVERYTHING across the entire world until 2100 it would NOT even reduce the temperature by one degree by then. So yeah, we should probably try and seek other energy sources but coal and oil doesn't need to be eliminated with any urgency AT ALL.

[@vladimirrienas5546]

Never would have guessed that Australia mines so much coal 😬

[@sendthis9480]

Australia mines everything they’ve got…to the most extreme they can. It’s like they’re trying to deplete their reserves.

[@manishtaker8622]

Australia is a big fat country

[@CheechElMexicano]

I hope this guy reads this message... You are not a failure at what you believe in. Even if you catch the ear of a few, it more then anything any of us have accomplished. You may not have things you want doing this but you got my respect in your movement. I hope you are blessed on this journey. I hope you keep on fighting and making progress 🙏🏾

[@mikex5984]

Progress is when we don’t use coal anymore. Don’t be so selfish you want your paycheck over the health of EVERYONE. I get it mouths to feed but this guys laughing at dying criminals at the beginning that also had mouths to feed. But it’s hard to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on the contrary. I wish you well. Word of advice. Change your trade. People have to do that all the time. If this is the hill you wanna die on just know your generation is the last generation that will be doing this much polluting. It’s no longer up to yall

[@weburnitatbothends]

Wow what an awesome piece, would love to see some regular follow ups with the same legends now that the LNP are out of power. Plenty have thought of the idea to rehabilitate so many mines across Queensland but to do it as a transition piece and to try and repair Country, well that is a Vision, would be great to see it happen. I hope the relationships you have made stay active for a long time Kim, thank you :)

[@jacobp.2024]

The irony of activists attacking miners for not understanding climate change, without understanding they have done nothing constructive nor addressed any underlying reason for why things are this way. The pure fucking irony.

[@lythyboo]

They aren’t attacking the workers for not knowing better, they are tryna disrupt the company and their supply chain\bring awareness to the issues by protesting?? That’s what protests and activism is for, yeh it’s “annoying” but that’s the idea people ain’t going outta their way just to ruin some random miners day..........

[@Science__Politics]

This feels like West Virginia

[@gshak33]

People who say that climate change is a scam annoy me the most. I see climate change as a major issue but also figuring out what people will do who currently work in the fossil fuel industries is also a challenge. Both sides need to acknowledge the validity of the other’s concerns before their can be a real conversation.

[@donsolos]

They will find work in other fields, moving it need be. People are just set in their ways and change often requires a lot of effort

[@LLG47]

I find it annoying as well. However, There are people out there that say shudder the coal mines, let the people figure it out. Its like pulling the plug on their entire lives and communities which has been a continuing issue. Its not that simple and it shows that Environmentalists can be just as heartless. People in coal towns, especially in the US, have basically 0 political power.

[@LLG47]

@@donsolos Point in case, look how simple you said it but how complicated that actually is.

[@dabndangle]

@@donsolos like mining lithium. Lmao even clean energy isn't so clean. Wind energy fucks with wild life. Solar energy really isn't that great yet for how much space you'd need for enough panels to really generate power. Now depending on where you live it may do better. It's like 20k for a replacement tesla battery. So unless the world governments are ready to hand out trillions of $$s to get these technologies in the average persons home. And they deff aren't. My government couldn't even do covid relief right. And handed out trillions of $s but only actually giving the people a small %. I say let the climate change. All these old fucks knew oil and coal was bad for the environment like 100 years ago. Now they have made there money and can easily afford to "go green" and want everyone else to. Fuxk you

[@Ansalion]

@@LLG47 The problem is they are working in a dying industry but are staunchly pro-capitalist, and capitalism says businesses should be allowed to fail without the government stepping in and helping anyone. They would have a much easier time transitioning to other jobs if they voted for more social safety nets in case they lose their jobs.

[@khamiredousgaming5486]

Coal miners dont care about the coal they care about their job, the money and/or enjoy mining. 90% of whatnis mined is overburnden. Give this guys the option to mine rare earth metals or nickle, something used in renewables, offer a higher wage and most will jump ship. For those communities its coal or nothing so you cant blame them for being so defensive

[@veeo987]

I love that video because the situation of australian coal miners is very similar to the situation of oil sands workers here in Alberta, Canada. We have towns like Fort McMurray that are 100% reliant on the oil sands industry and that would close if the industry had to totally collapse. These workers are not the problem. These people are blue collars who do manual jobs, and natural ressources are often the only jobs that pay them a good salary to live a lifestyle similar to the one of more educated white collars. Otherwise, they'd work in factories or warehouses for a bad pay. They don't destroy the environment just for fun and intentionnally. All they want is a future. So the best way to move forward is to create these people high paying jobs in the green energy sector, and for that, we need political change. It's useless to try to educate them on climate change. Many of them have no idea what climate change is and they're convinced it's an argument used by urban people to destroy their lifestyle.

[@user-wq9mw2xz3j]

I've seen so much bad sides from all types of American media, but there are plenty of Vice (and other) documentaries that have amazed me and this is amazingly balanced and well done.

[@swagrighttoni]

vice is one of the best representations of real journalism in america most news here is just propaganda like china and russia news

[@TheFamousMockingbird]

vice is actually canadian, hq is in montreal

[@bigpimpskin8554]

@@TheFamousMockingbird It’s still weird to me that Disney owns part of the company

[@MarcusMan6]

@@swagrighttoni Yup, even though they have a general left leaning.... starting point? They're almost always on point with talking to the other side. This video is journalism at it's finest.

[@truthkilla1269]

Vice no different from CNN fox TMZ

[@rogueone8194]

As usual Vice at it again with top-notch journalism, out in the field talking to real people! I do climate change research, and I love this video. If there's any hope of restoring trust in science, that hope is in talking to people and listening.

[@Rizziculous]

Funny how the complete opposite is said whenever they make a piece on anything that’s remotely non political but still interesting. But what I’ll say is Vice is top notch

[@spitbukket6862]

"as usual"

[@jin_cotl]

@@Rizziculous ikr even if it’s about random lavish drug parties, or about that one star review show thing.

[@nevertoopoortotour.3033]

Indeed

[@parashit2181]

Climate change is real, but blaming coal miners that caused it is completely wrong. Coal is a product of our demands of energy, you can argue with sustainable energy.. bla bla bla but that's all commercial BS because nothing is sustainable (even wind n solar panel still need oil). You should blame the CONSUMERS, including YOU, US, and ME. The way the modern world run these days, do you think the world will stop using coal? No! The world would stop using coal when the demand is low. Just look at what happen to Germany right now, they though they can stop using coal by importing natural gas from Russia. They regret every decision of it.

[@mattalley4330]

"Support coal and good luck with that 130f (55c) degree weather, kids."

[@bigjoes.1545]

Halfway through and I am loving the documentary. People don't seem to realize that the miners are actually human as much as people want to believe otherwise. They are not your enemy and they deserve to make a living. They are not the ones in charge just the ones who've been indoctrinated into the system that runs off of fossil fuels.

[@bigjoes.1545]

@KyleR nice bait. If you actually watched the documentary he got them to admit that coal was on its way out and that climate change was real. Like I said they got indoctrinated into the system and the easiest way to change their mind is to talk with them like they are human which is what he did.

[@greyfells2829]

i love people who pretend to be "country" but think that having cheap utilities is the meaning of life. if you're worth your salt as a rural man, you already have a hobby interest in building your own sources of power and limiting the amount you rely on the world you have no control over. these spoiled idiots act like their work is a gift to us, as if it doesn't carry a steep price. my harvest is worse because of their way of life.

[@whymilky8086]

Well said, partner.

[@armadilloburns4880]

We just need to remember: 1. We borrow the environment from our children. What do we have to give back to them? 2. All that glitters is not gold!

[@jamesfarnarkler]

It's pretty simple; sooner or later, the demand for coal will diminish so much that the mines will close naturally. Might take a few more decades, however, it will happen. So let it happen. If the forecasts for electric car batteries are correct, demand will move to lithium or other minerals which Australia has in abundance. The towns might die but new ones will be built.

[@julianfranssen4186]

I work in the coal mines here in Queensland and i think the people journalist spoke to probably are portraying the general coal worker in the wrong way. I think the more educated among us understand climate change is real and coal contributes, however if Australia stops mining coal the oversees buyers will just buy more dirty coal from Africa and then Australia's economy will be ruined. We need eliminate the demand and that will force Australia's economy to adapt. if there is demand there will always be supply.

[@umage7759]

"climate chance it changes 4 times a year" --- i physically cringed

[@hollyexley]

Saaaaame 😖

[@mam362]

Before you make fun of coal miners remember that coal puts food on the table for their kids. Whether they are right or wrong about how coal impacts the environment, limiting coal mining will have a very real life-or-death impact on them and their families.

[@spacedandy7555]

Neither option is good for anyones health. Learn a different trade in order to adapt.

[@mam362]

@@spacedandy7555 Who's gonna pay for them to do that?

[@BloodyIron]

The person being interviewed at 30:00 seems quite reasonable (apart from the horse thing, I think that was a mistake). He seems to actually be generally current on things and his concerns about livelihood is valid, and it's people like this who need to be helped to transition to other careers that have better longevity. And I genuinely mean something like programming/IT/tech, something he can do where he lives already, pays well, and has a good future. And to those who think people like this can't learn programming or technology, you're wrong and I can prove it. I've literally trained people who are scared of technology on how to use it, and that includes programming-type work.

[@imlovely6522]

The fact that we get free documentaries on KZbin by VICE News is truly a gift 👍

[@MichaelJ44]

If something if free, perhaps you are the product.

[@solonyetski]

Free indoctrination, yay

[@u-shanks4915]

@@solonyetski that’s what you think You can use it for good or evil

[@brockchipchura3429]

Left leaning politics agenda based documentary brought to you free via the establishment.

[@rolypoly4920]

This was handled very well. Most coal miners don't have some idealistic reason for not wanting things to change, its just that their livelihood depends on them having a job. Give most of them a similar-paying alternative, and most would jump for it. The miners aren't the bad guys. I feel like a lot of people want to treat them as such. Keep in mind that in a lot of places, this line of work was really really good money for the area in question. They would have been dumb not to go for it when they were younger.

[@queenscorgie2200]

the huge companies management will all be DEAD when the affects of what they are doing now will be HELL for their own KIDS

[@brad238899]

As a representative of the Horse Carriage Manufacturing Association I 100% agree. We need to stop the progression of new and more efficient technology because its a direct threat to our jobs!

[@GoonShenron]

30 seconds in an i can tell the comments are gonna be interesting and the people they interview are gonna be delusional 🤣

[@Think-dont-believe]

Why delusional

[@DTA-me3kv]

Cause black coal matters

[@Think-dont-believe]

a. The act or process of deluding. b. The state of being deluded. 2. a. A false belief or opinion… So this is gonna be people believing ocean level rising, temp rising at accelerated rates due to man’s impact or believe that any rate warming is bad and at same time ignoring how we are polluting the land and oceans.. yes it’s frustrating.., so simple to get numbers and prove it’s not true. All they have to do is look at sources that are not on the take .. even NASA is mad their numbers came back not showing any acceleration.. Haha they made a graph showing the 4 millimeters the ocean rising since 1986 and they always use 1986 because that was the lowest levels since they have been keeping track so that only way to show an increase and it still isn’t enough to clear the percentage of error. Yes delusional sad

[@Scott-hf3jt]

Duluional is believing in original sin. Climate change, vaxx passports, and critical race theory are all original sin. Only the scientific priest class can save us. All hail scientism. Scientism = trust the science You’re in a cult bra

[@Think-dont-believe]

@@GoonShenron I agree .. seems so backwards we are still burning coal. Frustrating that we have better ways to do things but always goes back to profit

[@TheMandaIorian]

The company should make a 180 and became a climate company with the help of the government and the same people can help clean the world.

[@tricky86]

360...

[@laneatkinson6441]

*180 but I get you.

[@TheMandaIorian]

@@laneatkinson6441 omg

[@TheMandaIorian]

@@tricky86 omg

[@vylbird8014]

How? All the company assets are in the form of mining permits for coal, equipment to extract and transport coal, and workers to operate that equipment.

[@brasssnacks8413]

"I think black coal matters more than ..." you can see him visibly pause here trying not to say black lives. Takes nervous drink.

[@jessepitt]

This really touched the most important part of the problem with our world today. It’s the divide between right and left that’s being pushed by politicians. There is a growing separation and inability to communicate with the “other” side when really we are all just humans looking for a little stability and happiness for our families. I come from a very liberal family who all live in liberal areas with people who agree with them so no real progress is made. I made a point to stay blue collar and and liberal at the same time. I can communicate with both sides and understand the humanity of everyone. If more people left their comfort zone thing’s would be better.

[@twagoner21]

imho, for profit media is more the problem (than politicians - They're just pandering to a base conditioned by a chosen media delivering only one side of any given issue). all the cable news channels are profiting from the unravelling.

[@sandyboyd7040]

I'm wondering if the term just transition is used and understood in the conversation in Australia surrounding coal. Because most of those coal miners have valid points about worrying about their livelihoods and the future of their area and if those can be addressed in a just transition then that's fantastic.

[@TheMRMACHONACHO]

What does transition involve ? And how does phrasing it as such improve the scenario

[@jukebox5600]

@TheMRMACHONACHO a transition that involves weening the community off the dependence on coal, and it improved the scenario by giving a possible solution

[@askinnywhiteboy]

The fact that the miners/ex-miners were basically "Yeah, I'd do that." If there was an alternative, cleaner job available is proof that it's possible. Companies just don't care.

[@nootboot9744]

@@TheMRMACHONACHO It would probably involve subsidies to these communities, and investment in new industries.

[@jonathanvillegas7570]

@@TheMRMACHONACHO The Green New Deal in the US has addressed the transition. It would be a plan to reduce coal dependence and increase renewable energy dependence. It would provide billions in investments for the infrastructure needed which would of course create billions in income for workers and companies that are tasked with building that. It would also subsidize the retraining and reeducation of coal miners to prepare them with the necessary skills to install/maintain renewable energy panels/turbines etc. Every current coal miner would have a job guarantee once they are finished with the retraining that would pay similar or higher salaries with benefits. Not one single person in the video actually enjoyed working in a coal mine. It is dirty and laborious work. They do it because they rely on the industry for their livelihood and the jobs pay much better than anything else around there. Those guys calling it a huge scam and fraud are lying. They experience it first hand and can clearly see how much pollution they are releasing into the air. They just have their livelihood to defend.

[@oliverforsman7644]

Gee listening to the last bloke who charged through the crowd with his horse just breaks my heart. This whole situation is not caused by a divide in politics, but the tactics of the wealthy and powerful to pit Australians against each other. Mine owners don’t care about their workers, a labour hire worker in a coal mine could be earning 50% less than what his full time colleague earns next to him (labour hire companies should be banned and owners jailed). I wonder what will happen to these workers when the mining companies find that coal is no longer feasible… I doubt these blokes will be given any other job prospects. We need to come together and realise we are on the same team. We need to save our planet without putting workers at risk of losing their livelihoods nor their integrity. We shouldn’t be running into each other with horses, nor stopping our comrades from working to put food on the table for their family by chaining ourselves up to tools and machinery. The demise of coal is inevitable but we can’t take peoples jobs, livelihoods or prospect of a good future away from them, as mining is one of the only sectors in these communities that offer good, well paying jobs (unless you’re in the labour hire system or a casual). Solidarity everybody.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

look no further than the abandoned mining towns in the US and Africa, when the mines run dry the owners pull up, and everybody fades away

[@ohforester5732]

Why are these activists bothering these coal miners. They should go to Beijing and protest the ChiComms who are buying and burning 90% of Australian coal. If Aussies don't sell to China, China will just buy more from Russia who will be happy to sell since Europe has a "partial" embargo on Russian oil, nat gas and coal. The root problem is that there are too many humans consuming too many resources. A viral contagion may be the only solution.

[@Ridingthewaves305]

You can’t ask people who have for generations been mining coal to change their opinion. Also whether we like it or not, we’re still very reliant on coal and fossil fuels.

[@FreakShowIncorp]

It's so refreshing seeing people from opposite ends of the political spectrum coming together to have an open and honest conversation. We need more of this!

[@madmadam6200]

Only if I could like this comment more than once. It's absolutely crucial to NEVER STOP TALKING to the OPPOSITE SIDE!!!👌👌👌

[@sendthis9480]

Yeah, but these aren’t opposing sides. One side cares about the planet…the other side only cares about their own well being. Is objective vs subjective. They’re not opposite ends. That’s the issue! It’s facts vs emotions.

[@raisin8051]

@@sendthis9480 100% and worse yet some recognize they're dicking our planet into a coma. The only argument they make against it is their unnecessary and incredible dependence on it

[@sendthis9480]

@@Stevie-J Nothing I said was suppressive. And nothing I said sounded “brainwashed”. Are you just rambling nonsense and hoping it sticks?

[@sendthis9480]

@@raisin8051 People typically don’t ask the right questions…but this guy did and it was very telling. The first question, to know what type of person you’re dealing with, is: “IF we know the Earths lifespans is finite, and IF we know that we are causing that lifespan to diminish by our current methods…how much lifespan are you willing to eliminate in order to keep our current way of life? If the Earth has 1,000,000,000 years left…and burning coal takes 3 days off the end….maybe that’s ok. If the Earth has 1,000 years left…and burning coal takes 500 years off the end…maybe that’s NOT ok. Billy Bob in the video was asked…and he said he didn’t care one way or another. He wouldn’t change one thing about his life. That tells you he doesn’t care. He worries about what is in front of his nose….ONLY. That’s not the type of person that should be asked questions about our planet. They physically don’t have the ability to think that big.

[@Shinzon23]

I must say the deliberate ignorance and inability to look to the future, and wanting those who are telling them this to all die of these people is astounding, and disturbing.

[@legogonkdroid3792]

they have no other way of life they fear for their income i understand where they are coming

[@Shinzon23]

@@legogonkdroid3792 true. However,issue is, the impending shutdown of coal mining/burning has been coming for like 20 years if not more now, so they've had time to prepare.

[@JamesSmith-qw3sp]

Once you see how they react to change, it’s hard to have any pity for them over what’s coming. At a certain point, you can’t feel sorry for the willfully ignorant. Evolve or die

[@tokinGLX]

hmm, i wonder what the horse drawn carriage makers thought of that newfangled contraption people were calling the automobile.

[@aaronvallejo8220]

For 13 years now, I have been building wind farms. 2,100 MW. All stages, all different crews leading teams to safely, effectively and efficiently build Enercons, Vestas, Siemens, GE, GoldWind, Siemens Gamesa wind turbines. It was premuim and costly...but now it is the lowest cost option and we need workers like crazy and we pay them very well. Let's build our renewably powered global economy together!

[@jcjayc2121]

Seems like the working class on both sides completely agree, cleaner energy needs to be embraced leaving coal in the dust, while giving these coal miners transition into new industry with proper training and wages

[@kuga_4038]

Thats something I'd get behind

[@jcjayc2121]

@@kuga_4038 socialism, my friend.

[@tombiocca3280]

No thats not socialism

[@twagoner21]

@@tombiocca3280 yes it is.

[@jimhoctor2382]

@@twagoner21 No, it's not.