True, because the population has gone up significantly along with the gigantic increase in the use of electricity, but all those steam locomotive engines (and ship engines) were NOT figments of my imagination. The number of different uses of coal has decreased drastically, replaced by oil. And coal for energy generation would have been replaced by natural gas without Jimmuh's interference (and if Rossi's gizmo doesn't pan out, still will be replaced...coal simply can't compete economically with NG).
"Still, the economic dislocation occurred because the method of extracting coal became far less labor dependent. The fact that you've never encountered any materials regarding what was called "the failure of the coal fields" doesn't mean such materials don't exist.
So, provide a link.
"Then, too, I witnessed the refugees flee Appalachian coal fields for the MidWest. Others who post here did also. Whether you were aware of it, it happened."
I've witnessed a lot of things. That doesn't make those things universally applicable. You're talking about ONE industry, at ONE TIME in history, and generalizing that across all industry, and for all time periods. Not exactly a valid thing to do. Today's population is both more educated and more mobile, and thus more willing to pull up stakes and "move where the money is".
Hi, I’m new to FreeRepublic.
There is much debate on the Web about whether LENR is real and what the physics is, but precious little on how it will affect economies, etc. FreeRepublic is one of the few sites I have found with any discussion of LENR’s ramifications. So I registered... :)
I was wondering how long OPEC would hold together for. Once it becomes clear that the members’ oil in the ground may become marginal or uneconomic to produce because of LENR engines, then I suspect that some members’ will start pumping oil out a bit quicker in a ‘clearance sale’, so to speak. This would cause oil prices to fall fast once the taps are opened up.
Any views? Tia.