[Carry_Okie]

But don't get too worked up about it. Almost the entire German war machine of WW2 was run off of coal oil, something that becomes economically viable here in the U.S. today if oil stays above $45 per barrel for any great length of time...and the U.S. has more coal than the rest of the world combined. We can make coal oil long after Saudi Arabia has bled their last oil well dry.

This shows how little you understand the problem. Having the coal is one thing. Having the mining infrastructure to ramp up production is another, especially with regard to sufficient skilled personnel. The situation is similar in virtually every resource business, from farming to timber. Regulation has virtually destroyed whole industries. They don't just restart at the drop of a hat.

[Southack]

"This shows how little you understand the problem. Having the coal is one thing. Having the mining infrastructure to ramp up production is another, especially with regard to sufficient skilled personnel."

On the contrary, I'm intimately familiar with coal, as it is a major Alabama mining industry (think: Drummond). We even drill and produce natural gas from underground coal deposits (check out DOM on the stock market).

Our coal infrastructure is here. We can ramp up production to fantastic levels with no problem.