USA

As Trump takes the wheel, U.S. thermal coal is looking for a way off the continent

The denial of a key permit by the State of Washington has left the largest proposed coal facility on the West Coast of North America high and dry. The proponents of the export terminal in Longview, Washington failed to obtain an aquatic lands sublease permit, dealing a major blow to an industry already struggling to transport U.S. thermal coal to markets in Asia.

ProPublica, Dec. 29, 2016

President-elect Donald Trump greets supporters before speaking at a campaign rally on Oct. 18, 2016, in Grand Junction, Colorado. (Brennan Linsley/AP Photo)

On December 5, former vice president Al Gore met with Donald and Ivanka Trump in an effort to convince the president-elect that he should not gut federal policies and agreements dealing with climate change. Three days later, actor Leonardo DiCaprio also paid the Trump duo a visit, urging them to help build a green, climate-friendly economy with lots of jobs. The two men could not have done less to prevent climate catastrophe if they had flown up to Alaska together and asked the glaciers to please stop melting.