The EU is Banning Almost All Coal Mining on Jan 1 (futurism.com)

Every unprofitable coal mine in the European Union must cease production by the first day of 2019, the date on which all public funds for the mines will come to an end. From a report: In Spain, that means that 26 coal mines are about to close up shop, according to Reuters. This move away from coal is a refreshing bit of bluntness -- letting the failed remnants of a fossil fuel industry fade away -- compared to how the federal government in the U.S. is grasping at anything to keep coal alive. But it remains to be seen how much of an impact the coal closures will have in the ongoing effort to curb climate change. The deadline was set back in 2010 as the EU sought to move away from fossil fuel dependence, according to Telesur. The EU wanted to end public aid to coal mines sooner, but groups from Germany -- which shuttered its last coal mine earlier this month -- and Spain are responsible for extending the deadline all the way to the end of 2018.

Comments

Economic pressures

[boulat]

This will hopefully drive the cost of business for US coal miners way up, since there is now a smaller market of buyers. The real question is why are we providing welfare for the mediocre?

Re:Economic pressures

[dryeo]

When you combine socialism with democracy, there is pressure from the electorate to preserve jobs in declining industries. This leads to Lemon Socialism [wikipedia.org], where public funds are used to prop up losers rather than backing winners.

Isn't that what trump is doing with coal?

Trumps economics are pretty far left. Protectionism, propping up failing industries, making promises to support labour are all left policies. Probably why he was a democrat.
It's interesting how the tribalism of the right sees them grabbing leftist policies due to their leader pushing them.

The article lies about Germany

[Applehu Akbar]

What Germany stopped mining last summer was the last of its 500 years of domestic anthracite. It is still opening new lignite mines and building new lignite-fired power plants, because to Merkel being antinuclear is more important than cutting carbon. Meanwhile, the older power plants that burn anthracite are not being replaced by anything. They are just importing anthracite instead of mining it locally.