She also thanked coal workers «who mined the coal that created the industrial revolution that turned on the lights that fueled the factories, who lost their lives, who were grievously injured, who
developed black lung disease.»
A slide from a presentation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows the progression from a healthy lung to
advanced black lung disease.
Whether or not global warming is entirely or largely due to human use of carbon for fuel, the reduction of the dependence on carbon makes sense for reducing asthma in children;
reducing black lung disease; reducing the production of coal ashes, residues, and effluents; reducing the impact of carbon greenhouse gasses; reducing pipeline failures; reducing coal and oil surface transport accidents; reducing pipeline - related warfare; and reducing air pollution.
Rather than care for suffering workers, the coal industry has hired lawyers and doctors to
deny Black Lung disease, rather than protecting its workforce and paying for the treatment they need.
Chris Hamby of The Center for Public Integrity was given the prize for Investigative Reporting for «his reports on how some lawyers and doctors rigged a system to deny benefits to coal miners stricken
with black lung disease, resulting in remedial legislative efforts.»
Coal miners share the air the rest of us breath, they also have to accept the risk
of black lung disease, coal miners» pneumoconiosis.
Mining remains hazardous and is associated with an increased risk for injury, as well as several health conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and
black lung disease.
Similar to global warming,
black lung disease, and acid rain, coal company lobbyists delay mercury pollution regulations, denying the gravity of the issue rather than proactively finding solutions.