Nothing on Earth moves without energy, and most of the energy that people use is of the fossil variety: coal, oil, and natural gas. Although renewable energy is beginning to make inroads, fossil fuels still account for 78 percent of global final energy consumption as of 2014, according to REN21’s Global Status Report 2016. It is abundantly clear that a fundamental energy makeover is needed if we are to avoid climate chaos—especially with regard to coal, the dirtiest fuel of them all. Until recently, global coal production and use were still growing.

Advocates for renewable energy are typically consumed with matters like technology development, cost competitiveness, and policy support for deploying solar, wind, and other renewables. But the social dimension of the energy transition is just as crucial: in moving away from polluting sources of energy, we need to make sure that the workers who for decades have dug up coal aren’t left in the lurch. These are the people who have often paid with their health so that the rest of us could power air conditioners, refrigerators, TVs, and gadgets galore. Tiếp tục đọc “Can coal miners become solar technician?” →