General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBreaking: Trump chooses EPA secretary
PALM BEACH, FLA (Spurious News Network) -- President-for-Life Elect Donald Trump, who has decided to remake the government in his own image, has selected Don Blankenship as his Secretary of Environmental Protection.
Mr. Blankenship, a Kentucky native, is most famous as CEO of Massey Energy, a coal company that on April 5, 2010, killed 29 of its employees in an underground mine explosion. In the aftermath of the explosion Mr. Blankenship received and served a one-year prison sentence.
"President Trump believes in coal," said a Trump spokesperson. "Coal is an all-American energy source, and with Secretary Blankenship at the helm any regulations preventing its use will be repealed."
"While President Trump may believe in coal," said Lynn Good, CEO of North Carolina electric utility Duke Energy, "we in the electric utility business sure the hell don't anymore. Duke Energy currently produces about a quarter of its total load from coal and we're replacing that capacity as quickly as we can. Coal is currently the most expensive form of electric generation. We're transitioning from expensive, dirty coal to cheaper, cleaner natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. Getting rid of coal is not only good for electricity producers but customers and the environment."
In addition to promoting coal for electrical generation, Blankenship also plans to convert the United States Navy's ships from diesel fuel to coal. The Navy isn't impressed. According to Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Chief of Naval Operations and the top admiral in the Navy, "there's no way we can do that. None of the ships we currently have in the fleet will run on coal. The last ship in the Navy to be commissioned with coal-fired boilers was the USS Texas, which entered the fleet in 1914 and was converted to bunker oil in 1923. There are only twelve non-nuclear ships in the current Navy fleet that use steam boilers, and they're all diesel-fired. It would cost billions to change them over to coal and if we did we'd have to figure out somewhere to store the coal. Converting the Navy to coal power is impossible."
Jakada Imani, chair of the Greenpeace Inc. board of directors, is confused. "If Mr. Trump is so in love with coal," he said, "why doesn't he heat any of his own buildings with it? It may be that he doesn't want any of that filthy crap anywhere around him...so why does he want to burden everyone else with it?"
RandySF
(86,536 posts)underpants
(197,325 posts)TwilightZone
(28,836 posts)I could see this happening.
Hmm, would he be better or worse than Scott Pruitt? That's a pretty low bar for competence and a high one for corruption.
Rec'ing this against my better judgment. lol
dchill
(42,660 posts)FirstLight
(15,771 posts)The bizzaroworld effect is coming on strong...
FUCK, even IF we survive this man or gte him out of office somehow in the next 4 years...the planet is gonna get worse and be UN-Livable sooner than later
Regardless of any contingency plans ...they all assume that the planet will remain as it has. But that's not guaranteed.
Autumn
(49,025 posts)hlthe2b
(114,796 posts)especially given no choice you could imagine likely surpasses the worst of the worst he will choose.
jmowreader
(53,424 posts)I guess...
Anyway, when I get ready to write these "Trump Cabinet Pick" posts, I think to myself, "who is the worst person in the world Trump could put in charge of something?" I'm thinking NASCAR President Jim France would be a good-for-Trump National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head until Trump finds out all the safety-related work he's led the organization in, El Chapo Guzman the head of DEA, and the guy who was running West Fertilizer Company when it blew up would be fantastic as an OSHA administrator.
hlthe2b
(114,796 posts)Dem4life1234
(2,533 posts)I hope his KFC diet does its thing before he gets inaugurated. He does not need to be in the WH.
This is like a bad nightmare.
yorkster
(3,960 posts)Mossfern
(4,796 posts)even after objections were expressed the first time.
Hell, you can just write (satire) in the OP title.
Don't worry, people will still read it.
Response to jmowreader (Original post)
Emile This message was self-deleted by its author.
Disaffected
(6,597 posts)Please.
Folk's anxiety levels are high enough here - this only adds to it.