Feature Stories
Gordon Tomb: How EPA’s Coal Regulations Threaten Green Jobs
November 10, 2014
John Oelbracht has managed the Westwood Generation power plant in Schuylkill County for 10 years. It’s more than a job to him — it’s an undertaking to clean up the environment while producing power for Pennsylvania homes. “We’re on something
Large Turnout for Opening Ceremony of Cabot’s Caddo Creek Coal Mine in Texas
November 7, 2014
More than 200 gathered at 3900 Farm-to-Market Road 1186 Monday to celebrate the opening of Boston-based Cabot Corporation’s new mine in Texas, and commence the occasion with the dedication of a refurbished 8.5 million pound dragline. “This place was just
Tiguidanke Camara Goes from Fashion Model to CEO and Chairman of Tigui Mining Group
November 5, 2014
It’s not every day one goes from being a fashion model to becoming a miner. But that’s the fascinating career arc of Tiguidanke Camara, remembered in the fashion world simply as Tigui. Camara is the daughter of Mohamed Mounir Camara,
Benefits of Carbon Use Far Outweigh Its Costs
November 5, 2014
Hundreds of thousands of people paraded through New York City Sunday in a “people’s climate march” designed to influence world leaders at a UN climate summit. They contend that fossil fuels and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions cause “global warming.” But
How Coal Can Power the Drive Towards Affordable Housing in Ghana
October 31, 2014
“We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles”. These were the famous words of American inventor, Thomas Edison. Some 200 plus years later, his prediction seems to have fallen right in place. This was initially
Ohio State Research Programs Looks at Taking the Carbon Out of Coal
October 28, 2014
When coal burns, it emits a “flue gas” teeming with hard-to-separate pollutants — but it doesn’t have to. Instead, it can create a simple flow of carbon dioxide that’s easy to capture. That’s the bold idea behind coal-direct chemical looping,
Keith Orchison: Clearing the Air on Australia’s Coal Debate
October 22, 2014
Extrapolating the past and present in to the future is risky business. Hopefully, Rhodes scholar Tony Abbott knows this. Critics of his “coal has a big future as well as a big past” statement don’t think so, but the numbers
Rio Tinto’s Center of Excellence Finds Reskilling Key for Automation Success
October 22, 2014
When Rio Tinto decided to open a “center of excellence” to command and control its mining sites and remote automated trucks, the company decided against having the centre in Rio Tinto’s head office. When Rio Tinto decided to open a
John Grogan: The Last Mine Standing in the UK Can Dig Out a Future
October 21, 2014
Hatfiled Colliery, where scenes from the film Brassed Off were shot, is the British coal mine that refuses to die. Despite four periods of administration since privatization, it is now the last deep coal mine in the United Kingdom not
Southern Illinois University’s New Technology for Dust Control in Underground Mines Hit the Market
October 21, 2014
A new technology for controlling dust in underground mining operations, developed by researchers at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, has made its way into the marketplace. The university recently awarded a sole source licensing agreement to Minerals Development Technologies Inc., a
