Besides the dozen other obvious downsides to streamlining China's access to our cheap coal by parading it across our country, there's also this:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/vi…

But if we don't sell off US coal reserves to China, how will they destroy our economy and make us energy dependent again?

(caveat, I have owned and currently own energy funds, coal firms, and coal IPOs and options)

Nice job, Gael. I appreciate it when elected officials work together to solve problems.

I'm glad Gael finally followed Noel's lead and came around on this one!

@1 That's actually a pretty compelling argument FOR coal exports. The Powder River Basin coal that would be exported has very low sulfur content and if it replaced the Chinese and Mongolian coal being used currently, it would improve air quality quite a lot.

Nothing says "I have good political judgement" quite like allying oneself with Mike McGinn