yeah, mountaintop mining should be stopped b/c it creates massive pollution. But the problem is that mountaintop removal mining generates coal with less sulfur and therefore generates less acid rain when it is burned in electricity plants. Really, I think that we should shy away from coal-powered electricity in general

Some of them. The inspection standards need to be tightened, and there needs to stop being so many second and third chances to correct the problems that are found.

There is an old saying among geologist. "If you can't grow it, then you have to mine it." So, let us consider what you would have to do without if you shut down the mining industry. Without mines in various forms, there would be no glass for windows or light bulbs. no clays for ceramics, no copper for the wires in your various electrical devices, including the computer on which you are reading this post. But that would be OK, because there would be no wires for electrical generators or power lines either. So you wouldn't have electricity to run any of the other modern conveniences that you wouldn't have either, no televisions or refrigerators. Without mining we wouldn't have the iron to make automobiles, many tools, and even basic farm implements. Without mining, we would not have the material to make pipes. So, your house would not have running water and you would have to use an outhouse when you wanted to relieve yourself. So, before any of you say that you want to close down mines, just consider this. Without the mining industry, we would have to go back to stone age level technology. How many of you who want to shut down the mining industry are really willing to do that?

Hell, no. We only have salt mines here in Louisiana, so I'll say something about them. We supply most of the countries salt. Who would supply this salt if the mines were to shut down? Where would the people employed by the mines work? How would you make up for all the businesses that supply the mines if the mines suddenly closed? While closing down all mines might seem like a good solution, in fact, that would harm the country's economy. Unless you have a way to replace the things the mines supply, closing them is not an option. Make the mines safer, sure, but don't shut them down.

Absolutely not!!! That's a way of life for many, think of all the people who'll be left jobless... Sometimes there are small "miners" towns... the towns will die if the mines are shut.

Is this question asked out of concern for the environment or merely as a result of incidents of trapped miners?

Glenn hit the nail on the head there.... oops! what nail? what hammer? Perhaps better say he hit the bone with his adze. Mining is an essential primary industry we can't do without unless we all go back to nature and live like the bushmen.