As if coal couldn't get any dirtier

Recently, Patriot Coal Corporation filed paperwork with the courts terminating roughly $1.6 billion in health benefits for thousands of American coal miners. The move came as a last ditch effort to avoid Chapter 11 bankruptcy, proving again that big business considers stock holders interest's over those of their own blue collar workers.

According to Patriot Corp, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) operate at substantially higher labor costs, prohibiting the company from staying competitive in the cut-throat energy industry. Patriot is demanding "more flexible work rules and a significantly lower labor cost structure." Aka work longer for less. Anyone jumping at that opportunity?

"The actions we have taken today are necessary for the survival of Patriot and the preservation of more than 4,000 jobs," said Chief Executive Bennett Hatfield, in defense of the retiree benefit cuts.

Patriot did propose an alternative. Instead of cutting befits, the company offered the union a profit-sharing trust known as the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA). Yet, union leaders are aware that Patriot may want to file for bankruptcy. Legal loopholes will allow them, and other energy companies like Patriot, to save billions by eliminating employee pensions. Men and women who have dedicated their lives to the mines are being cast aside in favor of protecting the price of a share.

Will the CEO be forfeiting his private jet? Will the President of Patriot forgo his annual bonus for the good of the company?

Heck, no!

Like a cancerous tumor, our current energy industry is corrupt, feeding off of free enterprise, and needs to be cut out if society hopes to survive. But it's difficult in a world where big business dominates the market. Where families have little choice over what energy provider supplies their town. Where gas has topped $4.00 a gallon. Where coal miners' futures are determined by CEOs. We need to eliminate these destructive habits once and for all. How?

The SH-box allows countries, corporations, and communities to invest in a clean, low-cost energy alternative. NRGLab is working towards establishing a new energy infrastructure. A cleaner, freer world. Because no one should be enslaved to the establishment. Break free by learning more about NRGLab at http://nrglab.asia/

February highs for gas prices

As I predicted, gas prices in America have soared to all-time seasonal highs. According to AAA spokesman John Townsend, ‘February “is the most expensive we’ve seen gasoline in the dead of winter.”

Despite vehicles becoming more fuel-efficient and more people growing conscious of the miles they're driving, the bills just aren't reflecting this progress. In a study performed by the U.S. Department of Energy, the typical American family spends roughly $3,000 a year on gas. This includes heating the house. Driving to work. Things that, if re-imagined, could be accomplished just the same via alternative energy sources.

In February, the national average for gasoline rose to $3.80 a gallon. (On the West Coast of California, it's more like $4.00 plus) This price depends on a number of factors, of which the American Institute for Energy Research has broken down into four basic components:

1. World markets

2. Refining costs

3. Taxes

4. And distribution markup.

Saudi Arabia produces 700,000 fewer barrels now compared to a year ago. As a result, market competition between Iran and Iraq has increased. Add to that the current civil uprising in Syria, another major crude oil producer, and it's no wonder why, with the American government's dependency on foreign oil, people are paying the price. There are even talks of America raising the national gas tax, which has been stable at 18.4 cents per gallon for almost twenty years. 

It seems like everything costs more these days. From diapers to highways, as the costs of raw materials rises, so too will taxes. If history has proven one point: it's that citizens have rarely given into increased taxation without some sort of push back. Families are already struggling to survive and cannot afford to pay more for gasoline. IT'S TIME FOR AN ALTERNATIVE.

And not just a hypothetical one, either. We need real solutions, like the one offered by NRGLab. Their crystal technology produces natural electricity that's not only green and good for the environment, but good for the American wallet as well. Because times are tough. The government needs to stop offering temporary solutions to structural issues (like the gas tax hike), and repair the structure from the foundation up.