Coal concerns lead U.S. climate bill challenges

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN30452425

Coal concerns lead U.S. climate bill challenges

Tue Dec 1, 2009 1:00am EST

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - For anyone trying to understand why the United States is having such a hard time joining an international effort to combat global warming, a short drive west from Washington to one of the smaller states in the country might explain a lot.

Even though it has a population of only 1.8 million people in a country of 308 million, West Virginia is not to be ignored as Congress struggles over ways to reduce carbon emissions blamed for international climate change problems.

Coal is buried in nearly every nook of its 24,231 square miles (62,758 square km) and any legislation to reduce the role of dirty energy sources such as coal could hit the state hard.

The politics surrounding coal may be among the thorniest in the U.S. effort to craft climate change legislation, and the hurdles show why President Barack Obama will need to keep one eye on Charleston, the West Virginia capital, even as he travels to Copenhagen for international climate negotiations this month.

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