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submitted 1 day ago by NightOwl@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca

Non-paywall link: [ https://unwall.app/www.nationalobserver.com/2026/10/30/news/ottawa-abandons-thermal-coal-export-ban-alberta-mines-keep-producing ]

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[-] codydodd@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Coal causes serious respiratory issues and is carcinogenic. Toronto had regular smog days until they closed the coal plants. It has an immediate impact on health. You pushing for coal sales is like pushing for us to continue to export asbestos. Its an ethics question you are bypassing. Making people sick for profit.

[-] potatomuncher@lemmy.ca -2 points 1 day ago

They can survive and thrive without asbestos in every household in India.

They can't thrive without electricity in every household in India.

They want coal. Not lecturers on ethics or environmentalism from us. There's a reason so many developing countries borderline hate us for our concern-trolling, moral grandstanding and virtue signaling. Not us as individuals but our society.

[-] codydodd@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

WHO estimates 200,000 deaths each year from asbestos. Let alone diseases and illnesses. You are defending this? You sound like a cartoon character capitalist.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asbestos

[-] potatomuncher@lemmy.ca -2 points 1 day ago

You didn't even try to understand what I said.

They can thrive without asbestos. They can't thrive without electricity.

Your elitist opinion doesn't even factor into their life or mine.

[-] codydodd@lemmy.ca 1 points 23 hours ago

I misread sorry. You dont think its okay to sell asbestos but is fine to sell carcinogenic coal. Fine. Stop calling me elitist because I think its bad to push coal exports. The folks who benefit from coal exports are energy elites not every day people. You are the one pushing elitism.

[-] potatomuncher@lemmy.ca 1 points 20 hours ago

They got the infrastructure in place already and they don't have the money to switch over to greenner options. They will, and they are making efforts. Don't boil it down to coal being dirty. They got different challenges than us.

They are getting that coal wherever they get the best deal. If Canada refuses to sell it, they'll get it somewhere else. One way or another, they need that electricity. Canada has a much better mining standards, labour standards and human rights standards. We're not using slave labour. Some of the other places in the world are.

Don't just focus on carcinogenic and polluting aspects of coal. Their life without stable energy grid makes their life more miserable. They get a stable supply, away fron wars and conflicts. They get to grow. We get work for our citizens. It's a transaction, not exploitation. Developing countries can't afford to make the switch as quickly as we can. We're still burning coal for electricity.

I'm not pushing elitism. Just saying that India buying coal from Canada is good for both countries.

this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2026
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