Disclaimer: I am no expert in mining or mine safety (despite some mining history in my family, two or three generations back in Inverness, Nova Scotia). But recent events in the U.S. and Canada seem to make clear that our Canadian neighbors have their priorities fundamentally right, while ours are fundamentally wrong.
The U.S. has lost 14 miners in recent weeks. In both incidents there have been accusations that the mines did not invest in safety and/or rescue equipment that could have increased the miners' chances of holding on until rescue teams could arrive.
This weekend, in Canada, 72 miners were trapped by a fire. All 72 survived and have been rescued. Here's a link to the story: http://news.yahoo.com/...
The Canadian miners survived in part because they were able to use "oxygen, food and water stored in subterranean emergency chambers", according to The Canadian Press.
My understanding is that the vast majority of mines in the U.S. do not carry such equipment, in part because of the American corporate focus on profits over people, and in part because the U.S. Government has neglected
it's responsibility to look out for "the people", in general, and our miners in particular.
I know the circumstances are likely different in some respects, and I don't argue that the outcome -- in these three recent cases -- would necessarily have been different depending on which country the accidents occured in ... but certainly, undoubtably, there can be no question that providing emergency equipment is better than NOT providing emergency equipment, eh?
The question to be asked of our political leaders is: "if Canada thinks it's important to provide emergency oxygen, food and water for trapped miners, and can afford to do so ... why doesn't the United States of America"???
Corporate control (by that I mean "Republican Control") of the U.S. Government is slowly but surely doing away with ALL protections that help the people at the expense of profits ... this is yet another example that proves the lie of the GOP positioning that they are looking out for the "little guy". One of these days, one of these cases will be the straw that breaks the elephant's back -- we need to not get discouraged that it hasn't broken yet, but keep pressing our case and speaking the truth!