--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may be too late for West Virginia to…" description: "\"It may be too late for West Virginia to save itself from the ravages of Big Coal. But it's not too late for America.\" — Jeff Goodell" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/jeff-goodell-8272_america_it-may-be-too-late-for-west-virginia-to_1281720.png" --- # It may be too late for West Virginia to save itself from… ![“It may be too late for West Virginia to save itself from the ravages of Big Coal. But it's not too late for America.” quote by Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/jeff-goodell-8272_america_it-may-be-too-late-for-west-virginia-to_1281720.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/jeff-goodell-8272_america_it-may-be-too-late-for-west-virginia-to_1281720.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c0/jeff-goodell-8272_america_it-may-be-too-late-for-west-virginia-to_1281720.png) > “It may be too late for West Virginia to save itself from the ravages of Big Coal. But it's not too late for America.” [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. West Virginia may be beyond saving from coal, but America still has a chance to change its energy future. **In simple terms:** Coal damage is severe, yet national change is possible. Key Takeaway Pursue sustainable energy reforms. Themes environment energy policy economics future Mood urgent hopeful Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - business investment Key Concepts Coal decline national transition renewable adoption Questions to Reflect On - What steps can accelerate America’s energy shift? - How can affected regions be supported? A Different Perspective Transition faces political and economic hurdles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Big Coal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-coal-4143305/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Coal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coal/) [Coal Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coal-late-4143304/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Late America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-america-4143306/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia/) [West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west/) [West virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-virginia/) ## Related quotes > [Bloomberg's $50 million is not going to revolutionize the electric power industry. But his willingness to fight is already inspiring others to see Big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/bloomberg-s-50-million-is-not-going-to-revolutionize-the-electric/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [But Big Oil and Big Coal have always been as skilled at propaganda as they are at mining and drilling. Like the tobacco industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/but-big-oil-and-big-coal-have-always-been-as-skilled-at-propaganda-as/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Imposing excessive new regulations, or closing coal-fired power plants, would produce few health or environmental benefits. But it would exact huge costs on society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-driessen/imposing-excessive-new-regulations-or-closing-coal-fired-power-plants/) [Paul Driessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-driessen/) > [But my family is connected to coal. There's hardly anybody in West Virginia that doesn't have a connection to the coal industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-jean-swearengin/but-my-family-is-connected-to-coal-there-s-hardly-anybody-in-west/) [Paula Jean Swearengin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-jean-swearengin/) > [The coal miners are working. But there's more than just coal miners in West Virginia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ojeda/the-coal-miners-are-working-but-there-s-more-than-just-coal-miners-in/) [Richard Ojeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ojeda/) > [My father was in the coal business in West Virginia. Both dad and mother were, however, originally from Massachusetts; New England, to them, meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knowles/my-father-was-in-the-coal-business-in-west-virginia-both-dad-and/) [John Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knowles/) > [I, for one, despite being a pretty solid climate hawk, I am extremely sympathetic to West Virginia and its coal-country needs. I lived there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/i-for-one-despite-being-a-pretty-solid-climate-hawk-i-am-extremely/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [I was born here in West Virginia, though I spent a little time in North Carolina when my step-dad got laid off from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-jean-swearengin/i-was-born-here-in-west-virginia-though-i-spent-a-little-time-in/) [Paula Jean Swearengin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-jean-swearengin/) > [My father was a Presbyterian minister, working among the poor in West Virginia. He had taken what amounted to a vow of poverty when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-green-somerville/my-father-was-a-presbyterian-minister-working-among-the-poor-in-west/) [James Green Somerville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-green-somerville/) > [In Southern West Virginia we live in a war zone. Three and one-half million pounds of explosives are being used every day to blow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-bonds/in-southern-west-virginia-we-live-in-a-war-zone-three-and-one-half/) [Judy Bonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-bonds/) > [When the human race neglects its weaker members, when the family neglects its weakest one - it's the first blow in a suicidal movement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/when-the-human-race-neglects-its-weaker-members-when-the-family-2/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [Whoever is president, my first priority is the same - as always. I look for what's best for West Virginia and the nation as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/whoever-is-president-my-first-priority-is-the-same-as-always-i-look/) [Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/) > [I hated baseball. I really didn't like baseball at all until someone decided they were going to pay me... Every year I played in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kruk/i-hated-baseball-i-really-didn-t-like-baseball-at-all-until-someone/) [John Kruk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kruk/) > [I've been surrounded by good people at West Virginia. That helped me a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-grier/i-ve-been-surrounded-by-good-people-at-west-virginia-that-helped-me-a/) [Will Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-grier/) > [In West Virginia, the most vulnerable people we have are people who get up every morning and go to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/in-west-virginia-the-most-vulnerable-people-we-have-are-people-who/) [Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/) ## More by Jeff Goodell > [One thing you can say about nuclear power: the people who believe it is the silver bullet for America's energy problems never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/one-thing-you-can-say-about-nuclear-power-the-people-who-believe-it/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [The biggest tab the public picks up for fossil fuels has to do with what economists call 'external costs,' like the health effects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/the-biggest-tab-the-public-picks-up-for-fossil-fuels-has-to-do-with/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [To understand how quickly we're cooking the planet, we need good data. To have good data, we need good satellites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/to-understand-how-quickly-we-re-cooking-the-planet-we-need-good-data/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Australia is the only island continent on the planet, which means that changes caused by planet-warming pollution - warmer seas, which can drive stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/australia-is-the-only-island-continent-on-the-planet-which-means-that/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [In the world of energy politics, the sudden vanishing of the word 'coal' is a remarkable and unprecedented event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/in-the-world-of-energy-politics-the-sudden-vanishing-of-the-word-coal/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [The end of coal in Appalachia doesn't mean that America is running out of coal (there's plenty left in Wyoming). But it should end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/the-end-of-coal-in-appalachia-doesn-t-mean-that-america-is-running/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [You think the weather is weird now? Just wait. A new MIT study, just published in a peer-reviewed journal, projects that the Earth could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/you-think-the-weather-is-weird-now-just-wait-a-new-mit-study-just/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Nowhere has the political power of coal been more obvious than in presidential campaigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/nowhere-has-the-political-power-of-coal-been-more-obvious-than-in/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Subsidies are hugely important; they represent America's de facto energy policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/subsidies-are-hugely-important-they-represent-america-s-de-facto/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also happens to be the 10th richest person in America, with a personal fortune of some $18…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/new-york-city-mayor-michael-bloomberg-who-also-happens-to-be-the-10th/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [“When I asked the mayor if flood insurance rates had gone up after Sandy, he said, “Not really.” This is how disaster relief works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/when-i-asked-the-mayor-if-flood-insurance-rates-had-gone-up-after/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [In the United States, we do a pretty good job of protecting iconic landscapes and postcard views, but the ocean gets no respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/in-the-united-states-we-do-a-pretty-good-job-of-protecting-iconic/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [In the U.S. alone, weather disasters caused $50 billion in economic damages in 2010.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/in-the-u-s-alone-weather-disasters-caused-50-billion-in-economic/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [Among all the tests President Obama faced in his first term, his biggest failure was climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/among-all-the-tests-president-obama-faced-in-his-first-term-his/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) > [President Obama is in no danger of being judged by history as an eco-radical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goodell/president-obama-is-in-no-danger-of-being-judged-by-history-as-an-eco/) [Jeff Goodell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) [Explore all 82 Jeff Goodell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goodell/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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