In Brief Virgin Galactic founder and CEO Sir Richard Branson believes the Trump administration in the U.S. should not continue to push coal mining as an energy solution. The serial entrepreneur said it would be better for coal miners, the U.S., and the world if the nation focused on creating more jobs in clean energy. The Better Option

At a panel discussion during the DS Virgin Racing Innovation Summiton Friday, Virgin Galactic CEO and founder Sir Richard Branson had a suggestion for the United States government. Instead of trying to revive the countrys declining coal mining industry a promise U.S. president Donald Trump made in March as part of a new era in American energy and production and job creation Branson suggested focusing on clean energy.

Coal mining is not the nicest of jobs, and coal mining disappeared in Britain many decades ago, Branson said, replying to a question by Yahoo Finance. Pretty much every single one of those coal miners went into jobs which were far more pleasant, far less dangerous, far better for their health, and I doubt that theres one coal miner that looks back thinking, God, I wish I was down in a coal mine.

During the talk, Branson noted that clean energy jobs wouldnt just benefit the coal miners. Theyd also be good for the U.S. and the world as a whole.According to a study from the Michigan Technological University, the coal industry causes52,000 American deaths each year due to air pollution, and transitioning to clean energy sources would decrease the nations greenhouse gas emissions, helping the world in the fight against global warming.

Whilethe U.S. government is working to revive coal, the rest of the world is veering away from it. India, for example, has shut down 37 mines that belonged to the worlds largest coal company, while France has promised to close down all coal power plants by 2023.

These moves arent just being made for environmental reasons. Renewables, such as solar and wind, have become a more profitable form of energy. Solar power has been decreasingin cost, and renewables will likelysurpass coal and other fossil fuelsin the next decade as the cheapest form of energy. At the same time, the renewable industry is creating jobs. In the U.S. alone, solar already employs twice as many peopleas coal and more than Apple, Facebook, and Google combined.

How coal could compete with clean energy in the future has not been made clear by the Trump administration, and Branson sees the federal governments lack of support for clean energy as a problem.

Obviously, whats happened in America, having an administration that put out the most bizarre statement on [the Paris climate agreement] is not good news because you do need governments to set the rules, Branson told the audience in New York. And you do need to make it clear that clean energy should have a leg up over dirty energy. And you have a government thats not setting proper differentials. Thats going to be tricky.

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Richard Branson Suggests the US Focus on Clean Energy Instead of Reviving Coal - Futurism