When I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland my boss once accused me of “sending coal to Newcastle”. People said all sorts of things I didn’t understand in those days, but I quickly assumed it meant importing something that was already widely available. Sort of like selling snow to Eskimos. Sorta. Seems it is finally the end of coal in that part of the world. Most of it happened suddenly, decades ago, with a political jolt still felt today. I can see Texas going down a similar road with oil. It will probably happen sooner and faster than most people will expect. A good read from the BBC.

BBC News – Last coal shipment leaves River Tyne