 A basic industry that is an essential ingredient to our way of life. Mining, an industry with a rich tradition and heritage. Mining, an innovative changing industry that is vital to our nation. Every day, materials emerge from America's surface and underground coal and metal non-metal mines. Mining provides minerals and fuels that are the basic raw materials and power to enable the nation to work and to grow. Materials to help us grow our food, build and power our homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. Chemicals to heal the sick, construct our highways and metals to defend our country. Our standard of living is unparalleled in history, but how many of us realize that mining is a foundation of that standard of living? The cars and trucks we drive to and from work, school, the mall and countless other places we visit for business or pleasure every day are made from material that come from mines. The roads on which we travel are made of products that come from mines. We routinely fly from place to place for business to see friends or to go on vacation. Airplanes are made from material that is mined. Day and night freight and passenger trains move goods and people. The rails and roadbed on which these trains travel comes from mines. The rail cars themselves are made from mined material. Flip a switch and the lights come on. We don't think anything about it. Well, most of the electricity generated in the United States comes from coal. Coal from surface and underground mines. The generating plants and the wires that carry electricity to our houses, businesses and public buildings are made from materials that are mined. Constructing buildings and houses is a big part of the American economy. Building materials and supplies come from mines. A trip to the store to buy food is something we do almost every day. American supermarkets are like none other in the world in terms of the number and quality of items that are available and the choices we have. Products from mines help to grow the vegetables, fruits, meats and dairy goods we buy to feed ourselves and our families. Did you know that to maintain our standard of living, each person in the United States requires about 23.5 tons of minerals a year? Each one of us requires over 7.5 tons of coal a year. Most of the coal we mine is used to generate electricity. Mining affects everything we do every day. Let's take a closer look. We don't think a whole lot about telephones, but we wouldn't have telephones without materials that are mined. A telephone is made from 42 different minerals. How about a digital clock? It has mined materials in it. Jewelry? Right again. It comes from mines. Most of us have carbon in our home or office. Many of its components come from mines. How about the economic impact of mining? Mining plays a big part in the world economy. The United States alone exports about $33 billion worth of minerals and processed materials a year. At home, about 270,000 people work directly in mining. Employment in mining-related industries accounts for almost 3 million jobs. Mining jobs support your local economy because miners buy goods and services from businesses and towns and cities where they work and live. Adding it up, we find that our mines and mineral industries contribute about a half a trillion dollars to the national economy each year. None of this of course happens without a miner. Day and night, dedicated professional miners work hard to extract materials from large and small, surface and underground, coal and metal and non-metal mines. Who are these professional miners? What are they like? What do they do? Miners, like the rest of us, live in rural areas, small towns, larger communities and cities. Mining takes place in every state. So chances are, you live near a miner. Miners have families. They take part in community activities, just like you and me. Miners have been part of this country since its beginnings, but their jobs and what they work with have changed dramatically. There has been an evolution in mining technology over the past two decades. Computers are at the heart of this evolution. Even before mining begins, computers and computer-based systems are used to plan and map mining activities to protect our miners and our environment. At the mine, computers monitor and check mining conditions to help miners work safely. Computers, sensors and remote control systems allow miners to mine more material, more efficiently and more safely than ever before. Computers at processing plants make sure that customers get the high quality product they need. On time, at an affordable price. Computers make operations more efficient and reduce environmental impact. Mining equipment, whether used at larger or small operations, grows ever more complicated and expensive. Mining machines are bigger. Mobile equipment is bigger. College equipment is bigger. Plants are bigger. Safety and production are reflected in the design of underground and surface mining equipment. Today's mining machinery includes a variety of safety features designed to protect the miner. Miners are special people. Why is this? To begin with, they have to know and be able to apply a lot of general and specialized knowledge to do their work safely and efficiently. You're right if you think miners are educated and highly trained. In fact, our nation's miners are better educated and trained than ever before. Why? Because their jobs are technically demanding and complex. Education and training, on the job and in more formal settings, is constant because the mining industry is ever changing. Miners have to keep up with the latest advances in mining techniques and equipment. They also have to be aware of what's going on at their mine, too. What kinds of jobs do miners have? Well, miners do all kinds of things. Miners can be welders, electricians, mechanics, engineers, geologists, surveyors, construction workers, builders, masons, carpenters, truck drivers, laborers, barge crews, blasters, supervisors, office workers, operators of computers, front-end loaders, dredges, dozers, plants, shovels, conveyors, underground mining machines, and drag lines. It takes a special kind of person to be a miner, because these are tough, important demanding jobs that require knowledge, concentration, and attention to detail. Miners are part of a team of professional people working together to get the job done. They know and understand how important it is to pay attention to their surroundings, work safely, and watch out for their coworkers. Our nation's professional miners are special people. People who have tough, vital jobs, people who are part of a dedicated, hard-working team, thousands of men and women whose efforts supply products to local, state, and world economies. Who needs America's miners? We all do. We salute the miners of America for their hard work, accomplishments, and continuing dedication to health and safety.