Joe Biden: Coal Miner or Code Miner; is it time to lean in?
By: Chris Skerik
Tags: Mining, Joe Biden, Future Of Work, Blockchain, Climate Change

Photo by Bence Balla-Schottner on Unsplash

Joe Biden recently came out and suggested that coal miners should learn how to code — he is right. Well half right. Coal miners should not learn how to code for the reasons Joe Biden suggested; they should learn how to code because it is in their nature — coal miners have it in their DNA to lean into industrial revolutions. Coal miners were the backbone of the 1st Industrial Revolution and they should be the backbone of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Just as coal miners worked to feed their families and feed steam engines during the 1st Industrial Revolution, they can do something similar in the 4th Industrial Revolution by being the critical link in blockchain technologies.

First, let’s get one issue out of the way. From the news article when Joe made his proclamation, the room went quiet. I am sure, while not intended by Joe, his statement came across attacking the working class or workers in the resource industry (coal mining, hard rock mining, oil and gas and forestry) — this needs to stop. I appreciate we have a climate change issue which needs to be solved; but attacking workers is a terrible way to solve it. Workers and their families care about climate change; but just like everyone else they are just as concerned about their families, paying bills and their futures. The climate change debate has become a divisive war and it needs to stop — for climate change to be solved it needs to have a solution for everyone — including workers and their families who work in the resource industry. Yes Joe, having miners become coders is a great idea, however threatening coal miners into extinction as a motivation for change is really not effective, especially if you understand coal miners and you understand blockchain.

At the start of the 1st Industrial Revolution, the globe saw transformative change. Today we take for granted the steam and combustion engine — in fact some probably vilify both as the scourge of climate change. At their time, mechanical engines were as technologically revolutionary as internet search engines. However, we would have never seen the benefit of the steam engine, combustion engine and the internet without coal miners. The common thread behind all the technological advancements behind the past 3 Industrial Revolutions has been the contributions of coal miners. Coal miners around the world led the charge to harvesting the critical coal resource required to power every industrial revolution to date. And this is not going to change in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Coal mining is not for the faint of heart and we are still going to need miners for the 4th Industrial Revolution. They are going to be a key link bridging coders and the physical world. Coders are marching into the 4th Industrial Revolution and they need help. A large area where coders are going to be focused is building blockchain technologies. Blockchain is not just a tech “thing”. It is societal “thing. It is going to be tying together how we operate in the physical world. Coder’s are really good at coding but they need help knowing how to connect what they are coding with the physical world. Here is an example, coders will be coding AI and supply chain productivities for the coal mining industry and placing them on a blockchain platform. In addition there will be supply chain SMART contracts established. At the end of these contracts and their supply chains there will be miners doing the actual mining providing the resources required to fulfill the contract. And this is not just coal mining, this will be happening with every physical asset which is produced. Yes there is an absolute critical role for coal miners. Here is a great article from HBR providing more context.

Coal miners please take Joe’s statement as a challenge to help be a critical part of the solution for the 4th Industrial Revolution. Whether your role is a coal miner or you change and become “code miner”, we need you. Take the challenge and embrace the changes that are coming with the 4th Industrial Revolution, you will be needed. Lastly, Joe if you need some help with how to be more inclusive on the 4th Industrial Revolution, let me know.