Both the lecturer and the reading passage discuss fossil fuel. The lecturer, however, refutes the author's claim on the fuel's merits by presening three counter-arguments.
First, the lecturer asserts that mining coal is very complicated. This is because miners have limited access to reach a deposit. Coal is already exhausted in easily accessible areas, so miners now have to dig deep below, which requires extreme training and enhanced technical skills. This counters the author's assertion that coal is easy to mine.
Second, the lecturer contends that transporting coal is very expensive. He says that coal, which is heavy and bulky, requires numerous trips of trucks to transfer them. The cost of transfering coal is more expensive than other types of fuels. This refutes the reading passage's claim that the transportation of coal is cheap.
Lastly, the lecturer claims that coal industries are unlikely to employ more workers. This is because companies in recent years started to rely more on technology and machines. Therefore, few human operations are required, As this trend continues, there will be a decline in the number of employees. This counters the author's claim that coal industries increase local employment. |