by Jonathan Hiskes. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), who died early this morning at the age of 92, fought for most of his legendary career to keep coal mining at the center of West Virginia’s economy. But in the last few months of his life, he hinted at a remarkable change of heart, speaking out on the damage coal causes in his state and the need for change. Ultimately, his demise hurts the odds the Senate will pass a climate bill this year, since his successor is likely to be a more consistent defender of coal-mining companies. Let’s unpack that. Defender of both coal companies and miners’ rights Politicians don’t rise in West Virginia without showing deference to the coal industry, but Byrd went further than that, keeping coal interests at the heart of his work during his record 57-year congressional career. The dogged Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward Jr. sums up his career this way: The nephew and son-in-law of coal miners, Sen. Byrd was a longtime champion of miners and of the industry, working for tougher mine safety legislation and to moderate environmental laws and rules to protect coal workers. Among environmentalists, Sen. Byrd developed a bad reputation. First, he championed a 1997 Senate resolution aimed at blocking action on greenhouse gas emissions.

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