However, he is just one of a number of world leaders who are weighing up the demands of the environmentalists and pro-alternative energy lobby against the economic and efficiency benefits of fossil fuels.

With the introduction of two bulletins a day for the leading online news service InternationalLongwallNews.net (ILN), it is vital to get readers’ thoughts on what they think of the future of the coal industry.

The new North American edition and the Australia Pacific edition provide news and information Monday to Friday to readers globally.

ILN is read extensively in the US, UK, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, India, China, South Africa, Canada and Australia, with the new bulletins focusing more on the supply and demand regions.

To help ensure our editorial focus is satisfying our readers we have distributed a survey to help answer some of the questions we need to know to provide a better service to those employed in the coal industry, suppliers and commodity traders.

A key question in this year’s survey is for readers to provide their thoughts on the future of the coal industry and what they believe needs to be done to ensure its survival in a world that is becoming increasingly in favour of alternative energy sources.

By completing the survey, you will also have the opportunity to enter the draw to win a VISA Universal gift card (valued at $A200).

We would appreciate you taking a moment to complete the survey by clicking on the link below.

The survey will close on Friday, February 17, 2012.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EF97J9UPP