On Friday, we published a story representing two divergent viewpoints on the future of Eastern Kentucky, particularly in relation to coal mining.

On one side was Ron Eller, a University of Kentucky history professor who ruffled a few feathers earlier this year when he called for an end to surface mining during a speech before the East Kentucky Leadership Conference. Appalachia would be better off, he argues, if it focused on diversifying its economy through tourism and other industries.

On the other side was former Gov. Paul Patton, who made no bones about a future without coal mining. Patton painted a bleak picture of an Eastern Kentucky without mining, comparing it to a ghost town. Without coal, he said, there is no future for the region.

So who was right? That, of course, is a matter of opinion, but we have ours.

Both men are right, to a degree. And similarly, both men are also wrong.

Eller is correct in saying that Eastern Kentucky needs to diversify its economy. That is not necessarily an argument against coal mining, although we are certain he intends it to be. It’s just good economic practice.

Eastern Kentuckians know well the dangers of depending too heavily on a single industry. They’ve seen it firsthand in the rise and fall of the coal markets, as the fortunes of families have risen and fallen with each boom and bust. Diversification would only help the region weather the ebb and flow of circumstances beyond our control.

But we are highly skeptical of Eller’s view that tourism could play a large role in weaning Appalachia from coal. After decades of spending millions of dollars on attractions to draw tourists to the region, with only modest success, it should be quite obvious that tourism will only play a secondary role in developing Eastern Kentucky beyond a single-industry society.

The big payday promised by tourism is quite literally a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You can chase it all you want, but you will only end up running around in circles.

And that is why Patton is correct in saying that there is no economy in Eastern Kentucky without coal — at least for the foreseeable future. Quite simply, no other industry in Eastern Kentucky, current or proposed, can produce as many jobs or as much wealth for local residents as coal.

But the coal industry also needs to recognize that the world is changing and coal must adapt with it. Concerns about global warming and other environmental issues are pushing the world slowly but inexorably away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources of energy. In the grand scheme, it is irrelevant whether such efforts as the cap-and-trade bill currently before the Senate succeed or not. The bigger picture is that the world has already expressed a desire to begin moving away from coal. That is not a statement for or against the industry; it’s a simple, uncomfortable fact, and fighting against it makes it no less true.

Perhaps the only reason coal continues to enjoy prominence among the nation’s energy infrastructure is that alternative, renewable sources of energy — wind, solar, hydrogen — are thus far too expensive and too inefficient to adapt to widescale use. Once technology catches up, however, Eastern Kentucky had best be prepared.

Coal could also lengthen its lifespan by embracing change. Research and technology work both ways, and the industry would be better served by working to improve clean coal technology and develop more environmentally friendly ways to extract the mineral from the earth. And the coal companies could protect their futures by diversifying into alternative energy, making the construction of wind farms or solar arrays part of reclamation efforts.

There is no question: For now and for at least the next generation, our region needs coal. At the same time, state and local leaders need to be proactive in preparing for a day when coal is no longer king. Standing steadfastly against the tide of history will only result in Eastern Kentucky being left behind.