The politics of mining and resource extraction

[Asian Nazi]

Oil and natural gas extraction regions are some of the most Republican parts of the country.  Check out Gillette, Wyoming.  Historically mining regions were Democrat but with the decline of labor unions they have swung hard to the right. 

[Asian Nazi]

Coal mining regions used to be traditionally democrat leaning until the rise of environmentalism caused a large backlash in favor of the GOP.

Areas with Energy extractive industries are definitely not going to be anything but strong GOP for the near future as the democrats are now firmly in favor of environmentalist policies.

No, it's because of labor unions.  Check out how mining regions in other western democracies vote.  In America, you can draw a perfect trendline between the decline of labor unions and the decline of the Democratic vote in these regions.  In countries where labor unions are still powerful, historical mining regions vote for the left-wing party.  Environmentalism doesn't help, but I think your cause and effect are reversed.

[Asian Nazi]

It is not so much the decline of labor unions, but rather the decline in the population involved in mineral extraction, through mechanization.

No, it's the decline of labor unions.  Mechanization definitely helped cause the decline of organized labor, but it was political action that killed them.  Like I said, take a look at other western countries with mining regions and see how they vote.  There's one thing that makes America different here, and it isn't environmentalism or mechanization.