By Paul Homewood
A victory for common sense!
Michael Gove has approved the UK’s first new coal mine in 30 years despite concerns about climate impacts by Conservative MPs and experts.
The proposed Cumbria mine will dig coking coal for steel production in the UK and around the world.
Critics say the mine will undermine climate goals and that demand for coking coal is falling.
But proponents claim the mine near Whitehaven will create jobs and reduce the need for coal imports.
The fate of the West Cumbria Mining project hung in the balance for two years after the local county council initially approved the mine in 2020.
Project approval was suspended in early 2021, before the COP26 climate conference in Glasgowafter the government’s climate change adviser said it would increase carbon emissions.
Government adviser Climate Change Commission (UKCCC) indicates that 85% of coal produced by the mine will be exported.
Lord Deben, chair of the CCC, described the proposal as “completely indefensible” and said approving it would damage the UK’s leadership on climate change. .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63892381
While this is a much less biased article than Harrabin’s candid anti-mine propaganda series last year, it is sadly still one-sided.
Although short pro-mining comments were published from West Cumbria Mining, the local council and the Northern Tories, much of the article was devoted to anti-mine comments from:
Lord Deben
Friends of the Earth
“Steel Expert”
Ed Miliband
Green party
“Senior conservatives, such as Sharma and Kwarteng
Labor party
South Lakes action on climate change
I still don’t understand why small extremist groups like the FOE get aired on the BBC.
Among the counterarguments is that there will be very little demand for coking coal by the 2030s. I’m not sure this has anything to do with organizations like Greenpeace, as this is a purely commercial matter that the industry is you must consider.
Deben seems to think that something is wrong with coal exports, but he is clearly happy that Russia exports coal to us, which inevitably leads to greater emissions, which he statement is interested.
And there is a common sense nonsense about creating green jobs for the poor in Whitehaven who are hungry for well-paying jobs at the mines. When we were looking for our expenses, these green jobs were just an illusion.
I think there’s still the possibility of another legal challenge, which is the last thing Whitehaven needs. But hopefully now we can continue with a good project for Cumbria and the country.
By the way, I really had to comment on this ridiculous piece in the pathetic Independent:
If they call it “backward Britain”, what the hell do they call dismantling a wind farm to dig coal in their beloved EU?
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