Barry White
This week the countryside charity, the CPRE and Friends of the Earth shared analysis that they believe couldn’t make it clearer that there’s no good reason for the Secretary of State Michael Gove to approve a coal mine in Cumbria. They believe that the mine would be a disaster for the countryside, and a climate emergency own goal: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/30/coal-mine-decision-gives-negative-impression-of-uks-climate-priorities . They also believe that it wouldn’t provide any of the long-term, sustainable and well-paid jobs that local communities in Cumbria need: https://green-alliance.org.uk/publication/the-case-against-new-coal-mines-in-the-uk/
The new research shows that, with the majority of the steel industry shifting rapidly to greener manufacturing, campaigners believe that there soon won’t be any demand for the very coal that the mine would produce: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/16/cumbria-coalmine-redundant-before-it-even-opens-say-campaigners .
This news comes not long after influential figures in the UK steel industry dismissed claims that the sector needs the Cumbria coal mine, adding that the mine wouldn’t replace a single tonne of the coking coal imported from Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/may/01/steel-boss-dismisses-claim-that-sector-needs-new-cumbrian-coalmine .
Michael Gove is expected to give his decision about the Cumbrian mine between now and July.
As it stands, the case for approving the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years has completely unravelled the environmental campaigners conclude. They want Michael Gove to see just how many people know that there’s absolutely no reason left to approve the mine. You can sign the Friends of the Earth petition telling the Government to refuse permission for the coal mine and stop it for good: https://takeaction.cpre.org.uk/page/96953/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=180522-coal-mine-update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=2022_coal_mine_update&utm_content=2022+no+market+for+coal+mine+email&ea.url.id=5903471
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