Hi John,
I was in touch last week because plans for the UK's first deep coal mine in 30 years have been given the go-ahead. We're in a climate emergency - which means one new polluting coal mine is a coal mine too many. Since then over 85,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to block these plans.
Will you add your name and tell the government to end the era of coal?
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Sign the petition: [link removed]
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After I sent last week's email I received some really good questions in response. Questions like: "Don't we need this coal - it's being used for steel production, not power generation, isn't that better than importing coal?"
I think it's important to address this concern here:
- Whether it's steel manufacturers, energy producers, oil companies, transport networks or government policies - the fact is that to have any hope of avoiding the worst effects of the climate crisis we simply have to move away from fossil fuels.
- Supporting the low-carbon production technologies that steel makers have developed is the best way to give the UK industry a viable future - much better than digging ourselves further into a high-carbon hole.
- Early signs show that the coal from this mine won't even be usable by UK steel producers in substantial proportions. [1]
It's clear, letting plans for a new coal mine go ahead just doesn't make sense - it's time to end the era of coal once and for all: [link removed].
Thanks for everything you do and I hope you're doing okay in these difficult times.
Ben,
P.S. I've popped the email I sent you last week below in case you need a bit more info.
[1] Letter from South Lakes Action on Climate Change - towards transition, SLACC - [link removed]
Here's last week's email:
Hi John,
I can't believe I'm writing this. Over a decade ago I was one of six Greenpeace activists who climbed the smokestack at Kingsnorth power station to protest plans for a new coal plant there. [1]
Since then the UK has moved drastically away from reliance on a dirty source of energy that we just don't need. We've made commitments to massively cut emissions by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. [2]
So allowing the first deep coal mine in 30 years to go ahead is, simply put, wrong and goes against any efforts to tackle the climate crisis. [3]
Will you demand the government shows climate leadership by scrapping plans for this new coal mine and commits to finally ending the era of coal?
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Sign the petition: [link removed]
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The government minister responsible, Robert Jenrick, refused to block the new coal mine because he said it was a "local issue". [4] That's simply not true - it's an issue for all of us, the planet and future generations.
In a year when the UK government will be hosting COP, inviting leaders from around the world to agree on how they plan to tackle the climate crisis - building a £165m coal mine just doesn't make sense. [5]
This government talks a good talk on climate leadership - it's time to get serious.
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Sign the petition: [link removed]
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We have so much to do if we are to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis. We shouldn't have to make the case against coal - this government must act now. Tell them.: [link removed]
Thanks for everything you do,
Ben
[1] Coal and climate change: what a difference a decade makes, Greenpeace UK - secure.greenpeace.org.uk/gpcoal
[2] UK sets ambitious new climate target ahead of UN Summit, Gov UK - secure.greenpeace.org.uk/coalgovuk
[3] Whitehaven coal mine: Government refuses to call in plans, BBC - secure.greenpeace.org.uk/bbcoal1
[4] Government defends Cumbria coal mine green light, BBC - secure.greenpeace.org.uk/bbcoal2
[5] Controversial Cumbria coal mine gets go ahead, Mining Global - secure.greenpeace.org.uk/minecoal
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