am thinking about more specific governmental decisions that are gestural of the lack of action of top down order… and how the cumbrian cola mine is a perfect symbol of this.
this coal mine is the first to be constructed in 30 years and is due to close the year before the uk target of net 0 emissions…
communities and local government secretary is Robert Jenrick.
from the independent
‘and the government’s decision not to intervene flies in the face of Boris Johnson’s new climate targets for the UK, which would see a reduction of 68 per cent in annual carbon emissions by 2030.’
‘The mine is projected to increase UK emissions by 0.4Mt CO2e per year.1 This is greater than the level of annual emissions we have projected from all open UK coal mines to 2050.’
‘The decision to award planning permission to 2049 will commit the UK to emissions from coking coal, for which there may be no domestic use after 2035. 85% of the coal is planned for export to Europe.’
Ed Gemmell, the managing director of Scientists Warning Europe, said: “[It] would be disastrous for the net zero plans for the UK and send an appalling signal to the rest of the world in this critical year for the climate. Many top scientists now regard even 2050 as recklessly too late [to reach net zero emissions] if there is to be any chance of keeping the world under 1.5C. The majority of councils in the UK have made climate emergency declarations – Cumbria county council risks being the black sheep of the family if it allows this coalmine to go ahead.”
The proposed £165m mine would produce 2.7m tonnes a year of coking coal, for use in industrial applications such as steel-making, as opposed to thermal coal for burning in power stations. Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, told MPs last month that this meant the mine should be allowed to go ahead, as it fell outside government pledges to phase out coal for electricity.
climate scientist James Hansen wrote to the prime minister, Boris Johnson, saying that pressing ahead with the mine would show “contemptuous disregard for the future of young people”. Developing country experts also said that for the UK to open a new coalmine would be “shocking”, and would damage its credibility as host of the Cop26 summit
information I would like to gather on this site
- reasons for unemployment – as conservatives are using the card that the mine will provide 500 jobs for the citizens of Whitehaven – but why is unemployment so bad in cumbria
- reason for wanted to provide our own coking coal for steel production as we need steel to make renewable energy infrastructure like wind turbines. to avoid having to import the coking coal needing for the the steel production the government claim that creating our own would save on emissions on importing (and therefore transporting) coal… YET there has been vast developments, especially in Sweden, on fossil-free steel production.
- look into the planning permission
- what is the effect of coal mining on local environments ie how will the environment of cumbria affected/impacted?
- what is the local environment of cumbria like more broadly – in terms of wildlife, local craft, history
- Whithaven locals perspective on the plan. they are traditionally a mining town and as employment is so high it is unlikely its swings in the direction of the anti’s…
I would like to find relevant environmental information about cumbria in order to come up with the correct and most effective protest intervention – one that can be weaved into the an intervention that is ‘slow’ and resistant.
^ such crap information visualisations… would it be useful to re design these… would more compelling imagery make an impact?
- Historically Cumbira and specifically Whithaven grew great economical potency due to coal mining and its colonial importation of tobacco….
- also apparently evaporating brine in pans to make salt… should i do this?
what do i still want to know….
- easy in which unemployment could be resolved in cumbria…
- ecological circumstances
THINKING RESEARCH 