The issues

Opencast coal mining
The proportion of UK coal being mined from opencast sources has been increasing steadily. In the last two years, opencast output in England has risen from 1.2 to 1.8 million tonnes, an increase of 50%. This pattern is set to continue – a recent investigation by the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC) showed that much of Northumberland would be covered by massive opencast mines, should applications to extract 20m tonnes of coal go ahead.

As well as the effects on landscapes, communities and wildlife, an increase in opencasting means that carbon emissions from coal will continue to contribute to climate change. Investment in new unabated coal contradicts Government targets for an 80% cut in emissions enshrined in the Climate Change Act, and the Government's continued funding for extending coal mining far outweighs its financial commitment to marine renewables.

Carbon Capture and Storage
Investment in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a welcome initiative to clean up our existing coal industry but it is not a silver bullet while the technology remains unproven. Leading scientists like NASA's James Hansen and Oxford's Myles Allen stress that it is madness to burn more coal if we are to avert dangerous climate change. CCS investment must not be used to justify new coal mines to feed unabated power stations on the basis that, at some unspecified time in the future, they will be retrofitted with CCS technology.

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