Coal and the Mines

[Harrystottle]

If there was a chance of reopening the mines I would be open armed about it trust me. But the need for coal has gone down a lot since the mines closed plus many of the old mines would be in a right state after all this time I was once talking to a ex coal miner even he doubted the mines would still be open.

 

Also you need trained men to work on the coal face. Back in the day they had to have so many years down the pit before they could apply to work on the face. With the last generation of miners stopping work 20 years since you'd hardly have enough men qualified to work on the face. Unless you brought them in from Poland, I suppose.

 

Plus all the mainstream parties are time served tree huggers so there is no political support for re-opening the mines. Labour are very keen to keep the evil Maggie Thatcher in people's minds as having killed the mines, but what if she hadn't?

 

Given that Labour agree with the climate change agenda, they would have had to close them. They were in power for 13 years which is 13 more than the number of pits they re-opened.

[biotechpete]

All three main party leaders have agreed to phase out unabated (ie without carbon capture) coal generation by the early 2020s in order to meet legally binding climate pledges. We will be the first major economy to do so.

 

Doesn't seem much point in reopening the mines in that case anyway.

[puisseguin]

All three main party leaders have agreed to phase out unabated (ie without carbon capture) coal generation by the early 2020s in order to meet legally binding climate pledges. We will be the first major economy to do so.

 

Doesn't seem much point in reopening the mines in that case anyway.

 

Health & Safety in 2015 wouldn't allow it anyway. Digging coal out of most UK mines with todays H&S requirements would mean it was cheaper to burn diamonds.

[Harrystottle]

All three main party leaders have agreed to phase out unabated (ie without carbon capture) coal generation by the early 2020s in order to meet legally binding climate pledges. .

 

Ah - that will be the EU's 20-20-20 legislation then? We were signed up to that by one Ed Miliband. Who thought that views opposing climate change should be made a criminal offence.

[Dark Night]

There are many other things that can be made from coal.

[hauxwell]

If you have ever worked down one and seen the appalling conditions workers had to endure then you would realise why they should remain closed.

 

I was talking to a man who was probably in his late 70s at the Ikea in Gateshead. He use to be a minor. He said that one of the best things that Margaret Thatcher did was closing the coal mines.

 

He said the conditions were awful and some of the accidents were horrendous.

 

I never thought I would meet a minor who liked Mrs Thatcher.