Urgent youth action- demand that government stops a new coal mine & gets real about climate change

Thanks to everyone who helped, this action was a success and resulted in this coverage, ‘Coal is not the goal’: Teenage climate activists deliver petition to government over Cumbria coal mine

Opposition is growing to a plan for a massive underground coking coal mine under the sea near Whitehaven, in the north west of England. Cumbria County Council gave permission for the mine to extract nearly 3 million tonnes of coal until 2049. The coal is mostly for export and is ‘coking’ coal that would be consumed by the carbon-intensive steel industry. [1] Despite this, the mining company claim the coal mined would be ‘carbon neutral’.., and the Council believed them! Mining new coal can never be carbon neutral of course, but if there’s any doubt, here’s an expert explaining why. We're angry that the government is failing to stop this coal mine, not least in the same year that it hosts the COP26 global climate summit. The government can still stop this mine.
Thanks to everyone who sent us photos are part of this process. We are going to be putting them into a film and releasing them to the media and on social media soon. Watch this space!

For those who sent us photos, you agreed that: By sending us a photo, you and your parent/guardian agree for us to use the photo in the video described, on our website and social media, and to share with third-party video producers and media. You also understand that you may be identifiable from the photo and the photo may be used in related campaigns in the future. We won't publish your name unless it’s in your image, or we ask you first. If you change your mind later, we can delete your photo but we cannot remove it where others have saved it/shared it.

Many thanks,

Anne Harris and the team at Coal Action Network

References

[1] Cumbria County Council Executive Director - Economy and Infrastructure, Development

control and regulation committee Application Reference No:4/17/90077.17 (2 October 2020)

[2] Ember, Europe’s coal power collapse exposes steel plants as Europe’s biggest emitters (2019) https://ember-climate.org/project/ets-2019-release/

Europe is Still Burning….

March 30th 2021

A new report – Still Burning – tells the harrowing but little-known stories of the communities from Russia, Colombia, the USA, and Australia whose homes and way of life are literally torn up to mine the coal beneath them, suffering widespread human rights abuses.

Public inquiry called into West Cumbria coal mine application

March 12th 2021

STOP PRESS: in a surprise decision, the West Cumbria coal mine application is going to a public inquiry called by Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State), announced late yesterday (11.03.2021). Climate change will never be a local issue.

Brit & Hiscox will never insure Adani coal mine

February 25th 2021

Major Lloyd’s of London insurer Brit is the latest firm to rule out insurance for Adani’s controversial Carmichael coal mine project.

Tonight is the end of an 800-year era for coal exports from the North East of England

February 18th 2021

Tonight, 18th February 2021, marks the final shipment of coal mined from the North East of England. This marks a momentous victory for the years of anti-coal action, most recently the successfully defeated open cast coal mine application in Dewley Hill, near Newcastle.

Lloyd’s of London Insure the Adani Mega-mine

February 12th 2021

People across Australia have been fighting for 10 years to stop one on the most devastating mining projects currently being planned on the globe. Folks in Australia have asked for our help to stop Adani and here’s why…

“Nothing neutral in new coal” – youth activists pressure government to stop coking coal mine

February 8th 2021

Today [8thFebruary 2021], youth climate activists added their voice against the planned coking coal mine in West Cumbria. Elijah McKenzie-Jackson (17) submitted a 111,000 signature petition to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

February 5th 2021

Thanks everyone who helped, this action has now ended.
Could you participate in an online demonstration? We’re asking young people to take a photograph of themselves with a placard against the planned coal mine. We want to add these photos to a video of us sending this petition on Monday to demand the government stops this coal mine.

Key facts and figures on the West Cumbria Mining Project

February 1st 2021

West Cumbria Mining Ltd. want to extract 2.78 million tonnes of coking coal a year from under the sea near Whitehaven in a ‘deep’ coal mine. The coal is predominantly for export and would be consumed by the steel industry. Find out the truth about the proposal.

Disappointment as Government allows underground coking coal mine application to go ahead

January 11th 2021

We’re disappointed to let you know that on the 6th January 2020, the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick said that the government will not step in and review Cumbria County Council’s decision to approve the Woodhouse Colliery Application.

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Urgent youth virtual action