LordRaven wrote:spicy wrote:WIth energy prices going through the roof and being held to ransom with imported gas etc do you think it's time to re-open the pits?. There is hundreds of years of coal down there and surely it could help the unemployment figures.
There are massive coal recources and far superior technology available today for cheaper,more profitable extraction purposes and given Daves "let us reindustrialise Britain" pledge why not?
We have no heavy industry left,we import energy,and we do have mass unemployment and we have built huge frozen gas facilities for imported gas if ever Putin turns off the pipeline and holds us to ransom(as he did Ukraine) because we are right at the end of the pipeline.
So on the surface(excuse the pun) it sounds a great idea and let's not forget that all the spin off/support industries(engineering and such) and transport industry would also benefit.
The Kyoto protocol and other emmision treaties are the only thing that is stopping us but we seem to be way ahead of other countries on emmision reduction.
It is amazing that our leaders want to earn themselves a "Good Grade" at international conventions whilst many here sit on the dole and the answer to all of our economic and unemployment problems is right under our feet.
It would be in the national interest to actually convene a feasibility study at least.
Given the welsh mining tragedy safety and open cast mining should be given preference but many seams go miles under the sea
Thatcher said at the time that our coal was too expensive to get at, and that it was cheaper to import it from Australia (open cast mining) that to keep our mines open. While technology has moved on, it has also moved on at the same pace for open cast mining, and also in other countries where labour is cheaper.
That apart, the industry was linked to power generation, and given we have moved on from coal fired generation, the demand for coal will never be as it was.
I believe more coal is now being mined than ever before,, but I don't think we want it here just to fill the unemployment gap.