[TV] Coal Mining.

Leekbrookgull · Sep 27, 2020

Whether Red or Blue in Government,it's all the same. Just back from The Hollybush great log fire helped by a few bits of Polish coal, So why do this ? https://news.sky.com/story/englands...-for-almost-8m-tonnes-of-coal-a-year-12050793

Leekbrookgull · Sep 27, 2020

Supply local and not Flown or Shipped in.

Brian Parsons · Sep 27, 2020

I didn't see any cost figures but i would surmise that the Russian coal is cheaper. When i worked in fabrication Russian steel sheet was way cheaper than that produced in Britain. The reason for that was down to wage demands and costs.

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BNthree · Sep 27, 2020

Brian Parsons said:
I didn't see any cost figures but i would surmise that the Russian coal is cheaper. When i worked in fabrication Russian steel sheet was way cheaper than that produced in Britain. The reason for that was down to wage demands and costs.

This just goes to show if folks want to see British coal, or any other goods, sold and used more than they should be prepared to pay that bit more for them. Can't compete with countries that have much lower wages, and maybe lower safety standards, on price alone unfortunately so punters need to pay a bit to support the country. Maybe even do it if they don't like the ridiculousness of the global economy and flying things halfway round the world just to save a few quid.

Whilst I've no use for coal myself when it comes to food, and especially meat, I'll always choose British over imported even if it is more expensive.

Randy McNob · Sep 27, 2020

we're not a coal mining country anymore, they need lots of long term investment, infrastructure and people to be sustainable

Baldseagull · Sep 27, 2020

Leekbrookgull said:
Whether Red or Blue in Government,it's all the same. Just back from The Hollybush great log fire helped by a few bits of Polish coal, So why do this ? https://news.sky.com/story/englands...-for-almost-8m-tonnes-of-coal-a-year-12050793

If you read the article, it tells you, the pit is not economically viable unless an expansion happens and permission for that has been denied, presumably on environmental grounds.

GT49er · Sep 28, 2020

NSCers of a slightly older generation will recall that Thatcher deliberately destroyed the coal industry as part of her crusade against any sort of trade union. Now we have to import coal from Poland. Another triumph for the Thatcher lovers.

Leekbrookgull · Sep 28, 2020

Baldseagull said:
If you read the article, it tells you, the pit is not economically viable unless an expansion happens and permission for that has been denied, presumably on environmental grounds.

Correct,yet we have are happy to import coal and just what does that carbon footprint have in an effort to go Green ? Yes coal is a dirty fuel but surely if we have to use a supply of coal why not use UK coal rather than import coal ?

Thunder Bolt · Sep 28, 2020

GT49er said:
NSCers of a slightly older generation will recall that Thatcher deliberately destroyed the coal industry as part of her crusade against any sort of trade union. Now we have to import coal from Poland. Another triumph for the Thatcher lovers.

Harold Wilson closed more mines in the 60s than Thatcher did in the 80s. The vast majority of them were worked out.

GT49er · Sep 28, 2020

Thunder Bolt said:
Harold Wilson closed more mines in the 60s than Thatcher did in the 80s. The vast majority of them were worked out.

Yes, mines were always closed when worked out. That's different to setting out intentionally to destroy a whole industry and its communities.

Icy Gull · Sep 28, 2020

Brian Parsons said:
I didn't see any cost figures but i would surmise that the Russian coal is cheaper. When i worked in fabrication Russian steel sheet was way cheaper than that produced in Britain. The reason for that was down to wage demands and costs.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

The Alfa Romeo Alfasud as well as the Lancia Beta whose engines dropped out were made with Russian steel and is mostly responsible for Alfas and Lancias reputation for rust. My Alfasud dissolved like a disprin in our wet climate.

This was in the 70s and the myth that Alfas still rust badly is even bandied around today

jakarta · Sep 28, 2020

GT49er said:
Yes, mines were always closed when worked out. That's different to setting out intentionally to destroy a whole industry and its communities.

No-one who has ever actually gone down a mine can mourn the ending of the industry. It produced a filthy product at cost to the peoples health who produced it (silicosis, noise induced hearing loss and vibration white finger to name but three) and was dangerous (collapses, explosions, flooding) as well.

Oil will be the next to go and finally Gas as we move into the post hydrocarbon age. They were obviously cleaner but no less hazardous to extract.

And I say that as someone who made a fair bit of their living for 25 years in the Oil & Gas sector.

Thunder Bolt · Sep 28, 2020

GT49er said:
Yes, mines were always closed when worked out. That's different to setting out intentionally to destroy a whole industry and its communities.

It was a nationalised industry which needed massive investment to keep old nearly defunct mines open, and she said no. I disagreed with the way she went about it, but it was inevitable. My in-laws were in mining and steel. Steel went the same way.

Westdene Seagull · Sep 28, 2020

Leekbrookgull said:
Correct,yet we have are happy to import coal and just what does that carbon footprint have in an effort to go Green ? Yes coal is a dirty fuel but surely if we have to use a supply of coal why not use UK coal rather than import coal ?

I'm struggling to think of any circumstances that we would have to use a supply of coal ?

macky · Sep 28, 2020

Brian Parsons said:
I didn't see any cost figures but i would surmise that the Russian coal is cheaper. When i worked in fabrication Russian steel sheet was way cheaper than that produced in Britain. The reason for that was down to wage demands and costs.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

And quality

yxee · Sep 28, 2020

GT49er said:
NSCers of a slightly older generation will recall that Thatcher deliberately destroyed the coal industry as part of her crusade against any sort of trade union. Now we have to import coal from Poland. Another triumph for the Thatcher lovers.

I thought we just removed government subsidies to unviable businesses. So it was rather supply and demand that destroyed it, she just turned off the life support?

zefarelly · Sep 28, 2020

Icy Gull said:
The Alfa Romeo Alfasud as well as the Lancia Beta whose engines dropped out were made with Russian steel and is mostly responsible for Alfas and Lancias reputation for rust. My Alfasud dissolved like a disprin in our wet climate.

This was in the 70s and the myth that Alfas still rust badly is even bandied around today

Good luck finding a Lancia!

zefarelly · Sep 28, 2020

macky said:
And quality

The lowering of standards and quality is what's driven this country to the wall. It is a race to ther bottom. Our food largely gets worse, the quality of clothes and white goods, furniture etc has all got worse. It may be 'cheaper' but the margins are higher and everything need replacing twice as often, in the long run it is not cheaper. Short termism is the phrase I believe

It's exactly why Sturtevant went tits up in the mid 90's and 100 of us in Brighton lost our jobs. Jobs and careers that had been there over 30 years. A quality product which still exists today in buildings and factorys all over the country.

British coal was extremely good, far more efficient in power generation terms than the cheap Argie shit Thatcher preferred.

Braggfan · Sep 28, 2020

There are a few reports that the coal industry might be heading towads its end, especially in this country. During lockdown earlier in the year the UK went 2 months without burning coal for electricity. I read a report suggesting that you new coal plants are unlikely to be approved or will be extremly costly, especially with a shift in many countires towards renewables. The prospect of opening a new coal mine is becoming less enticing to investors. Regardless of what your poitics are, there's definitely a shift in the industry, and probably more so than environmental reasons the biggest driver is economics. Its losing its viability and investors are starting to look at alternatives. Renweable energy is starting to become cheaper, which means bigger profits. I think pit closures were inevitable at some point, and its just a matter of time before the coal industry disappears in this country.

strings · Sep 28, 2020

I live on the site of an old coal mine on the outskirts of Barnsley. There is a lot of nostalgia for the days when the pits were open up here, but I have not spoken to anybody that misses the coal mines. It was the years after the mines closed that hurt, with few jobs and not enough investment in the area.

Long time ago now, though.

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