Stoking the Boiler?

There have been calls from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) to reconsider the approvals given for a new deep, coking coalmine in Whitehaven, Cumbria (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/30/coal-mine-decision-gives-negative-impression-of-uks-climate-priorities). The CCC note that the mine (intended to supply fuel to steel-making plants), will annually generate 0.4 Megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. These annual climate-changing emissions actually exceed the total for all UK opencast coalmines until 2050. The CCC regard the emissions, associated with the Whitehaven coalmine, as not reflecting what should be the UK's priorities for countering climate change (especially as the UK will be chairing COP26 in Glasgow). It really appears to be a highly questionable development.