It's All a Bit Jekyll and Hyde

Alok Sharma, President-designate of Cop26, has recently gone on record to say that coal must be 'consigned to history', if the planet is to avoid the worst consequences of climate change (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/14/last-hope-over-climate-crisis-requires-end-to-coal-says-alok-sharma). Coal is certainly the dirtiest of the hydrocarbons. Burning it has a powerful impact on the 'greenhouse gas' emissions. Sharma is, however, a minister in the same UK government, that recently gave planning permission to create a new deep coalmine in Cumbria. This development has now been put on hold. It was, however, trumpeted (appropriate word?) at the time, as a development generating well-paid jobs in that deprived area of Northern England. It would be a bit odd asking the Australians and Chinese to burn less coal in their electricity generators, whilst increasing one's own production of that fuel! Dealing with climate change means, in some cases, having to do things that are not local vote winners!