Bring back the coal mining Industry

Arthurgray50@blu · 05-02-2012, 18:30

Yet again the bitter weather has hit, and the power industry is relying on those awful wind power that ruins our landscape and seas fronts.

Today on television we had a famous former chancellor stating that it was the worst thing that this country has had.

We can 'kill two birds with one stone' as the saying goes, by bringing back the coal mining industry for two reasons, we will give people the chance to use coal again for heat and to keep the winter months nice and warm. Especially with the old folks who would use coal instead of electric.

And it would bring employment to the area's where the mining industry was a big hit. It will take youngsters off our streets and into work.

And before people say that this cannot be done, This country IMPORTS coal, so l why we dig for it ourselves.

Gary L · 05-02-2012, 18:32

Where we going to store the coal? we demolished our coal sheds years ago.

dilligaf1701 · 05-02-2012, 18:34

I'd rather the money that you'd have go towards digging for coal was spent on alternative / renewable sources. In the long run relying on fossil fuel will do no one any good.

martyh · 05-02-2012, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

Yet again the bitter weather has hit, and the power industry is relying on those awful wind power that ruins our landscape and seas fronts.

Today on television we had a famous former chancellor stating that it was the worst thing that this country has had.

We can 'kill two birds with one stone' as the saying goes, by bringing back the coal mining industry for two reasons, we will give people the chance to use coal again for heat and to keep the winter months nice and warm. Especially with the old folks who would use coal instead of electric.

And it would bring employment to the area's where the mining industry was a big hit. It will take youngsters off our streets and into work.

And before people say that this cannot be done, This country IMPORTS coal, so l why we dig for it ourselves.

One of the reasons why the coal industry failed Arthur was the cost of getting it out of the ground .Deep mining is very expensive and unfortunately that's where most of our coal is .For all practical purposes this country is mined out

---------- Post added at 18:39 ---------- Previous post was at 18:37 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

I'd rather the money that you'd have go towards digging for coal was spent on alternative / renewable sources. In the long run relying on fossil fuel will do no one any good.

Agreed get the nuclear industry up and running as a priority

alferret · 05-02-2012, 18:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

I'd rather the money that you'd have go towards digging for coal was spent on alternative / renewable sources. In the long run relying on fossil fuel will do no one any good.

I agree, total waste of time, effort & money to re-open pits. Fossil fuel is a dinosaur & should be, where possible discontinued.
Also Arfur it is far cheaper to bring in coal from abroad than it is to mine it in the UK. So rather than paying £16 a 50kg bag you'll be paying more like £30. Mind you it'll give you something else to moan about "Cost of coal far too much"

Peter_ · 05-02-2012, 18:41

The are still millions of tonnes left underground but when the mines were closed they made sure it would be nigh on impossible to reopen the mines by dumping as much rubble down the shafts as possible and then sealing them with concrete.

Also no one would want to go down the mines any more as the next generation never followed their fathers down the mines and it would be looked on as to dangerous a job to eve contemplate doing.

martyh · 05-02-2012, 18:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

The are still millions of tonnes left underground but when the mines were closed they made sure it would be nigh on impossible to reopen the mines by dumping as much rubble down the shafts as possible and then sealing them with concrete.

Also no one would want to go down the mines any more as the next generation never followed their fathers down the mines and it would be looked on as to dangerous a job to eve contemplate doing.

yes there is and if you can get it out at a affordable rate then you are welcome to it

v0id · 05-02-2012, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

The are still millions of tonnes left underground but when the mines were closed they made sure it would be nigh on impossible to reopen the mines by dumping as much rubble down the shafts as possible and then sealing them with concrete.

Also no one would want to go down the mines any more as the next generation never followed their fathers down the mines and it would be looked on as to dangerous a job to eve contemplate doing.

The UK still mines coal, and is still a multi-million pound industry

Taf · 05-02-2012, 19:03

Technology exist to burn it all where it lays underground to make steam for generators. But I think we'd better keep it as an heirloom resource for when the ice age hits or Russia cuts off the gas or OPEC shuts down the oilfields.

Peter_ · 05-02-2012, 19:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyh

yes there is and if you can get it out at a affordable rate then you are welcome to it

Blocking the mines prevented that though and it was deliberate.

---------- Post added at 19:14 ---------- Previous post was at 19:13 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by v0id

The UK still mines coal, and is still a multi-million pound industry

The is still millions of tonnes under most of the closed and sealed mines.

martyh · 05-02-2012, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

Blocking the mines prevented that though and it was deliberate.
.

Of course it was ,i don't know what you would expect .The pits where closed not mothballed ,big difference .

Quote:

The is still millions of tonnes under most of the closed and sealed mines.

Yes there is and even as far back as the late '60's when the the pits started to close it was realised that they where far too un profitable to keep open

**Chris** · 05-02-2012, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

The are still millions of tonnes left underground but when the mines were closed they made sure it would be nigh on impossible to reopen the mines by dumping as much rubble down the shafts as possible and then sealing them with concrete.

Also no one would want to go down the mines any more as the next generation never followed their fathers down the mines and it would be looked on as to dangerous a job to eve contemplate doing.

How is it impossible, given that the mines were created in the first place by digging shafts and tunnels through solid rock?

The mines were properly sealed because properly sealing them was safer. It reduces the risk of collapse, subsidence, idiots indulging in 'exploration' and Trotskyite trade union leaders attempting to hook the nation on a power source it can use to control the government.

Re-opening them, should that ever be necessary, would be non-trivial but by no means impossible.

Peter_ · 05-02-2012, 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

How is it impossible, given that the mines were created in the first place by digging shafts and tunnels through solid rock?

The mines were properly sealed because properly sealing them was safer. It reduces the risk of collapse, subsidence, idiots indulging in 'exploration' and Trotskyite trade union leaders attempting to hook the nation on a power source it can use to control the government.

Re-opening them, should that ever be necessary, would be non-trivial but by no means impossible.

If they had just capped them off it would have been simpler but they knew blocking them would make it not very viable plus removing all surface structures helped as well.

I expect if the ever comes a time we will have to reopen them but a capped pit can be brought back into operation a lot quicker than a sealed pit.

**Chris** · 05-02-2012, 19:49

Yep, which is why mothballed pits are capped and closed pits are sealed.

Mothballed pits require inspection and maintenance. Closed pits do not. You do not retain surface structures unless you are also prepared to maintain them.

martyh · 05-02-2012, 19:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_

If they had just capped them off it would have been simpler but they knew blocking them would make it not very viable plus removing all surface structures helped as well.

I expect if the ever comes a time we will have to reopen them but a capped pit can be brought back into operation a lot quicker than a sealed pit.

How long do we keep the pit maintained then and how much are we prepared to spend keeping a pit in a condition to reopen easily with absolutely no return on money spent