Should the coal mines in the UK be reopened?

[PISCES]

Would it be in the interest of this country to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the people of this country, the people who are looking for jobs, but cannot find any?

[dilli-theclaw]

No.

Fossil fuel should be got rid of not encouraged.

edit - besides I doubt it'd economically viable.

Mind you I am surprised the DWP haven't taken this as an idea for job seekers to do 'training'.

[PISCES]

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

No.

Fossil fuel should be got rid of not encouraged.

edit - besides I doubt it'd economically viable.

It would create jobs for people

[dilli-theclaw]

Originally Posted by PISCES

It would create jobs for people

If to reactivate the mines was viable it would.

Why haven't they already been reactivated if there's profit in it?

Besides I thought you would care about the environment?

[Russ]

Originally Posted by PISCES

Would it be in the interest of this country to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the people of this country, the people who are looking for jobs, but cannot find any?

To ask this question displays a complete lack of understanding of local economies.

I live in South Wales, I would love to see the mines re-opened as I live near some of the worst unemployment blackspots in the UK.

But why do you think they closed in the first place? Maggie felt like annoying some taffs?

The thing is a lot of time has passed since most our mines were closed and in that time there have been advancements in clean power from coal. There are massive resources still left underground which could provide clean electricity for a great number of years the only problem of course is cost. Mind you if we do get out of the EU and stop paying foreign aid for a few years that would easily cover the costs

[PISCES]

Originally Posted by dilligaf1701

If to reactivate the mines was viable it would.

Why haven't they already been reactivated if there's profit in it?

Besides I thought you would care about the environment?

I do care about the environment, very much so, but there is years and years of coal waiting to be mined, i think it cost more to import the coal from Germany our own countries people are looking for work, work they cannot find, i am sure the reopening of the mines would benefit everyone in this country, i am sure it would create profit, it would create jobs, it would get people back into work, paying into the tax system, and bring communities together again just my belief

[dilli-theclaw]

Originally Posted by PISCES

I do care about the environment, very much so, but there is years and years of coal waiting to be mined, i think it cost more to import the coal from Germany our own countries people are looking for work, work they cannot find, i am sure the reopening of the mines would benefit everyone in this country, i am sure it would create profit, it would create jobs, it would get people back into work, paying into the tax system, and bring communities together again just my belief

Well I don't think it would help or happen.

BUT I do think your idea has merit, but I don't think opening mines is the answer - maybe put the money into something longer lasting. Even if you do get the coal out it's not going to last all that long.

Research into fusion maybe then we can get the people you mention building power stations like that.

Either way as I say it'd only be a temporary help with regards jobs. And I bet it would take a while to sort out - longer than the current government have left in power (potentially) and so I bet they wouldn't do it.

Originally Posted by PISCES

I do care about the environment, very much so, but there is years and years of coal waiting to be mined, i think it cost more to import the coal from Germany our own countries people are looking for work, work they cannot find, i am sure the reopening of the mines would benefit everyone in this country, i am sure it would create profit, it would create jobs, it would get people back into work, paying into the tax system, and bring communities together again just my belief

You may find this informative...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...iness-21704643

Scotland's coal industry has warned that the impact of cheap imports is putting jobs at risk.

http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/64...coal-industry/

Over time, the UK coal industry has become uncompetitive on a global scale. With higher wages and unit costs of production, coal is cheaper to import from abroad. For example, UK power stations import considerable amounts of coal from Argentina.

The way i see it is that opening mines cannot be financially viable or the people that run mines now would open them .Also if we did go backwards to using coal on a large scale then it would discourage research into other energy sources simply because it wouldn't be as urgent ,Fracking will have the same effect imo .We have recently discovered massive quantities of shale gas that will alleviate the need to import so much gas but that is only a stop gap and in 50yrs or so we will be back to square one panicking about where the 'leccy is going to come from.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by PISCES

I do care about the environment, very much so, but there is years and years of coal waiting to be mined, i think it cost more to import the coal from Germany our own countries people are looking for work, work they cannot find, i am sure the reopening of the mines would benefit everyone in this country, i am sure it would create profit, it would create jobs, it would get people back into work, paying into the tax system, and bring communities together again just my belief

Do you know why they were closed in the first place?

[PISCES]

Originally Posted by Russ

Do you know why they were closed in the first place?

Yes, Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill

Originally Posted by PISCES

Yes, Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill

Nothing to do with Economics and Cost of Production, then?

You may find this info from the NUM useful...

http://num.org.uk/History-NumHistory...-industry.html

Between the years 1957 and 1963, no less than 264 collieries were closed, while the number of miners fell by nearly 30 per cent. During this six-year period, Scotland lost 39 per cent of its pits, while 30 per cent of those in South Wales, Northumberland and Durham were wiped out.

Throughout the 1060s, with a Labour Government in office from 1964, the pit closure programme accelerated; it decimated the industry. During this period, nearly 300 more pits were closed, and the total workforce slumped from over 750,000 in the late 1950s down to 320,000 by 1968

These things happened before Thatcher or Scargill were in Office.

Originally Posted by PISCES

Yes, Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill

that about sums up the strike lol but not the closures

[PISCES]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Nothing to do with Economics and Cost of Production, then?

No! just a woman with power, and a man who didn't like being told what to do especially from a woman!