Coal-mine in Cumbria

### Reader’s Letter to The Guardian, 11th April 2025 ###

Dear Editor,

I read Helena Horton’s article on the rejection of planning permission for a new coal-mine in Cumbria (The Guardian, 4th April 2025, link below) and an important penny dropped for me: I realised that this kind of decision is a prime manifestation of our rampant consumerist hypocrisy and our NIMBYism.

First let me confirm that, of course, areas of natural beauty need to be protected and, of course, we need to strive to reduce CO2 and to protect the climate. All true.

Next let’s forget about carbon credits, offsets and net zero which I regard as a game of smoke-and-mirrors which will distract us (anyway) from really reducing emissions.

And finally let’s consider our rapacious appetite for consumption, cheap goods and throw-away convenience: All that “stuff” comes from somewhere which normally involves irresponsible, destructive and exploitative practices in some distant country. Yes, we are simply “offshoring” our humanitarian and environmental crimes.

One step towards fixing this monumental mess would be to experience some of the destruction (that we currently export!) ourselves. For example in Cumbria. If we refuse to do this, then we are simply barricading ourselves into our smug, consumerist ivory-towers.

Shame on us.

Yours,
Alan Mitcham

Link to original article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/apr/04/mining-firm-withdraws-plan-for-uks-first-deep-coalmine-in-30-years