UK approves 1st new coal mine in decades, sparking anger

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government has approved the U.K.’s first new coal mine in three decades. Environmentalists have condemned the decision as a leap backwards in the fight against climate change. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove decided the mine in the Cumbria area of northwest England would have “an overall neutral effect on climate change.” The government said coal from the mine would be used to make steel — replacing imported coal — rather than for power generation. Opponents say the mine is a major blow to the U.K.’s status as a world leader in replacing polluting fossil fuels with clean renewable energy. Greenpeace said “the U.K. government risks becoming a superpower in climate hypocrisy rather than climate leadership.”