Merry Christmas to All!

Dear Friends,

Here is a Christmas Card from some of the beautiful and increasingly rare birds to be found at the area under threat from the first deep coal mine in the UK in decades.

“We Three Black Guillemots

Of St Bees, Thank You, for Keeping

Coal Deep Under the Seas.”

The only breeding place left in England of the Black Guillemot is St Bees, the area directly under threat.

“St Bees Head supports northwest England’s only cliff-nesting seabird colony, which is situated between Whitehaven and St. Bees in west Cumbria. Three viewing points give you superb views of the colony and on a clear day you can see the Isle of Man across the sea.” RSPB

Thank You to everyone for generously donating

 and sharing the battle to 

Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole!

With All Best Wishes for a Safe, Peaceful Christmas

Marianne

on behalf of Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black_Guillemot/sounds

A Postcard to Sir David Attenborough –

The postcard above is a painting of the black guillemots at St Bees.

“Dear Sir David Attenborough,

Thank you for voicing opposition to the Coal Mine planned under the sea at St Bees.

West Cumbria Mining the developers have signed an exploratory agreement with your good friend Her Majesty.  New agreements with the Crown are due to be signed for exploitation of the coal under the Irish Sea.  This is the last nesting place in England of the black guillemot.  There is more information on our Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole website. Please ask Her Majesty not to sign agreements with West Cumbria Mining,

Yours sincerely,

Marianne Birkby”

The Coal Mine and The Crown

 

Letter published in the Westmorland Gazette,   also sent to Sir David Attenborough

12th September

LETTER: Sir David Attenborough could stop the Cumbrian coal mine

By Rachel Garnett

(2)

25 comments

WHAT fantastic news that Sir David Attenborough is lending his voice to those opposing the coal mine under the Irish Sea off St Bees.

As a nuclear safety group concerned about the safety of Sellafield, we have been opposing this nearby coal mine from the outset.

Sellafield is recognised as the most hazardous place in Europe with stockpiles of the most dangerous radioactive wastes on the planet. This coal mine would extend to just 8km from these nuclear wastes, so there are big concerns.

The Sellafield area has been identified in a recent geological report as being at high risk of liquefaction (where the earth turns to mush). Liquefaction can result from earthquakes, and the only place in the UK to have had such an event is at Rampside near Barrow – it was a very small-magnitude earthquake.

This March, when I stood shaking at the planning meeting in Kendal and spoke opposing the coal mine, the councillors laughed. They laughed about Sellafield being at high risk of liquefaction (as described in a recent geological report); they laughed as the last liquefaction event near Barrow was in 1865, pre Trident: the blink of an eye in geological terms.

There are other considerations. The area at St Bees is the last breeding place in England of the black guillemot and the RSPB has voiced its opposition to the mine.

Former director of Friends of the Earth, Jonathon Porritt, pointed out very early on that: “As I understand it, the sole justification from a sustainability point of view is that the extracted coal will be coking coal, not thermal coal (for use in power stations), with some preposterous notion that this will apparently produce a lower carbon footprint than coking coal imported from other countries. Yet so far as I can tell, no detailed lifecycle analysis, both direct and indirect, has been done by West Cumbria Mining…”

The coal mine would also have to mine “middlings” coal, cynically described as a by-product in order to get to the coking coal.

It seems to us there are two very powerful things Sir David Attenborough is uniquely placed to do to stop this coal mine entirely in its tracks:

1. He could ask the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, to call Cumbria County Council’s flawed decision in for a public inquiry.

2. From our correspondence with Prince Charles’ office, we believe he is sympathetic to campaigners opposing the coal mine. A quiet word from Sir David to his friend Prince Charles may be all it takes to rip up the Crown’s existing and future planned agreements with West Cumbria Mining for the mineral exploitation of the coal under the seabed. Without these agreements between the developers and the Crown, the coal mine cannot proceed.

Those actions would make Sir David our true knight in shining armour and the black guillemots would not be the only ones celebrating!

Marianne Birkby

On behalf of Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole, a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign

Good News that Sir David is On the Case!

This is an open letter to Sir David Attenborough who has recently voiced concern, and to all who have influence to stop the Cumbrian Coal mine in its tracks.

Dear Sir David Attenborough,

Thank you so much for recently voicing your concerns about the planned coal mine in West Cumbria.  

As a nuclear safety group concerned about the safety of Sellafield we have been opposing this nearby coal mine from the outset.  As you will know Sellafield is the most hazardous place in Europe with stockpiles of the most dangerous radioactive wastes on the planet. Given that this coal mine would extend to just 8km from Sellafield the possibility of liquefaction at Sellafield resulting from earthquakes in the West Cumbria area would be catastrophic on a planetary scale.  When I stood at the planning meeting and spoke to councillors about Sellafield being at high risk of liquefaction (as described in a recent geological report) they laughed.  

There are other considerations.  

The area is the last breeding place in England of the black guillemot and the RSPB have voiced opposition to the mine.  

Former Director of Friends of the Earth, Jonathon Porritt pointed out very early on that :”As I understand it, the sole justification from a sustainability point of view is that the extracted coal will be coking coal, not thermal coal (for use in power stations), with some preposterous notion that this will apparently produce a lower carbon footprint than coking coal imported from other countries. Yet so far as I can tell, no detailed lifecycle analysis, both direct and indirect, has been done by West Cumbria Mining, so why would anyone swallow that particular pile of coking crap?”    The coal mine would also have to mine ‘middlings” coal, cynically described as a ‘byproduct’ in order to get to the coking coal.

It seems to us that there are two very powerful things that you are uniquely placed to do to stop this coal mine entirely in its tracks.  

1. Ask the new Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick MP to call Cumbria County Council’s flawed decision in for a public inquiry.

2.   Ask Prince Charles to rip up the Crown’s existing and future planned agreements with West Cumbria Mining for the mineral exploitation of the coal under the seabed.  Without these agreements with the Crown, the coal mine cannot proceed.

This would make you our true knight in shining armour.  The black guillemots would not be the only ones celebrating!

Thank You.

Yours Sincerely,

Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole, a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign

______

YOU can help – please sign the petition and also write to the Secretary of State asking him to call Cumbria County Council’s crazy  decision in for a public inquiry