This article from April 2020 highlights just how far the UK have come in reducing its coal usage to power the nation. I definitely felt a lot of hope from reading this article. However, Ambrose and Kommenda fail to mention the impact reducing coal usage has had on mining communities across the country. 

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This is worth a read if you need a positive boast. Whilst reading, why not question the tactics our Government have used to reduce coal usage. Surely if we are aiming to reach net-carbon by 2050 we should have phased out coal usage already? 

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To access the article, click here. 

This is my FAVOURITE resource on this reading list and I would highly recommend you check it out. Not only does the BFI provide a brief, but insightful, history of UK coal mining, they also provide a list of documentaries and films that explore mining communities throughout history. 

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For those of you who love film, or are a more visual learner like me, this is the perfect resource to find out more about the UK's coal mining industry and its history. 

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Click here to check out this resource. 

The reason I have become so interested in coal mining in the UK is because there has been an application to open a new deep coal mine in Cumbria. This article by Andy Bounds takes us through what has been happening in Cumbria, and why the local council has decided to put the mine on hold once again. 

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I have a lot of questions about the proposed deep coal mine. The last deep coal mine closed in 2015. Furthermore, the British Government have set out plans to phase out all coal plants by 2025. Coal usage is down in the UK too. This article goes through all these issues, so get thinking and work out your own thoughts - are you for or against this new mine? 

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To access the article, click here. 

This is a timeline of the history of coal in Britain right from the 1500s when the first coal mine was sunk. Although this is from The Coal Authority, the Government organisation to oversee the newly privatised coal industry from 1994 onwards, it is a pretty useful resource. I can guarantee there are parts on this timeline that are missed out, however it does provide the important facts along with pictures and useful videos. 

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I'd suggest looking at this along with the BFI resource as both are very visually stimulating, and provide a basic overview of UK coal mining history. 

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To access the timelines, click here. 

This is a really interesting letter from the Climate Change Commitee (CCC). The CCC was set up way back in 2008 under the climate change act. It is an independent organisation that aims to advise the Government on its policies to tackle climate change and the ecological crisis. 

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The fact that the CCC have sent this letter against the proposed new coal mine in Cumbria is particularly telling. The letter states that the coal mine will increase global emissions which go against the UKs legally bound carbon budgets. The letter also goes on to highlight other policies in place by the Government, that are trying to tackle climate change and the ecological crisis, that the proposed mine will go against. 

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A short read, this is definitely worth some time if you are interested in finding out more about the Cumbria Mine controversy. 

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To access the CCC website and their letter, click here. 

This is a refreshing resource from scientists. I often find papers written by scientists are hard to understand and unnecessarily wordy. However, this resource from HEAL provides important findings regarding air pollution, coal and the impact on health - not just the health of mining communities, but also the UK in general. 

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To check out this briefing paper, click here. I would also suggest looking at this article here from The Guardian that highlights just how important it is to tackle air pollution. 

South Lakes Action have been one of the many organisations campaigning against the proposed coal mine in Cumbria. There website in general is particularly interesting to have a look around, especially if you are interested in community activism. 

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This particular blog post celebrates the news that the coal mine has been put on hold. However, it also highlights just how many times this coal mine has been put on hold. With all environmental successes, we always need to wary that councils and the Government do not change their minds and revert their decision. History has shown us this is very likely. 

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To have a look at this blog post, and to find out more about their campaign, click here. 

This resource WILL NOT be for everyone. It is a set of spreadsheets provided by the Government, recording just how much coal and fuels the UK uses. It is a lot of numbers! However, if you can get your head around it, you will be able to see that the UK coal usage is down and that the majority of coal we use is imported. 

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The government also provide a paper to go alongside the spreadsheet. HOWEVER this is a lot of reading and I'd personally suggest looking at the spreadsheet yourself and making your own decisions about how the UK uses its fuels. 

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To access both the paper, and the spreadsheet, click here. 

This is not a recent article. HOWEVER, it just shows you how long the Government have been trying to deal with our coal mine issue. I would definitely recommend reading this article alongside the article below (also by Adam Vaughan) as it highlights the differences between environmentalists and Government policies to phase out coal. 

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To access this article click here. See below for the other recommended article. 

I had NO idea that the Government have decided to phase out coal plants by 2025. If you also had no idea, this is the article for you! This article is short and sweet. Whilst reading I would definitely begin to think about the impact this phasing out will have on coal mining communities, whether there is training in place for these workers in order to help them transfer jobs, and also what will happen to heritage steam engine organisations who rely on these plants to upkeep a part of British history. 

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To access the article, click here. 

This is a press release from WCM, the organisation who are planning to open a new deep coal mine in Cumbria. I found this press release particularly interesting as it gives another side of the story. Despite everyone else saying the coal mine is a bad idea, the WCM boast about increase in jobs and the ability to export coal to other countries. 

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I do not agree with this press release as: 1. we should be making green jobs for people, 2. if the coal mine will over produce the amount of coal we need for steel production etc, why d we need it?, 3. we shouldn't be exporting coal to countries for them to burn as we're trying to reduce global emissions. But hey, those are my thoughts. What do you think? 

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Read this press release, along with the blog post from South Lake Action, to make up your own mind.