Coal Mining Brochure
why does the church care?
how can you respond?
Download the brochure: "Coal mining: Why does the church care? How can you respond?"
(5.06MB)
Produced by Uniting Eco Group, with the support of Uniting Earth Ministry.
Why the Uniting Church Cares
The Uniting Church has a longstanding commitment to the environment because God’s creation has value in and of itself. The earth is worthy of our care in much the
same way as a gardener cares for a garden.
Furthermore, damage to the environment invariably harms human and other life forms and those farthest from the centres of power often suffer the most. The Uniting Church is particularly concerned about human-induced climate change, regarding it as a serious threat
to the future and integrity of life on earth. Already today, some human communities are particularly vulnerable to climate change, including indigenous Australian communities and several Pacific nations.
Coal and its uses
Coal forms over millions of years when vegetation is compressed in the right conditions. Hence coal is called a 'fossil fuel'. Different geological conditions and ages of the coal result in different grades of coal, which are in turn suited to different uses.
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Thermal coal is mainly burned to generate electricity in power plants. This is by far the major use of coal in Australia and globally. Burning coal for electricity generation is around 80% of the world's coal use. A typical coal-fired power plant in Australia burns about 200-300 tons of coal per hour.
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Metallurgical coal (sometimes called coking coal) is used to smelt iron and steel and comprised 14% of the coal mined globally in 2015.
The remaining uses of coal (around 6%) are in cement manufacturing, food processing, paper manufacturing and aluminium production.
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Australia, a resource-rich country, mines far more coal than it uses (e.g. in electricity and steel production). This means most of the coal is exported. In 2015, 392 million tons was exported; 77% of the coal mined in Australia that year. Australia is the world's largest exporter of metallurgical coal and the 2nd largest exporter of thermal coal.
The problem with burning coal
Burning coal is a problem because in the process the carbon in the coal gets released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (C02). CO2 is called a 'greenhouse gas' because it contributes to the ‘greenhouse effect’ (the warming of the Earth’s surface due to a blanket of
surrounding greenhouse gases). Increased atmospheric concentrations of C02 are increasing the warming, thereby changing the climate. Already the Earth has warmed by about 1 degree Celsius (1oC) and is set to go higher. Already severe weather-related events such as hurricanes, flooding, bushfires, heatwaves and droughts have increased in frequency and/or intensity inflicting much suffering (often on poorer people, least able to cope).
Continuing along the path of burning massive amounts of coal is not sustainable. Scientists have calculated that 60-80% of known reserves are "unburnable" if the world is to avoid dangerous global warming of 2oC or more.
Other coal mining concerns
Coal mining is a capital-intensive industry. Although it produces nearly half of all Australia’s coal, coal mining accounts for only about 0.5% of jobs in NSW. Unsustainable coal projects crowd out jobs in other industries that offer far better long-term job prospects, such as renewable energy. A 2016 study by the Climate Council shows that there would be a net gain in jobs if renewable energy were to supplant thermal coal mining.
Hundreds of trains, with 85 or more uncovered coal cars per train, travel through towns and villages in NSW every day, distributing millions of micro particles of coal dust to be shared by the lungs of the citizens who live in proximity to the rail line.
For those living close to coal mines there is increased risk of heart, lung and kidney disease due to the toxic dust released through blasting.
The sound and vibrations from blasting and mining machinery, the latter running for 24 hours a day at some mines, impacts on neighbouring properties. Light also affects neighbouring properties and important facilities like the observatories near Coonabarabran.
Mining dewaters aquifers, and often leaves damaging final voids that drain aquifers for centuries. Some mines use scarce water from river systems that should be going to agricultural or environmental uses.
Coal mining can lead to damage to local ecosystems through land clearing, weed invasion, habitat and heritage loss (particularly for indigenous Australians), increased fire risk, contamination of land and water, and pollution of creeks and rivers. Coal mining in the Sydney
water catchment has caused subsidence, cracking and draining of rivers, cliff falls, draining of swamps, and iron oxide pollution. The Great Barrier Reef is also at risk from coal mine and port expansions. Industries such as horse breeding and wine grape growing are under threat in areas such as the Hunter Valley in NSW.
The multi-million dollar cost of mine site rehabilitation is largely unfunded which means either the mine voids are left as they are, or the taxpayer will be forced to meet the costs.
A Vision of Creation Care
God, as creator of the universe, calls humanity into a relationship of mutuality and interdependence with the rest of creation. God’s will for the earth is renewal and reconciliation, not destruction by human beings.
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In 2006, the Uniting Church adopted the statement ‘For the Sake of the Planet and all its People’, which accepts the scientific evidence on global warming as now indisputable, and caused, in large manner, by use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil.
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The national body of the Uniting Church (Assembly) and each state Synod have now divested from fossil fuel extraction (e.g. coal mining, oil drilling), and called upon church members to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions and to advocate for government to implement policies to reduce Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels.
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The 2009 statement ‘An Economy of Life’ addressed interlinked crises confronting human and ecological wellbeing. References and statements are available at:
https://www.unitingjustice.org.au/environment/uca-statements
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In 2013 the Synod called on the NSW Government to amend the NSW Strategic Regional Land Use Plan so that it identifies and protects from coal mining, and
coal seam gas exploration and mining, prime agriculture areas, irreplaceable water resources and high conservation value areas.
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Synod noted that:
• the vast majority of fossil fuels must remain untouched to avoid the worst excesses of climate change,
• Australian governments and the international community are not adequately addressing the threat of climate change, and
• the rapid expansion of fossil fuel mining in Australia is directly threatening agricultural land, human health and biodiversity.
Play a Part - Personally and Publicaly
It is helpful for Individuals to reduce their personal reliance on coal and other fossil fuels through adopting a "green" lifestyle (e.g. choosing train travel over vehicle and air travel where possible; take measures to improve household energy efficiency; explore roof solar panels and battery storage).
It is important to support social and political movements looking to drive a structural shift in our economy away from coal to renewable and other energy sources. As a community we need to use our large numbers to balance the influence of the coal companies. We need to become informed, join together and apply pressure through direct action in the community to counter the powerful fossil fuel lobby (e.g. coal mining companies, coal-dependent energy companies and banks who finance them).
Local, symbolic actions do count: encourage your church or community group to switch away from those power companies who are lobbying to continue with coal, and make sure others know about it.
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Visit http://unitingearthweb.org.au/take-action/fossil-fuels.html for more ways to take action, a pdf of this brochure, references and links.
