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Coal industry debate often based on dogma rather than facts

According to Franz-Josef Wodopia of the German Hard Coal Association abandoning the coal industry will not significantly reduce CO2 emissions and those who call for such a measure choose to ignore the problem of energy supply security. Wodopia opposes the so-called ‘scientific arguments’ supporting the closure of the mining industry. The Federal Government is set to carry out a review in 2012 as to whether 2018 will really be the year the German mineworkers ‘knock off’ for the last time.

Professor Dr Franz-Josef Wodopia

On 7 February 2007 the German Government and the regional Governments of North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland reached an agreement with the mining and technology group RAG and the mining and chemicals trade union IG BCE that subsidies to the German coal industry would be terminated in a socially acceptable way by the end of 2018.

More details pdf, 829 kB (German)

Source:

VDI News, Essen, 25. 5. 07