xkcd #2992: UK Coal
xkcd #2992: UK Coal
The Watership Down rabbits removed an additional 0.1 nanometers constructing their warren, although that was mostly soil. British rabbits have historically mined very little coal; the sole rabbit-run coal plant was shut down in the 1990s.
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Except that the UK taxed all its locally produced coal so much that it was cheaper to import more dirty coal from China than use fresh, relatively clean coal excavated from Wales. If a power station wanted to use Chinese coal, they only had to pay import duty. But if they wanted to use cleaner Welsh coal they had to pay taxes on the extraction, refinement and then the same export tax they levied everywhere else. Welsh coal was some of the highest quality in the world, but it was exported and more toxic stuff burned locally because that was more profitable.
Most UK coal imports, since closing the mines have been from Russia not china.
But yep, you are correct otherwise.
Clearly illustrates the role of politics and economy. If you want to change things, you should make sure laws and regulations facilitate it.
And then fitted flue gas desulphurisation equipment to clean up the emissions to burn the cheap brown coal that had the higher sulphur content, to make the emissions equivalent to the expensive Welsh stuff.