Scargill And Monbiot Debate Coal And Climate Change

Former National Union of Mineworkers leader Arthur Scargill and environmentalist George Monbiot have posted articles on the Guardian Comment Is Free site regarding the role of coal in meeting future energy needs. Last week they both addressed meetings at the Climate Camp near Kingsnorth Power Station.

Arthur Scargill's article is here

George Monbiot's article is here

Keep it clean guys!

Both have reasonable points to make, though from an ecosocialist point of view the political positions of both leave a lot to be desired.

There appear to be strongly contested points on both the science regarding emissions levels and practicalities of proposed new technologies and the economics around costs.

What must be priorities are a strategy for Just Transition to defend against ordinary working people being asked to pay the heaviest for the changes that are needed, and a strategy that engages with the need for technological transfer to the areas of the world likely to be responsible for the fastest rises in emissions. A narrowly nationalistic approach, a focus on "market based solutions" and retreats to entrenched ideological positions are unlikely to achieve the speedy and effective changes that are needed to cut emissions. Any programmes that campaigners put forward should be underpinned by concern for social justice and be based on accurate, peer reviewed sound science. These should be the ground rules for further debate.