The Minerals Council of Australia has launched a new website- australiansforcoal.com.au- to provide support for Australians who support coal against activists and extremists who are looking to shut the industry.
Australia has the fourth largest proven coal reserve in the world, holding 110 years of black coal and 510 years of brown coal. It has provided the country with multiple benefits through exports, wages, investment, tax revenue and continuous economic growth.
According to the news release by the Minerals Council of Australia, the coal sector supports 200,000 jobs and delivers roughly $40 billion export income per year, as well as $5 billion in wages and $4 billion in royalties.
The new website aims to give coal supporters a vocal support to fight the extremists who are trying to create a false impression that the community opposed the country’s second largest export sector, when in fact public and private polling conducted over the years have shown that the great majority of Australians are in favour of preserving the coal industry.
Experts predict strong demand for coal exports and continued contribution from the sector to Australia’s economic growth over the next few decades.
In addition, it is expected that coal will remain the region’s primary source of affordable energy and a pillar to its energy security.
However, coal sector opponents persist that it is impossible to have both a strong coal sector and a low emissions economy, even though it is a proven fact that modern coal-fired power stations are reducing CO2 emissions by 30% and carbon capture and storage is a reality with 21 large-scale CCS projects in operation or construction- a 50% increase since 2011.
The relentless campaign to put an end to the coal production and export is doomed to fail, as the precious commodity they are trying to demonize is responsible for building countless number of hospitals, schools and buildings, as well as the fast trains of the future. Coal is the essential ingredient for manufacturing cement and steel, as proven by the fact that each tonne of steel produced in basic furnaces contains about 770 kilograms of coal.
Add to this the fact that no coal means no wind energy (there is 250 tonnes of coal in every wind turbine), and it will become perfectly clear that coal is a blessing, and one we should cherish.
