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News / 1 maart 2010

Political Café: A Burning Issue

Political_Cafe_Coals.gif

On March 25th Both ENDS from 18 - 20h Both ENDS organises a Political Café in het Nutshuis in The Hague. With interesting guests we will debate on Dutch energy and the effects of coal mining in developing countries. It is widely known that coal energy is bad for the environment. What many people don't realise is that Dutch used coal comes mainly from South Africa, Colombia and Indonesia, where mining causes great damage to people and the environment. That is why Both ENDS would like to debate this issue, you are more than welcome to join us!


Coals from South Africa
In 2009, the South African NGO EMG inspected the area surrounding the 'Transvaal and Delagoa Bay' mine in Witbank. The mine was closed and the area was left behind in devastation. Coal fires still burn in underground passages, releasing toxic fumes through holes in the ground. The people who live around the mine run serious health risks. Water flows with toxic heavy metals from the mine run into the 'Brugspruit' river, which has already caused the deaths of many fish and crocodiles in the nearby Loskop Dam Nature Reserve. Clearing up is expensive. The cost of the removal of poisons and the replanting of old mines in South Africa is estimated at 14 billion US dollars. But who will pay? Up to now, the cost of our coal has been paid for by the South African people.


The real cost of coal
To calculate the actual cost of coal as a fuel, one has to consider the entire chain and not just the effects of combustion, such as CO2 emissions. The whole process should be taken into the cost equation - from the extraction of coal to the transportation and incineration thereof.

 

Both ENDS believes that it should be mandatory for Dutch energy companies to report on the local impacts of coal mining. The entire production chain should be financially transparent.

 

The energy sector has launched initiatives to clean up the use of coal. But what about the problems in South Africa, Colombia and Indonesia? Don't coal customers have a responsibility for the negative effects caused by coal mining? What role can the Dutch government play?

 

Panel

  • Matthews Hlabane, The Green Revolutionary Council, Witbank, South Africa
  • Janine de Vries, Cordaid-Publish What You Pay Coalition, The Netherlands
  • Marga Edens, Manager Corporate Social Responsibility Essent, The Netherlands
  • Roger Moody, Mines and Communities, United Kingdom
  • Marco Witschge, Chairman of the Working Party Energy Transition of D66, The Netherlands.

Have a drink and discuss these issues at the informal Political Café drinks reception to be held after the debate.

 

For more information please check the invitation for the Political Café: A Burning Issue. Or contact Tim Senden.

 

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