APPENDIX 1
Memorandum submitted by RJB Mining (UK)
Ltd
RJB Mining (RJB) welcomes the opportunity to
provide a submission to the Science and Technology Committee's
investigation into Scientific Advice on Climate. RJB Mining (RJB)
is Europe's largest unsubsidised coal mining company. It is also
Europe's lowest cost deep-mine operator. The Company currently
employs over 7,000 people at over 40 locations throughout the
UK. RJB produces about 60 per cent of all the coal mined in the
UK, from 13 deep-mines and a similar number of opencast sites.
RJB has a keen interest in the debate on climate
change. Coal has the highest carbon content of all fossil fuels
and hence is seen as both the cause and answer to "global
warming". RJB believes that UK coal should continue to play
its part within the Government's energy policy of secure, diverse
and sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices. It is
therefore essential that before any evidence is presented to Government
which could adversely affect the role of coal within world energy,
all research has been critically appraised and potential alternative
explanations are presented for consideration. The concept of "climate
change" has gathered momentum in recent years and it now
appears that it is readily used as the cause for any damage caused
by the weather.
RJB notes that the DETR in its publication "Climate
Change and its Impacts", October 1999, states that the global
mean surface temperature in 1999 will be substantially cooler
than the record year of 1998, although still likely to be one
of the highest 10 on record. The understanding and predicting
of weather conditions is a complex subject. The cause of the warming
trend over the course of this century is still not fully understood.
As evidence shows, the climate fluctuated naturally long before
industrialisation of the planet and it is possible that we could
again be on a natural temperature cycle.
The UK Government have been at the forefront
of promoting greenhouse gas reductions worldwide. In the foreword
to the above document, the Secretary of State for the Environment
Transport and the Regions states that "evidence is mounting
that mankind is affecting the global climate". Within the
document no firm evidence is presented, but it goes on to present
a series of predictions for the next 350 years which the DETR
appears to take as fact. There are no assumptions given and more
importantly no warnings as to the uncertainty of the science involved.
RJB does not wish to be viewed as a Luddite
in the area of climate change. It believes that all emissions
to atmosphere should be kept to a minimum. To this end, RJB has
been trying to obtain funding from the Government for the next
generation of clean coal power plant which would reduce CO2
emissions by up to 30 per cent, to date without success. However,
it is important that a balanced view is presented in all Government
documents, recognising the complex nature of the science concerned.
13 January 2000
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