Coal-Powered Poland Refuses to "Go Green". EU Ain't Happy.

The problem is the depths of the various reservoirs. When they're deep, there's not so many problems. When it's near the surface we see the problems that you describe.


There are plans (and have been for a while) as well as Uranium deposits however nuclear gets a bad press and everyone over a certain age remembers Chernobyl down the road. The country held its collective breath until the wind changed and Belarus got the fallout.

Many Poles literally burn garbage, that's the problem. But that has nothing to do with shutting down coal powered heat/power plants or shutting down the coal mines.

I don't think they are that interested in doing anything about it. PiS promised to rescue the coal mining industry and protect jobs when they were elected in 2015, despite the mines running at huge losses due to the falling price of coal worldwide. Szydło, even though she is no longer PM, is a coal miners daughter, so I think it's quite obvious where her loyalties lay at the time. Even though the mines have been bailed out, they really need to address this issue because the other problem is that the Silesian mines are very deep and the cost of extracting coal is very expensive.

Personally I don't think much will change in the near future. Poland has a love affair with coal and I think any government is going to think twice about abandoning the industry with the loss of jobs that will ensue, and that's presuming there is a viable and cost effective alternative available. If I remember rightly, this government also introduced restrictive new rules/laws regarding where wind farms could be built, effectively putting the kibosh on the developing wind industry.

Merged:

Did anyone bother to tell the Polish government......?

...........To conform and stop doing what they're doing - with their insane support for coal and their total indifference to the indefensible domestic burning of coal for heating homes? (mods please merge to existing thread...)

theguardian.com/environment/live/2018/oct/08/ipcc-climate-change-report-urgent-action-fossil-fuels-live

Other countries banned coal fired heating decades ago. When is the EU going to enforce a ban Europe wide? At least this is one thing the UK and the EU agree about, but Poland keeps right on its' merry way, damaging our planet and killing it's own citizens.

What is the point when China and India ignore this?

So you haven't read the Guardian article then? Australia is complaining that their industry only account to 1 percent of global carbon emissions, so are also idiotically committing to coal to 2050 But 1 percent of a hell of a lot is a hell of a lot. There is no logic in saying that the 1 percent doesn't matter.

The report states a theory that we have ten years to do something radical to avoid a tipping point. Our childrens' lives........
Shocking really.

BS. They said the same thing 30 years ago and nobody is held accountable for those lies which, btw, also included Miami being under water by 2020. Well, 30 years later, Miami is fine. I know because I called the Miami Port Authority recently to check if the ocean level has gone up in the last 30 years. Nope. Not even an inch.

My theory is that the global warmers want more money, more control, or both. So, now they are looking for a new batch of useful idiots.

The European Union plans to dedicate a quarter of its budget to tackling climate change and to help shift 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) in investment towards making the economy more environmentally friendly over the next 10 years.

What an opportunity for Poland !
But stubborn Poland has not agreed yet to a timeline to quit burning coal.
"No money should be distributed from this fund before there are clear commitments and concrete dates for the coal phase-out from member states," Green European lawmaker Niklas Nienaß said. "Poland should sign up to EU climate targets before being eligible to money under the Just Transition Fund."

abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/eu-lays-trillion-euro-plan-support-green-deal-68269434

Pure idiocy by the current government. Russian coal from open pit mines will always be cheaper than ours (which has to be mined from ever deeper seams), so we will have to subsidise the mines forever, instead of investing the money to shift to more eco-friendly sources.

They are simply afraid of the miners' rage - miners are not teachers, judges or doctors - the protests could easily get ugly and difficult to quench, so PiS is doing everything to avoid that. Also, they are afraid that "destroying" the coal mining industry might further anatagonize Silesians, and increase the autonomy movement in Silesia - the last thing PiS needs.

In Germany it's called "structural reforms"...the closing down of whole longstanding industries. It's one of the most demanding and expensive tasks for any government.

Short term minded politicians of course want to shy away from it...they have nothing to gain from it but costs and ire. Even if it will be necessary for the good of the country, they might lose the next election over it.

That's exactly the situation in Poland at the moment. :(

Western Europe should buy all coal sites in Poland and turn it into Green oases and parks. That would be honest solution, considering all damage western Europe done with its industrialization and now cry when Poland industrialize.

I don`t know for others here but I clearly see that western Europeans hate Poland and Poles. I mean, let us speak openly.

They can go all green tech and become a world leader?

Poles do well with computers! Digitalization and AI could be their chance! :)

Let just western Europe pay all what demand that Poland and other countries do to go green. Western Europe stolen enough from others and from nature. Let greedy pay.

Well...the new EU "green deal" could be a start!

ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en

It will definitely cost alot...but could be worth it in the long run...and it's definitely a kind of "pay back" to nature!

First money. Let we all see western European money.

Imagine what would that be. Only on Serbian Kosovo you have lignite deposits worth about 600 mlrd US dollars. They want us to go green, they should pay at least that. And imagine what Poland have. Its big money. Do crumbling western Europe have that money?

Green economy is project. We speak of it, don`t we? Its what western Europe demand. Why not pay if they demand? Who to pay if not them? They demand countries not to use their resources.

The money isn't the problem...Europe is the most richest continent, with the european Single Market we have the most richest consumer base...WE ARE TOP!

The will and the ideas are the problems...we are slowly getting to it now though, but it's still a struggle...but the will is growing!

This first "green deal" is about 1 Trillion Euros, Crowie! ONE TRILLION!!!! And it won't be the last...

And then after the fact when the Polish people's life expectancy increases by ten years because of all the respiratory problems.
(Water quality from acid rain too not to mention the bye products of coal.)
One Trillion sounds like a lot but it is not for such a project,
The U.S. military budget per year is almost that.


Then why don't they pony up to NATO for their share if they are so damn rich ?
(and I don't mean Poland as they are one of the very few that pays their way)

When I see posters claiming they are going to expat themselves and move to Poland. It's clear, they haven't been there during the winter and theyre in for a big stinky surprise.

Many Poles burn their garbage; plastic bottles etc. in their home furnaces, you can smell this in the evenings, even in the villages. Poles must be some of the dumbest people on earth, don't they know that burning plastic is bad for your health? I asked my friend why they do this, she said it's because they don't want to pay the 10-15zl for garbage pick-up, but they can buy vodka every few days.



When I see the Eurps bragging how much money they have and NATO hasn't been fully funded, its time for the US taxpayers to demand we get out!

Seriously, more and more people are feeling more threatened by the man made global warming than by an invasion by someone or the other...

Everybody (in Germany at least) wanting to raise the NATO fee has to answer "....and why not for the environment??? Isn't the money there much more needed?"


It could be worth a try....

Don't be a condescending a-hole. WTF is wrong with you?
You're pretty dumb yourself don't take out your insecurities on others. You're dumb as an individual nothing to do with your heritage.

The problem here is a fact that so called green issues are expected to be paid by people who pay enough in tax and have no much money to burn. So, this green BS as pushed by rich a-holes like Germany has an opposite effect that those pen pushers with their theories and ideology expected. On the ground level everyone line up to make money on people who are already exploited as their are.

About coal and stuff Poland should be left to deal with the issue on its own. Tell Doug to grow up and wise up. He keeps bringing that ignorant stuff here. Another Dumbo green Adolf.

But they have enough plastic... Recycling your rubbish is too much for some too... Hard, hard work.

They are literally poisonings their families and all the people around them.

Nah, more and more youngsters who are being brainwashed by their teachers, TV and the internet are..... this, as one British newspaper reported this week is nothing short of child abuse.

Sure, pollution is a real problem.
Man made global warming is a man made illusion.....

Sorry Milo but I would rather believe scientists than you or other random people on the internet.

Yeah well....that has been that way since the beginning...it's called education! ;)


Okay...pollution first!

You need to be more cynical.
Check out what the interests of those scientists are and what they may gain then check out that the scientists against the human global warming theories have nothing to gain.

Yeah, yeah, I heard it and I'm not buying it. Plus if you look at the anti global warming campains you see oil companies, coal syndicates etc

Anti global warming actions are connected to pollution so win win.

Actually the whole world if you factor in the acid rain from just the coal alone.
Where I live you would get a very hefty fine for burning a plastic bottle or anything plastic.


How about paying off your first debt that you agreed to NATO first.


The same scientists that admitted they forged documents and lied about global warming.
Poland can only drag it's feet for so long.
How can we persuade China and Russia to clean up their back yards when we are just as bad.

What? Are you blaming the victims now? Why should they pay extra for it? eh?

Exactly.
Lenka, Poland is years behind and it will take them a long time to drive pollution down.
But as for the "Global Warming " lie..... if it is true, we need to be talking to China and India...... Poland is not tbe global problem.