I’m neither for or against the development, what I am for is fair play and T&W seem to be moving the goalposts, they should be ashamed of themselves.

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I am totally opposed to virtually any more urbanisation in the Wrekin area – i think its really scary and inappropriate that at a council level our district has been absorbed into the Telford area and I would much rather be more shropshire leaning – towards old shropshire, real salop, where they seem less inclined to development and more towards protection of green fields. I would like to see the Wrekin area protected more from development, i would like to see more like an AONB status or i would like to see National Park status applied for – they can do it in the new forest and south downs so why not here – my vision would be the Wrekin hill and its environs linked to the South Shropshire Hills AONB via Wenlock edge and a green wedge created which would focus on tourism, agriculture and outdoor pursuits as a means to sustainable development with very limited urbanisation and no use of concrete. The Wrekin is a regional monument, to the ancients it was a sacred as a medieval cathedral, we should cherish it and protect it for ever for future generations.

What do the rest of you think about a national park in Shropshire – we could do it i think.

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I have to agree with Gerry, whilst we consider the shenanigans of MPs, local officials seem somewhat oblivious to keeping to the rules.If the mine is refused by all means then introduce such a clause but to suggest introduction mid-way through a public enquiry to use another sporting term is not cricket old boy.

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I agree parts of Telford should be designated a national park topreserve our history.

Lucy W you are agin VERY wrong.

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this really is not the place for an opencast mine. the very idea of it is repugnant.
where will they go next, highley, alverley, pully moor bayston hill, pim hill harmer hill, great hanwood, cruckmeole. all these places had collieries!

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Whatever anyone does to try to stop this UK Coal plan, SOMEONE, will have a different opinion – no one can win – except for UK Coal whilst there is local division.
Can you not see how they can use this to their advantage?
Comments like its not cricket old boy, dig the hole, move the soil, fill with crap, are NOT helpful.
Whatever you may think of the plan, AONB, have worked hard to get it passed through Council – dont forget, it MAY be too late for this mine plan -BUT , theres always Dawley 2, as an extention of HUNTINGTON 1.
Now I am no great lover of the Council, they promise this, then do that, prevaricate, sit on the fence, move one cheek, then adjust posture, -BUT if youre not happy with them, – GET THEM OUT when you get your vote.
Until then, lets at least have some unity in opposition, I wonder if Lucy W, will be so matter of fact when her children die of an Asthma attack brought on by the PM 2.5s from the mine if it goes ahead? – Sorry Gerry, but UK coal dont know the meaning of fair play – their evidence to mine is skewed, obtuse, and at times, downright lies, backed up with “No further comment on this question”.
At least 2 witnesses cross examined this week, have said Dawley 2 would not be mined at the time, due to being “Environmentally unacceptable” – then they denied they said this 5 days later – with no – one keeping accurate minutes to the Public Inquiry, is this “Cricket old boy”?
Friends of the Ercall.

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lucy w is wrong, we should save the wrekin

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Tory Boy is wrong to say that environmentalists are costing ‘jobs and industry’.

The Green New Deal proposes a massive investment of funds in a green industrial revolution, which would create thousands of new jobs.

The Secretary General of the United Nations recently outlined the case for an international Green New Deal as the way out of the economic downturn to stimulate the international economy while simultaneously pushing it towards a low carbon economy.

Japan, South Korea and Barack Obama’s USA are the first big countries to embrace this idea and talk up the JOB-creating potential.

There are MORE JOBS per kilowatt hour in wind, solar and other renewables than their are in coal and nuclear.

In addition to this, compare these Öko-Institut figures on carbon.

Coal: 1153 grammes per kilowatt hour.

Gas: 428 grammes per kilowatt hour.

Wind: 24 grammes per kilowatt hour.

A Green New Deal would be good for JOBS.

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Sorry to miss your comments, which I support, Pat judson. (I think they were loaded up later.)

I wouldn’t be overly concerned with the ‘local division’.

Some of the anonymous comments, which talk up open-cast coal mining, are put out by PR companies and front groups (See Sharon Beder’s excellent book, Global Spin for more info about this).

Your passion, commitment and tenacity is far more persuasive, as is your willingness to identify yourself by name.

Good luck with your campaign.

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Another good source of information exposing the practice of PR companies, which deny, confuse, trivialise and downplay the science of climate change (and which probably try to undermine local environmentalist opposition to things like opencast coal mines, too) is the excellent Canadian website, DeSmog Blog.

A short highly persuasive article on DeSmog Blog entitled ‘Slamming the Climate Skeptic Scam’ (12 July 07 by Jim Hoggan) can be easily found on Google.

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