The real price of coal

While India continues to chug its economic vehicle on fossil fuels, world over, a lot is changing with many moving away from coal. The Wieczorek mine, one of the oldest coal mines in Poland, closed in March. And this was the first time,residents could smell the roses and see the vibrant colours of spring. Prior to this, every single spring, the flowers and everything around was covered in dust and smoke. With trucks plying the road all day long, carrying coal from the mines, dust and grime had become a part of this Polish town’s life.

The Wieczorek mine in Katowice is among dozens closing down throughout Poland, home to one of the most polluted coal mining regions in Europe.

From yesterday, Katowice started playing host to a round of United Nations climate talks, where nearly 200 countries will attempt to agree rules on how to shift the world economy from fossil fuels to try to curb rising temperatures.

The meeting comes as the World Meteorological Organization warned on Thursday that global temperatures were on course to rise by 3-5 degrees Celsius (5.4-9.0 degrees Fahrenheit) this century, overshooting a global target of limiting the increase to 2C.

Yes, for many coal is the livelihood and anything which threatens that, be it global warming or anything, could be disastrous. For many it is easier said than done to move on.