Lignite letters

The bulk of the letters to the editor in today's Southland Times are on the topic of lignite mining and they are opinions that Solid Energy and it's supporters will not like to read. Dave Kennedy and John Purey-Cust both take coal cheerleader Jack Murrell to task for his pro-mining comments earlier in the week and leave his argument in tatters. Dave predicts that 'the mining of lignite will profit Chinese industry, provide fewer local jobs than predicted, leave a large dirty hole and cost the taxpayer dearly through the resulting carbon emissions."
Mr Purey-Cust calls on Solid Energy to 'put away the magic mushrooms and start talking seriously' - indeed!
My own letter ran thus:

Jack Murrell says (16 Feb) that I’m right about Southland’s coal reserves.

I wish I could return the compliment but Jack’s got it wrong.

In his eagerness to ‘get the money’ Mr Murrell is turning a blind eye to the major problems that surround the mining of lignite: the vast amount of greenhouse gas that will be released into the atmosphere, the huge cost demanded by the Emissions Trading Scheme, and the damage to our international clean, green brand for starters. Even more misguided is his support for turning lignite into diesel, a process that makes all of those problems much worse! Mr Murrell is keen, there’s no doubt, but he’s wrong to think that lignite mining in Southland is a good thing.

Robert Guyton

RIVERTON