Coalface not worried about global warming

CENTRAL Queensland coal worker Brenden Read does not fear that global warming will cost him his job.
Mr Read, an employee of coal-washing firm Sedgman at the Moorvale mine, said workers in the mineral-rich Bowen Basin were still riding high on the resources boom and were too busy keeping up with demand from China and India to think about politics or the environment.
However, they would be the first to suffer if the global warming debate prompted a policy change that hit the country's booming coal industry.
"I can't see it diminishing because at the end of the day we need power generation and we need that some way," he said. "It's not something that is openly spoken about or even thought of: we all know this boom is going to slow down but I don't see there being a problem with my role and even the operators see their jobs as secure."
Mr Read said he thought the industry was moving towards ways of reducing emissions from coal production, such as geosequestration, rather than facing a public backlash.
The attitude of central Queensland mine workers is a world away from the political debate now taking place in Canberra about how best to address climate change.
The coalworkers union's Queensland district acting vice-president Andrew Vickers said members were generally not concerned about a possible downturn in the coal industry.
"The reality from our perspective is that the growth in the dependence of coal ought to be curbed as a proportion of total power generation internationally, but it is emotive nonsense that in the time frames being talked about we can close down all the coal mines," he said. "The union supports a rapid ramping-up in the development of clean coal technology and research into renewable energy as well."
Mr Vickers said the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union was not fazed by federal Labor's failure to present a clear policy on how to address climate change. "The wavering is various posturing between all the factions in Labor," he said.
"We are confident they will soon produce a coherent policy."
Mr Vickers said the industry's greatest worry was a boost in the Green vote at the next federal election that resulted in a backlash against coal-fired power stations. "All of the major parties need to stand very firm on this and not allow them to be scared into a rush to sign up Green preferences because they will not support either platforms."