While watching the TV coverage of the bedraggled remnants [only a 1,000 souls] of the Kent ‘Climate Camp’ [see: ‘Carry On Camping’, August 5] occupying yet more police time and leave [‘Arrests in power station protest’, BBC Online England News, August 9], I noticed a tee-shirt bearing the somewhat optimistic words: ‘UK Leads, China Follows’. Sorry, mate, but there isn’t an Olympics on Mars chance of that happening. The UK is hardly at the world’s coal table, and nobody will even notice what we (or you) do in remote Kent.

Here are the hard coal facts [Source: World Coal Institute: Coal Facts 2007: a .pdf version can be downloaded] to show you precisely why coal will remain King worldwide for a long time to come:

1. +Coal provides 25% of global primary energy;
   

2. +Coal generates 40% of the world’s electricity;
   

3. +Over the last 25 years, world hard coal production has increased by 92%;
   

4. +In 2006, estimated hard coal use was 5,370 Mt;
   

5. +In 2006, world brown (soft) coal use was 914 Mt, a 0.9% increase over 2005;
   

6. +Important recoverable coal reserves are available in over 70 countries;
   

7. +The top 5 world coal producers are: P.R. of China (2,482 Mt); USA (990 Mt); India (427 Mt); Australia (309 Mt); and South Africa (244 Mt);
   

8. +In Europe, the leading coal producer is Poland (95 Mt); Germany remains the world’s leading brown coal producer;
   

9. +The top 5 countries using coal for electricity production (1995 or 1996 statistics) are: Poland (93%); South Africa (93%); Australia (80%); P.R. of China (78%); and Israel (71%);
   

10. +Despite its ‘green’ image, Germany still relies on coal for 47% of its electricity generation;
    

11. +The top 5 coal exporters are: Australia (231 Mt); Indonesia (129 Mt); Russia (92 Mt); South Africa (69 Mt); and P.R. of China (63 Mt);
    

12. +By contrast, the UK depends on imported coal at 51 Mt....
    

Anyone who thinks that coal worldwide has had its day must think again. And in the UK, as Arthur Scargill [“For it is he!”] of all people pointed out in his article in The Guardian yesterday [‘Coal isn’t the climate enemy, Mr Monbiot. It’s the solution’, The Guardian, August 8}, we require new coal power urgently to help us to fill our looming energy gap.

Moreover, if the protesters really want to influence the seamy side of coal production, then we actually need to build new coal plants here in Britain so that we can try to develop carbon capture, even if it has to be retro-fitted.

Finally, I object strongly to unelected folk trying to close down one of our power stations. But, of course, it didn’t happen:

“... a spokesman for E.ON said it had operated as normal throughout the day.

‘It is operating, it’s business as usual. There is always a lower demand for power on a Saturday, but it is running,’ he said.”

I’m glad to hear it.

“I think a nice sauvignon blanc is in order, don’t you?” “Hm! Just savour those gooseberries...!”

[See also: ‘Business-As-Usual’, November 9]