In Poland, December 4th is both the miners' holiday, honoring Saint Barbara, the protector of miners, and her name day. On this day, people named Barbara celebrate with greetings and gifts.
"My grandmother's name is Barbara," explained one of the activists fighting for the Polish government to develop a "real and fair" plan for phasing out coal in the country’s industry.
While wishing her grandmother well on the traditional Polish name day, she emphasized that she protests because she knows her grandmother cares about ensuring a safe future, not just for her granddaughter, but also for the next generations.
"Poland's energy policy is based on the lie that coal has a future," Greenpeace Poland warns through social media.
"According to analyses, all coal-fired power plants in Poland will likely close within the next 10 years. The government can no longer bury its head in the sand – it should set realistic closure dates for mines and help miners find alternative employment," environmentalists claim.
Activists also highlight that "coal is an expensive business that we simply can't afford anymore. In 2024 and 2025 alone, the government will spend nearly 18 billion PLN (4,2 billion EUR) to support coal mines, all funded by taxpayers."
?Pilne? Dzisiaj aktywiści i aktywistki Greenpeace protestują pod Ministerstwem Przemysłu. Domagają się, aby rząd...
Opublikowany przez Greenpeace Polska Wtorek, 3 grudnia 2024
The Polish government is implementing a social agreement for the hard coal mining sector, which includes subsidies for reducing production capacity in mines until 2049.
The Ministry of Industry is working on amending the law to ensure proper allocation of funds and transfer the responsibility for mine closures to their owners.
Source: PAP/Greenpeace Poland
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