Coal Mining

List of Coal Mining articles

Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.
Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.

How Mining Fuels Conflict Across the Globe

From rubies in Mozambique to sand in the South China Sea.

Workers move batches of copper sheets, which are stored in a warehouse to be loaded on trucks, in Mufulira, Zambia, on July 6, 2016.
Workers move batches of copper sheets, which are stored in a warehouse to be loaded on trucks, in Mufulira, Zambia, on July 6, 2016.

Zambia Takes Anglo American to Court

A landmark class-action lawsuit in South Africa could set a precedent for holding multinational corporations responsible for environmental damages.

Afghan miners work.
Afghan miners work.

‘The Taliban Have Picked Up the Resource Curse’

The Taliban are strip-mining their mineral wealth to fund factional power grabs.

Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.
Men in Kabul's Deh Sabz district work on the back of a coal truck.

Taliban Wage War Over Coal in Northern Afghanistan

The battle for cash pits the Kabul extremists against Hazara locals.

Woman working in Indian coal mine
Woman working in Indian coal mine

Why India Can’t Wean Itself Off Coal

Those who see India as a climate boogeyman are holding it to a standard they would never apply to themselves.

Employees work on a high-voltage transmission tower in China.
Employees work on a high-voltage transmission tower in China.

The Real Reasons Behind China’s Energy Crisis

Cheap pricing and too much coal are leaving Chinese in the dark.

india_clean_energy-pollution-debunker-mark-harris-illustration-sm
india_clean_energy-pollution-debunker-mark-harris-illustration-sm

Surprise! India Is Leaping Ahead in Clean Energy

Long considered climate policy’s problem case, India is exceeding targets and breaking records thanks to fast-advancing technology.

Steam rises from the chimneys of a coal-fired power plant in Roggendorf, Germany, on Nov. 8, 2019.
Steam rises from the chimneys of a coal-fired power plant in Roggendorf, Germany, on Nov. 8, 2019.

Yes, We Can Get Rid of the World’s Dirtiest Fuel

Signs of coal’s demise are everywhere, but the world needs a better plan to phase out thousands of coal power plants still in use.

A crane lifts miners out of the shaft of a coal mine as workers break for lunch near the village of Latyrke near Lad Rymbai, in the district of East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, India, on April 13, 2011.
A crane lifts miners out of the shaft of a coal mine as workers break for lunch near the village of Latyrke near Lad Rymbai, in the district of East Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, India, on April 13, 2011.

Return to the Rat Hole

Coal mining has been reopened in the Indian state of Meghalaya, but it isn’t clear that government protections will improve life for workers or help the environment.

A fishbone lies on a dry part of the bed of the River Loire in western France on July 24, 2019, as drought conditions prevail over much of western Europe.
A fishbone lies on a dry part of the bed of the River Loire in western France on July 24, 2019, as drought conditions prevail over much of western Europe.

5 Charts That Help Explain the State of the Environment in 2019

The world is not doing nearly enough to fight climate change, but politicians are finally starting to pay attention.

A smokestack from a coal fired power plant is seen near the site of a large floating solar farm project under construction on June 16, 2017 in Huainan, Anhui province, China.
A smokestack from a coal fired power plant is seen near the site of a large floating solar farm project under construction on June 16, 2017 in Huainan, Anhui province, China.

Coal-Fired Power Is Declining Thanks to a Slowdown in India and China

2019 could end with a deceleration in overall carbon emissions.

Local students hold a sign that reads “Save Lamu Women's Movement” in Swahili at a poetry competition in Lamu Town to raise awareness about the effects of coal on the environment on Nov. 29, 2017.
Local students hold a sign that reads “Save Lamu Women's Movement” in Swahili at a poetry competition in Lamu Town to raise awareness about the effects of coal on the environment on Nov. 29, 2017.

When Coal Comes to Paradise

As China pushes clean energy policies at home, it is exporting its high-pollution coal industry to pristine places like Kenya’s Lamu Island—with Nairobi’s seal of approval. Local residents fear it will destroy the environment they depend on.

Steam rises from the Neurath coal-fired power plant operated by German utility RWE, which stands near open-pit coal mines that feed it with coal, on Nov. 13, near Bergheim, Germany. (Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)
Steam rises from the Neurath coal-fired power plant operated by German utility RWE, which stands near open-pit coal mines that feed it with coal, on Nov. 13, near Bergheim, Germany. (Lukas Schulze/Getty Images)

Germany Is a Coal-Burning, Gas-Guzzling Climate Change Hypocrite

Angela Merkel hasn’t come close to earning her reputation for leadership on climate change.

GettyImages-505325038
GettyImages-505325038

Even China-Backed Development Bank Won’t Touch Coal Projects

The World Bank rival says it will only fund environmentally-friendly projects.

coal crop
coal crop

While Trump Tries to Turn Back the Clock, Europe Swears Off Coal

There's a thick black cloud swirling over King Coal's future.

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16:  U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.J. Res. 38, disapproving the rule submitted by the US Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC.  The Department of Interior's Stream Protection Rule, which was signed during the final month of the Obama administration, "addresses the impacts of surface coal mining operations on surface water, groundwater, and the productivity of mining operation sites," according to the Congress.gov summary of the resolution. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: U.S. President Donald Trump signs H.J. Res. 38, disapproving the rule submitted by the US Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on February 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. The Department of Interior's Stream Protection Rule, which was signed during the final month of the Obama administration, "addresses the impacts of surface coal mining operations on surface water, groundwater, and the productivity of mining operation sites," according to the Congress.gov summary of the resolution. (Photo by Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

American Coal Can Fuel Friendship With China

How Trump's favorite fossil fuel can help make North Korea sanctions great again.

Surrounded by miners from Rosebud Mining, US President Donald Trump (C) applauds after signing the Energy Independence Executive Order at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters in Washington, DC, March 28, 2017.
President Donald Trump claimed an end to the "war on coal" Tuesday, as he moved to roll back climate protections enacted by predecessor Barack Obama. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON        (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)
Surrounded by miners from Rosebud Mining, US President Donald Trump (C) applauds after signing the Energy Independence Executive Order at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters in Washington, DC, March 28, 2017. President Donald Trump claimed an end to the "war on coal" Tuesday, as he moved to roll back climate protections enacted by predecessor Barack Obama. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSON (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Is the Paris Climate Agreement Dead?

Trump’s new enviro-rollback seeks to undermine the landmark accord, but an America First energy plan might not mean pulling out entirely.

north goonyella_ltcc
north goonyella_ltcc

King Coal Is Losing His Throne

Peabody Energy joins a growing list of coal miners who are going broke thanks to a perfect storm of cheap natural gas, the slowdown in China, and tougher environmental rules.

Coal miners finish the final shift before closure at the Kellingley Colliery in Yorkshire, northern England, on December 18, 2015. The shutdown of the mine in Yorkshire in northern England closes a 200-year chapter of Britain's industrial history. AFP PHOTO / POOL / NIGEL RODDIS / AFP / POOL / NIGEL RODDIS        (Photo credit should read NIGEL RODDIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Coal miners finish the final shift before closure at the Kellingley Colliery in Yorkshire, northern England, on December 18, 2015. The shutdown of the mine in Yorkshire in northern England closes a 200-year chapter of Britain's industrial history. AFP PHOTO / POOL / NIGEL RODDIS / AFP / POOL / NIGEL RODDIS (Photo credit should read NIGEL RODDIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The Final Lump of Coal in Britain’s Stocking

The closure of the last deep pit mine in the United Kingdom marks the end of an industry that built an empire.

Load 10 More Articles
Loading graphics

Welcome to a world of insight.

Make the most of FP.

Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. Explore the benefits included in your subscription.

Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below.

Choose a few newsletters that interest you. Get more insight in your inbox.

Here are some we think you might like. Update your newsletter preferences.

  • World Brief thumbnail
  • Africa Brief thumbnail
  • Latin America Brief thumbnail
  • China Brief thumbnail
  • South Asia Brief thumbnail
  • Situation Report thumbnail

Keep up with the world without stopping yours. Keep up with the world without stopping yours.

Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere.

Download on the App Store
  • Read the magazine
  • Save articles (and read offline)
  • Customize your feed
  • Listen to FP podcasts
Download on the Apple App Store
Download on the Google Play Store

Analyze the world’s biggest events. Analyze the world’s biggest events.

Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with

See what’s trending. See what’s trending.

Most popular articles on FP right now. Most popular articles on FP right now.