The Energy Landscape versus the Farming Landscape: The Immortal Era of Coal?

Iwona Markuszewska

doi:10.3390/en14217008

Abstract

This article explores the land use conflict. Coal exploitation precludes agricultural production and, as a result, mining-energy projects come across NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) opposition from the farming community. An investigation was carried out in two rural communes: Krobia and Miejska Górka in the Wielkopolska Region in Poland. The aim was to obtain an answer to the following questions: (1) if acting in the name of energy security, should we accept the state government interest and start exploitation of the lignite resource? (2) If acting in the name of landowners’ rights, should we accept the local community interest and maintain the current farming production? and (3) is it possible to reconcile the interests of the conflict beneficiaries? The following qualitative methods were used: keyword and content analysis of word data, such as scientific papers, legal documents, and parliamentary questions (PQs), while the discourse analysis was focused on the policy and procedural conflicts. In the results section, possible solutions for heading off the conflict are presented. The results contribute to an integrated understanding of conflicts over mining and farming land use.

Highlights

The aim was to obtain an answer to the following questions: (1) if acting in the name of energy security, should we accept the state government interest and start exploitation of the lignite resource? (2) If acting in the name of landowners’ rights, should we accept the local community interest and maintain the current farming production? and (3) is it possible to reconcile the interests of the conflict beneficiaries?
The hidden costs that are incurred throughout the full life cycle of coal-derived electricity include social expenditures [63], environmental externalities [94], and losses in property values and farmland resources, as well as serious limitations on land use [95,96]
What is under criticism and leads to opposition against the lignite mining industry is dissatisfaction with the generation of external costs that affect the local community, while the benefits are distributed among consumers who do not share the costs

Summary

Introduction

Introduction to Conflicts over Mining and Farming Land Use. The European Union is a global leader in promoting environmentally friendly energy policy; certain countries still rely on fossil fuels [1]. Republic [2], is one of the leading producers of coal-based energy. In Poland, lignite (brown coal), with an annual electricity production exceeding 9000 MW, delivers ca. The exploitation of lignite deposits is estimated at ca. Aspects of the state energy strategy [4] render lignite a fuel of strategic importance due to its rich coal resources, low cost of mining, security of fuel supply, and stable prices. Though the state government in Poland has stated that it will close down mines from depleted deposits, at the same time, new ones are going to be opened

Results

Discussion

Conclusion