Climate activists dig in to defend village from coal mine

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Climate activists are pledging to defend a tiny village in western Germany from being bulldozed for the expansion of a nearby coal mine. The site has become a battleground between the government and environmental campaigners. Hundreds of people from across Germany gathered for protest training and a subsequent demonstration on Sunday in Luetzerath. The hamlet is west of Cologne. The open-cast Garzweiler mine provides a large share of the lignite burned at nearby power plants. It is scheduled to close by 2030 under a deal agreed last year between the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia and utility company RWE. The company says it needs the coal to ensure Germany’s energy security. Environmentalists say this would make it impossible for Germany to meet its climate goals.