Prague - Three non-governmental organizations launched a second part of their eco-minded pre-election campaign in north Bohemia against the increased levels of coal mining.
This coal mining corner of the country no longer wants to suffer from the industry's side effects, majority of citizens says.
In March, a naked pregnant woman was warning her fellow citizens against coal mining from dozens of billboards across north Bohemian towns and cities: "Life begins, mining ends".
Now, a young politician has taken her place, asking "Who promises you mountains and mines?" The slogan is based on a Czech saying in which "mountains and mines" describes empty promises that are never to be really fulfilled.
Read more: Naked pregnant woman stars in anti-mining campaign
Don´t break the limits
The main goal of the campaign is to persuade local politicians running in the fall election to actively continue writing off coal reserves under north Bohemian towns of Horní Jiřetín and Černice. These two towns could be leveled to ground if the current coal mining limits that were set in 1991 are broken.
The environmental organizations - Hnutí Duha (Rainbow Movement), the Czech branch of Greenpeace and Litvínov-based Kořeny (Roots) - want to remind Czech politicians that most of the local people wish the mining limits to be observed, as the government under Petr Pitthart, former PM, committed to doing in 1991.
How far can the mining engines go?
The three organizations say that, four years ago, several politicians were openly discussing the possibility of lifting mining limits that were set 17 years ago by Petr Pithart's government. Today, no serious political actor dares to dispute the limits.
"It is not about breaking the limits for Horní Jiřetín. The only people still talking about it are those at Mostecká uhelná [a brown coal company] that does not have any kind of political support for its plans. It is not about keeping or breaking the limits, it is about when and how to write off coal reserves under Horní Jiřetín," says Jan Rovenský from Greenpeace.
Even the coalition government promised to observe the borders of the area where mining engines are allowed to operate. Yet Industry Minister Martin Říman disputes the mining limits.
"It is a commitment set for this election term, which we're in the middle of already. It is not a long-term commitment," said Říman recently for the public service Czech radio station called Radiožurnál.
The committee headed by Václav Pačes, head of the Czech Academy of Science, which is meant to present a report to the government about energy future of the country, mention the hot topic of coal as well.
"Coal will remain a significant domestic energy source though its consumption will slowly decrease," said former Industry Minister Vladimír Dlouhý who is now a member of the committee.
Majority against mining
Emil Jeníček from Kořeny points out that most inhabitants of the region do not want the mining engines to break the limits.
"Based on recent polls, seventy percent of the citizens living in this region are against expansion of the mines," Jeníček says.
"I am certain that whichever big political party is the first one to publicly suggest writing off coal reserves under Jiřetín will profit from this step in the election," says Jeníček.
