Birds v. Coal: South African Court Asked to Decide

Wildlife conservationists have filed suit to stop a British–South African mining company from extracting coal from an area of wetlands and grasslands, habitat for 300 bird species, reports the Environmental News Service. The mining company claims that no threatened species are in the area, but “BirdLife South Africa, supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds based in the UK, has applied to the South African High Court for the judicial review of Delta's prospecting rights in the Wakkerstroom/Luneburg region.” The company, with a majority interest owned by a London firm, claims that coal mining can be done in an environmentally sensitive way, but the activists are skeptical. Conservationists expect mining to pollute rivers and ruin tourism centered on birding in the area. Mining coal, a limited natural resource, could ruin another industry, one that’s sustainable, already in place. – YaleGlobal