<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Focusing on coal energy from a geographical perspective, the unintended regional consequences of coal mining and combustion in the Czech Republic are discussed and analysed in terms of the environmental injustice and resource curse theories. The explorative case study attempts to identify significant associations between the spatially uneven distribution of coal power plants and the environmental and socioeconomic characteristics and development trends of affected areas. The findings indicate that the coal industries have contributed to slightly above average incomes and pensions, and have provided households with some technical services such as district heating. However, these positive effects have come at high environmental and health costs paid by the local populations. Above average rates of unemployment, homelessness and crime indicate that the benefits have been unevenly distributed economically. A higher proportion of uneducated people and ethnic minorities in affected districts suggest that coal energy is environmentally unjust.</p></abstract>

Focusing on coal energy from a geographical perspective, the unintended regional consequences of coal mining and combustion in the Czech Republic are discussed and analysed in terms of the environmental injustice and resource curse theories. The explorative case study attempts to identify significant associations between the spatially uneven distribution of coal power plants and the environmental and socioeconomic characteristics and development trends of affected areas. The findings indicate that the coal industries have contributed to slightly above average incomes and pensions, and have provided households with some technical services such as district heating. However, these positive effects have come at high environmental and health costs paid by the local populations. Above average rates of unemployment, homelessness and crime indicate that the benefits have been unevenly distributed economically. A higher proportion of uneducated people and ethnic minorities in affected districts suggest that coal energy is environmentally unjust.

A Curse of Coal? Exploring Unintended Regional Consequences of Coal Energy in The Czech Republic

Institute of Geonics, ASCR, v. v. i. —Department of Environmental Geography Drobného 28, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Moravian Geographical Reports

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Prokletí uhlí? Zkoumání nezamýšlených regionálních důsledků uhelné energie v České republice

Focusing on coal energy from a geographical perspective, the unintended regional consequences of coal mining and combustion in the Czech Republic are discussed...

A Curse of Coal? Exploring Unintended Regional Consequences of Coal Energy in The Czech Republic

Publié en ligne: 29 juil. 2014

Pages: 55 - 65

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2014-0012

Mots clés
coal energy, environmental injustice, resource curse, spatial analysis, Czech Republic

© 2014 Bohumil Frantál and Eva Nováková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

A Curse of Coal? Exploring Unintended Regional Consequences of Coal Energy in The Czech Republic

Publié en ligne: 29 juil. 2014

Pages: 55 - 65

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgr-2014-0012

Mots cléscoal energy, environmental injustice, resource curse, spatial analysis, Czech Republic

© 2014 Bohumil Frantál and Eva Nováková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
coal energy, environmental injustice, resource curse, spatial analysis, Czech Republic