German minister backs plan to cut down forest to build coal mine

Thomas Bareiß says use of polluting fuel at RWE plant is needed to keep the lights onControversial plans to chop down a German forest to build a vast coal mine should proceed because Germany needs the polluting fuel to keep the lights on, according to the country's energy minister.Dozens of treehouses built and occupied by campaigners for years have been recently cleared by police to make way for plans by energy firm RWE, which owns Hambach forest near Cologne, to expand its nearby opencast coal mine. Continue reading...