I've made a killing working the coal mines for the last 40 years. Now I'm taking a stand against the industry - here's why

A coal miner who has made 'above average wages' working in the industry for decades is among hundreds of activists protesting against fossil fuels. 

Grant Howard, 60, was among several demonstrators who attempted to stop ships carrying coal from leaving the Port of Newcastle, in NSW, on Saturday.

The 30-hour long protest outside the world's largest coal port saw activists row onto the water on kayaks, surfboards and pontoons.

Mr Howard has been in the industry for 43 years starting his career when he was 17 with his first job in the Illawarra district, south of Sydney.

The 60-year-old is pushing for renewables but admitted to Daily Mail Australia that coal mining had been good for him personally, paying above average wages. 

Coal miners can make up to $200,000 a year and more - which is more than twice the average salary of $95,000 in Australia.  

'Coal mining and resources industry has treated the Australian community well so we are all equally responsible for the emissions,' he said. 

However, he believed the industry's days were numbered. 

'As a coal miner I am not divorced from caring about the environment. I can’t be reckless with my opinions and be reckless with other people’s future,' he said. 

'I understand we need to have a transition, particularly thermal coal, it’s 30 per cent of the problem of CO2 emissions.'

'The transition has already started, it is happening and I want coal miners to be part of that conversation.'

Mr Howard doubted that someone starting as a coal miner now could have the same career as him because he did not think the industry is 'going to be around in another 40 years'.

'If you can’t sell the coal, you can’t mine it either and the world is changing,' he said.

'Europe’s putting in place a carbon market, which means we can mine as much we like, we can put ourselves on as much of you like but at the end of the day if we can’t sell that stuff they won’t mine it.

Coal use worldwide increased to record levels in 2022, surpassing 8billion tonnes  for the first time, according to the International Energy Agency.

Although coal use in Europe and the US showed marginal decline that was more than replaced by growing demand in China, India and Southeast Asian countries.

Together they are expected to account for three out of every four tonnes of coal consumed worldwide in 2023. 

However, according to some agencies, renewables are also expanding at a rapid rate and were expected to jump by a third this year.

Renewables, including hydro and biomass burning, provided about a third of the world's energy in 2020.

Mr Howard now works as a supervisor at Queensland's central east Bowen Basin coal reserves which employs about 40,000 people.

When asked about what might replace those livelihoods Mr Howard said there would still be jobs in the resources sector.

'There will still be plenty of jobs in mineral extraction, whether that be copper, lead or gold,' he said.

'Automation generally is much a threat to coal miners’ jobs as the changing market place.'

'With the coal fields the employment is shifting to offices and rooms in Brisbane where they are operating the equipment.

'We are better off preparing new industries which includes battery manufacture and hydrogen manufacturing and leaning into and embracing those industries of the future.' 

Mr Howard said one of the reasons he wanted to get involved in the 'conversation' about the transition is that politicians exploit miners for their own interests. 

'They have exploited mine workers not to look after coal mining but to look after their own jobs,' he said. 

While he did not normally talk about his views at work, because he was concentrating on his job, Mr Howard said he was open with his colleagues when the subject came up. 

'It’s a bit tough,' he said.

'They sometimes disagree. I am at odds with them, but at other times I meet coal miners who understand and are happy about my ideas and my opinions.'

At protests, where he has spoken on stage, he also does not advertise he is a coal miner but says the fact is generally known and he is open about it. 

'Every now and then I have had some adverse effect, it's very minor,' he said

'At the end of the day coal miners aren't responsible, we are equally responsible.'

Mr Howard said that despite the export income Australia would forsake by giving up coal, the 'the simple fact is we have to transition to a zero carbon economy'.

'We’ve already touched on a 2C rise in global average temperature, we have demonstrated impacts of climate change with increasing severity of floods and drought we are already witnessing that,' he said.

'In Australia bushfires have increased in severity and frequency and that is undisputed, droughts are increasing in severity.'

Asked about whether he and other Australians were willing to make sacrifices to reduce emissions, such as limiting travel or even rationing electricity, Mr Howard said he couldn't speak for other people but said he was willing to do so.

'There is a responsibility on everybody including corporations and small and medium businesses to seek and determine their own energy independence,' he said. 

He argued that switching the power grid supply to almost wholly renewables was possible, citing Iceland as a country that has done so although admitting they had access to volcanic thermal and hydro power.'

'The net benefit is for the country,' he said.