Scunthorpe steel: The environmental cost - BBC Newsnight

A subsidiary of a Turkish military pension fund has been selected as the preferred bidder to buy British Steel.
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It appears the main plant in Scunthorpe, which employs 3,500 people, might be saved - although there have been reports of planned job cuts.
The company has said it would seek UK taxpayer support for investment in “green” steel-making, which raises questions about the environmental cost of the town's employment.
In the latest in our Rust and Revival series following the fate of Scunthorpe and the steelworks, Maya Rostowska asks the town’s residents: what’s more important to them?
Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews.
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[@Birchingtonuk]

One of the biggest customers of British Steel is Network Rail and used for rail replacement. Rail is usually considered to be one of the most environmentally-friendly ways to travel. However, it is only possible because of British Steel.

[@justinjarrett5868]

Scunthorpe Steelworks has to remain open including Port Talbot. We need steel for our railway network, tanks and ships, buildings etc. Its more of a problem if its coming from abroad where its done by slave labour and of poor quality. The local economy relies on our Steel. If it closes they will suffer and so will the town and the whole of the UK.

[@matthewbrooker]

The decarbonisation of the UK manufacturing economy is almost complete. If the UK is to retain any sort of domestic strategic ability to defend itself with the use of things like ships and tanks, we do need to retain this sort of metal bashing. It's not pretty, but still necessary.

[@andrew300169]

Matthew Brooker we don’t have dreadnoughts anymore, in 10 years wars will be one by a spotty kid with a keyboard and a mouse placing a virus strategically

[@andrew300169]

silver fox the U.K. cannot be independent certainly not since 1890, forget the steel works, 20 trawlers could shut down the U.K.

[@dantheman6961]

They come up North to lecture us about the negative side of heavy industry. Then they return home on Scunthorpe made tracks, or, Scunthorpe made road surfaces.

[@dantheman6961]

@K L Yes I voted for Brexit, but don't believe we can make a success of it without a deal. I wasn't aware I hated Turkey. In fact I quite like the place, and the people. Especially Oludeniz, and Calis Beach. We go on holiday there every year. You're welcome to come and try to saw me in half if you like. I'll make you a lovely cup of Yorkshire Tea. ;-)

[@unclegruber5703]

Are British companies going to stop needing and using steel? Is the global use of steel going to be reduced by this or will it be moved to China and Africa instead? On a domestic scale, I live close to Redcar, have friends and have worked there often,and have been to Scunthorpe, will the government invest in the north if steel manufacturing leaves? History would say no. Thatcher killed the coal mines but that was decades ago and the north has suffered through god knows how many successive governments. Thinking about the environment is a luxury for the middle classes and higher, for those in the north that rely on the steel mills, just as they did the coal mills, they worry about food in their families bellies and a roof over their heads. The working class man destroys his body to keep his family going as he always has. People don't want to die at 60 after years of serious pain from manual labour but there aren't the options out there up north. That's not the reality for people up here. Also i would hazard that the scene in the nurses office was staged, and that's coming from a healthcare professional who speaks with patients every day. A patient complaining about air pollution and sitting fiddling with his blue inhaler that was conveniently caught on camera? Pull the other one.

[@johncarden8985]

Your right that it displaces steel production to China, where environmental regulations are less tight. Ergo, more pollution for the world and thus the UK.

[@GenoAtkins]

Should the working class communities pay with their own health to maintain employment? Would seem to me we’re not paying enough for our steel to be produced ethically and ecologically but, in a global market it’s a race to the bottom and lowering wages isn’t the only way to remain competitive - slowly poisoning communities with weak environmental standards saves money all the same.

[@Lanzy4lee]

BBC flagship ????

[@rebeccaedwards9362]

❤️

[@hopethisworks1212]

I assume that the demands of world industry for steel will be met, if not by Britain then by other countries. The net emissions remain the same wherever it is made. Closing down a steel works helps not a jot apart from Britain's personal emission figures. Reducing the demand for steel would.

[@californiadreamin8423]

hopethisworks1212 There is steel and steel. Today Boris was praising the contribution of rail track, British rail track , to the French rail system. The ONLY rail track capability in the UK is Scunthorpe , Skinningrove and Lackenby ( Middlesbrough ). The Tory government have brought about the demise of British Steel because of Brexit, and they are sitting on their backsides and happy to see the end of the ONLY company in the UK to go under.

[@paulgibbons2320]

Did they delete the first Humiliating 'Rust and revival' clip. Looks like they did.

[@petestuffins8454]

If you don't like it, move. Simple.

[@bellavaszilij6868]

Guys, you argue whether we need steel or don't. We need it, period. The problem is that British Steel and the whole industry gives a shit about the environment. But the technology is their to make it way more sustainable. And if they would invest, which they will at some point in my view, then they will be more sustainable businesswise and the whole economy will improve because it will translate to jobs in other industries. It's this easy, their brain is just a bit, slow, I guess.

[@TheShepTV]

Does simple jack there even know what the word environmentalist even means?

[@christopherlangton5596]

You sound like a nice bloke. 😊

[@GameRoof1]

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