Living on coal: Mined-out identity, community displacement and forming of anti-coal resistance in the Most region, Czech Republic

This paper provides new insights about the factors shaping social acceptance of and opposition to coal mining. It is based on a comparative survey of communities living in two towns with different demographic development and residential quality located in a close proximity to expanding opencast mine in the Czech Republic, which are threatened by displacement due to possible revisions of the current territorial mining limits. We analyze social-spatial differences in perceptions of landscape and place attachment, and the influence of geographical and sociodemographic factors on personal attitudes and the involvement in local anti-coal activities. A strong place attachment that is determined by the quality of living environment and the length of residence proved to be significant predictor of anti-coal attitude, while the employment tied to coal industry and weak place attachments are key factors shaping a pro-coal attitude. A typical active opponent of the coal mining expansion has a higher age, university education and strong place attachment. While both studied communities are characterized by strong active engagement in protest activities, a low level of confidence in the effectiveness of protests to affect decisions of political authorities was also detected.