Mining holds the key to a green future – no wonder human rights activists are worried

Renewable energy will rely heavily on an industry already berated for human rights violations

Interest in Dogger Bank was once restricted to insomniac enthusiasts for the BBC's Shipping Forecast. Not any more. Today, the shallow sandbank, located 120 miles off the UK's north-eastern shoreline, is home to the world's largest windpower project. When fully operational, giant turbines will transmit 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power 5m homes, into the National Grid at prices well below current levels.

Welcome to the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. Around the world, solar and wind now represent the cheapest source of new electricity generation - and prices are tumbling. Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are driving oil towards obsolescence. Stripped of government subsidies and corporate lobbying carbon-based fuels are a busted flush. The future of energy is green - and the future can't come soon enough to tackle the climate crisis.