Climate activists seek to block German coal mine expansion

BERLIN (AP) — Environmentalists have chained themselves to giant excavators in an effort to halt the expansion of a vast open-pit coal mine in western Germany. More than 20 climate activists clambered onto the diggers in the Garzweiler lignite mine early Friday. Eight have since been removed, police said. Garzweiler has become a focus of protests by people who want Germany to stop extracting and burning coal as soon as possible. They say expanding the mine runs counter to Germany’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Paris climate accord’s target of capping global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. They also oppose the destruction of several villages and woods to make way for the mine.