Excavator 288 in the Hambach open-pit coal mine

Just as rick rolling many years ago it was also fun to have people react to "Bagger 288" on Youtube, it is a weird video.

On a more serious note: open pit mining is one of the most in your face destructive things that humankind can do to the planet. And the Hambach open pit is not in the middle of nowhere but right in the middle of a reasonably densely populated area in Germany.

Short term gains, ie getting coal locally instead of depending on foreign gas, is of-course a strategic advantage. But for the longer term my opinion is that this sort of mining is not sustainable.