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"at a time when the world is becoming less reliant on coal" No, we aren't becoming less reliant on coal. We should be but we aren't. Look at [1]. We actually c
by AlexanderDhoore 5y ago
"at a time when the world is becoming less reliant on coal"
No, we aren't becoming less reliant on coal. We should be but we aren't. Look at [1]. We actually consume more coal, oil and gas each and every year.
[1] https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix
- smallerfish 5y agoGood link, but to be fair it looks like it's leveled off since 2011. Oil & gas are continuing to grow, as are solar & wind.
- conductr 5y agoRelative numbers can be misleading and saying coal consumption has decreased is actually false. We’re not doing Mother Earth any favors by sustaining very high consumption but the average reader would believe it’s a green trend.
- smallerfish 5y agoI didn't say decreased, I said leveled off. Mouse over and compare 2011 with 2019. Of course we need to cut coal usage as far as possible, if not completely.
- conductr 5y agoI know but the parent comment and original post said something like “less reliant on coal” which is a relative interpretation and your “leveling off” comment illustrates my point about how relative figures get misconstrued because you can’t exactly become less reliant on something when your consumption remains the same.
- barelysapient 5y agoDepends by who you mean by 'we'. If you mean America, then coal consumption is down by nearly 50% since 2000[1]. If you mean the EU, then you'll be pleased to know we've also reduced our coal consumption substantially. The principle increase in coal use is China. They've almost 4x their use of coal in the last 20 years. They also are leading the world in construction of new coal consuming power plants -- both in China and elsewhere[2]. [1]https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2020/demand https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2020/demand [2]https://www.wired.com/story/china-is-still-building-an-insane-number-of-new-coal-plants/ https://www.wired.com/story/china-is-still-building-an-insan...
- CameronNemo 5y agoAnd where do most Chinese exports go to?
- itzprime 5y agoYes, but that is mainly due to the US & EU using more gas.
- Damogran6 5y agoWe’re just outsourcing our pollution.
- imtringued 5y agoAround 14% of China's CO2 emissions can be attributed to exports. If you count the other 86% you're basically saying China is a western colony which it clearly isn't.
- Damogran6 5y agoIf you wish to get pedantic about it, we push our manufacturing desire to places in the world that leverage the lack of employee rights, ecological controls, and resource utilization because it's cheaper. It's not JUST that we've moved (okay, some percentage) of pollution over there, it's that we've decided to turn a blind eye to ANYTHING you couldn't get away with in America (think overtime, OSHA controls, EPA restrictions, intellectual property theft, money movement)...that does not absolve China from taking care of it's own ecology, which it 'appears' to be doing at a faster rate than us...because they don't have the shackles a pesky democracy or rights or any of those other things that go counter to their desire to control absolutely everything within and without its borders. https://www.chinaghostcities.com/ https://www.chinaghostcities.com/ https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-10-17/China-steps-up-expanding-clean-energy-to-meet-needs-reduce-emissions-14rlY14BoK4/index.html https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-10-17/China-steps-up-expandi... https://chinaenv.colgate.edu/airpollution/air-pollution-in-china/ https://chinaenv.colgate.edu/airpollution/air-pollution-in-c... I used to think it'd be a wave that followed cheap labor...I hope it doesn't as I don't think the planet has enough runway to support it.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]