The Energy Collective Group
This group brings together the best thinkers on energy and climate. Join us for smart, insightful posts and conversations about where the energy industry is and where it is going.
Shared Link
Sustainable Coal is a Fiction Being Peddled by Coal Producers and Their Customers
The Global Coal Mine Tracker notes there are 4,300 working coal mines today accounting for 95% of what is burned for energy. The over 9,000 coal-fired thermal power plants produce 40% of the CO2 emitted annually into the atmosphere. Combine that with coal burned to make cement, steel, and aluminum and you have an environmental problem that doesn't have an easy short-term fix. Burning coal and other fossil fuels is responsible for 1 in 5 global deaths annually.
The Alliance for Sustainable Coal, however, in a rebranding exercise has produced Coal Hard Facts to sell us on why coal is good for the planet and why it needs to be part of the solution to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
If the world moves away from burning coal, that doesn't mean the end of the industry. There is an argument to be made for continuing to mine coal and the tailings from the activity to harvest valuable resources to chart its future use in the 21st century.
Sustainable Coal is a Fiction Being Peddled by Coal Producers and Their Customers
Coal in the run-up to COP28 has been going through a rebranding exercise. The terminology of The Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal sounds right but the reality is far different. Coal-fired thermal power plants today may produce more than a third of the electricity we use daily on Earth, but they also contribute 15.5 Gigatons of CO2. The reality of creeping global warming and other climate change impacts, therefore, makes burning coal an unsustainable practice sooner rather than later.
Discussions
No discussions yet. Start a discussion below.
Get Published - Build a Following
The Energy Central Power Industry Network® is based on one core idea - power industry professionals helping each other and advancing the industry by sharing and learning from each other.
If you have an experience or insight to share or have learned something from a conference or seminar, your peers and colleagues on Energy Central want to hear about it. It's also easy to share a link to an article you've liked or an industry resource that you think would be helpful.
Sign in to Participate