Collieries destroy arable land and grazing pastures, erode topsoil, worsen air and water pollution, increase levels of river sediment (raising the risk of floods), and accelerate deforestation (especially if the coal is used to make charcoal). The country's most pressing environmental problems—acid rain, smog, lung disease, water contamination, loss of aquifers and the filthy layer of black dust that settled on many villages—can all be traced back in varying degrees to this single cause.
Then there are the losses caused by global warming. In 2007 China overtook the US as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases because it was so dependent on this fossil fuel. For each unit of energy, coal produces 80 per cent more carbon dioxide than natural gas, and 20 per cent more than oil. This does not even include methane released from mines, for which China accounts for almost half the global total.
Coal is compressed history, buried death. Geologists estimate the seams of anthracite and bituminate in northern China were formed from the Jurassic period onward. Within them are the remains of ferns, trees, mosses and other life-forms from millions of years ago. Though long extinguished on the surface world, they still—like ghosts or the Meng brothers—possess form and energy. Consider coal with a superstitious eye and foul air might seem a curse suffered for disinterring pre-ancient life. Described with a little poetic licence, global warming is a planetary fever caused by burning too much of our past. But whether we prefer these archaic formulations or modern science, the conclusion is the same: the more we dig and burn, the worse we breathe.
Given the low priority the Chinese coal industry places on ecological and health concerns, it is little surprise that safety standards are also appalling. The country's collieries are the most dangerous in the world. Since the start of economic reforms, the equivalent of an entire city of people has died underground.
More than 170,000 miners have been killed in tunnel collapses, explosions and floods, a death rate per tonne at least thirty times higher than that in the United States. Countless more will perish prematurely of pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease, because there is little or no protection from the dust in the enclosed tunnels. Mine deaths are so frequent that if the Meng brothers had been less stubborn about surviving, the collapse at their pit could easily have gone unreported. All that is unique in their story is that they emerged to tell the tale.
With 20 per cent of the world's population and a fast growing econ- omy, China needs huge amounts of fuel.
Deposits of oil and gas are small relative to the country's size, but coal is abundant. Unfortunately, it is mostly of low quality and inconveniently located in the northwest, the opposite end of the country from where it is most needed: the manufacturing belt of the southeast.
The cleanest solution would be to transform the fuel into electricity or gas near the source and transfer it via power lines or pipes. But this would mean the mining provinces receiving even less economic benefit. So the coal has to be transported by train, barge and ship at huge extra cost to the economy and the environment. Coal accounts for 40 per cent of the freight on China's railways. On the track from Shanxi through Beijing to the southeast, I counted in astonishment as double locomotives pulled a train of more than two hundred cars each loaded high with more than 60 tonnes of coal and ash. There was another ten minutes later. Then another. A million tons could pass along a single line in a day.
Millions of dollars flow in the other direction. China's spectacular economic rise can be tracked by the volume of coal mined, freighted and burned. During the Mao era, colliery production was held back by centralised price restraints that turned coal into red ink. But after the market reforms of the late 1970s and early 1980s, digging mines suddenly became the quickest way to get rich. The wealth of Shanxi's colliery bosses was notorious.
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Add CommentI was in China recently and didnt find the air bad in Bejing, Shanghi or Dalian except for sand storm from the Gobi desert.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLots of cars, but all new so no old boats on the road spewing oil and gas fumes.
China is getting their act together and accomplishing things every single day, building dams, nuclear power plants and yes coal. Coal will be used for hundreds of years, the technology has allowed dramatic reductions in its outputs.
LOL--The question is a stupid one, because China has absolutely zero intention of doing without coal. Neither does India or a long list of other countries that want electricity. Increases in CO2 emissions over the next 50 years will come from those countries as they seek similar levels of electricity access that is available in developed countries today.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe main polluting use of coal in China are the large "tablets" that are used for heating in millions of homes. These are burned in primitive stoves, virtually all without any type of catalyst, and they pollute extensively.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor a very interesting chart on Co2 produced by nation and by nation-per-capita please see this link:
http://www.miller-mccune.com/science-environment/tracking-climate-change-24435/
You do realize that those nice new cars still produce a lot of CO2 even if they aren't 'spewing oil', don't you? All the coal fired electric generation facilities built in recent years my be cleaner than older designs, but still produce a lot of CO2. Please refer to candide's comment #4 link.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBy the way, were you a guest of the government or industry on your trip to China? Yes, they are building the future, but I think you missed a lot of sites and even cities exhibiting major environmental disasters. The future ain't that bright.
While polution is a major global probelm, it has become fashion by western corporate media including scientific publications to bash China. Has the author traveled to other developing countries whcih are US allies and seen the level of polution or price of human life. China is doing far better tahn many western darlings in Asia. SA should engage in science doscourse and not copy FOX, CNN, NYT and other corporate agencies. In fact, many Asian countries are getting epidemic of asthma and other chest ailments due to polution. However, they are praised as great, most powerful nations, flourishing democracies etc by western governments and media. Such double standard is sickening.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSilly article.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was in Shandong 4 years ago. Thee were thousands of people everywhere...I didn't see anyone trapped in a coal pile.
Hint...China is bigger in geographic area than the USA. Los Angeles is not 'the USA' anymore than Beijing is 'China'.
Much of China's coal in future will come from China and Canada.... natural gas from russia and oil also from Canada. Huge contracts have already been signed and mines developed.
Overall, a silly misleading article. China will survive.
With Chinese nuclear costs projected to be less than their own coal within two to three years, its likely China will be going massively coal to nuclear after 2020.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRight now China wants to get their nuclear sales competitive advantage firmly established before letting their massive sales of wind and solar equipment to idiots in the west phase out in favour of Chinese nuclear exports.
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/08/china-leverages-learning-curve-cost.html
Your point is valid, but I have to point out that China's emerging world economy has produced large increases in CO2 production in recent years. It is now the world's largest producer of CO2 emissions. Its continued economic growth will likely produce the largest change in CO2 production in the next several years.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisEventually everybody will use another power source: Aether.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA Flying Saucer "taps" power out of the aether.
Tesla used it for powering his Pierce Arrow car in 1931.
Nasa could have had it when they were given the technology of Gravity Control but allowed some handymen in physics to screw it up with the big Black-out of 2003 as a result.
Then they informed the Nasa Head-Office that the System, used by a Flying Saucer, was unsuitable for Space Travel.
Coal burning will only be ecologically acceptable when power plant uses pure oxygen in the combustion cycle. That way only pure CO2 is produced which can be stored underground. But at present oxygen is expensive, but so too is CO2 capture and storage in present plant. There is the added advantage that there is no NOx either.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAgree with you.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUSA and the Euro developed countries has beening using coal and pouring CO2 to the atmosphere for over a hundred year. The major part of CO2 comes from them. Now how can they stop others countires from using coal as a energy source?
Geothermic energy has a far greater potential for generating electricity than all fossil fuel reserves put together. When the Chineses leaders realise this, they will make the necessary investments that all the other world leaders are too ill-informed to introduce, because of the whining drivel emitted by the heads of big energy groups.
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