A big black eye: Continued heavy coal use threatens to Choke climate Goals

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The scourge of coal, worst polluting of all fuels for electricity generation, is continuing at at alarming level, with the Economist recently observing that the super-dirty fossil fuel has far from disappeared as a source of energy despite calls for it to be speedily exiled from the energy arena.

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India And China Coal Use Staggeringly High

For instance, India, which is the world’s third largest source of pollution after China and the U.S., generates three-quarters of its electricity from coal-fired sources, a result in part of a burgeoning economy that the government is loath to slow by curbing coal use.

And in China, the world’s biggest user of coal — from which it generates about half its electricity — keeps on using massive amounts of the mineral despite a huge rise in its renewables efforts. In addition, the U.S., Japan and, in particular, Indonesia (the world’s fourth most-populous nation) rely heavily on coal-created energy.

Most dangerous
According to Climate Central, coal is the most dangerous of all fossil fuels. “Along with adding to greenhouse gas pollution, burning coal emits toxic and carcinogenic substances into our air, water and land, severely affecting the health of miners, workers and surrounding communities.”

Then there’s the matter of jobs, which governments are loath to upset. For instance, China has more than 1.5 million people who work in coal mines. India has well over 200,000.

If extremely sharp reductions in fossil fuel use are key to slowing global warming, coal use will need to plunge steeply. That is not going to happen soon.