Tuesday July 03, 2007

As glaciers melt and rivers dry up, coal-fired power stations multiply

guardian.co.uk :

On a bad day - which can be hundreds in a year - the ancient city of Linfen in the northern province of Shanxi is environmental hell. Named by the World Bank last year as having the worst air quality on Earth, its 3.5 million people more often than not choke on coal dust; its soil and rivers are covered with soot. The cause is Linfen's 196 iron foundries, 153 coking plants, unregulated coalmines, tar factories, steelworks and homes, all of which burn cheap, easily accessible brown coal. The country is now building 550 coal-fired power stations - opening at the equivalent of two a week - and in the five years to 2005, electricity generation rose 150%.

China is well aware of its impact on climate change. Its Himalayan glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate, its deserts are encroaching on cities in the north-west, and rivers are drying up as a result of temperature rises and over-exploitation. According to the Worldwatch Institute thinktank in Washington, Chinese air pollution from coal-burning cost its economy more than $63bn in 2004, or roughly 3% of GDP.

China's first national plan on climate change follows western countries in setting ambitious domestic targets to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2010 and to raise the share of renewables - such as wind and hydropower - to 16% by 2020. However, more than a year into the energy plan, it is proving hard to implement. For another 10 to 20 years, the most populous country on Earth is expected to continue its supercharged growth, then to plateau for a decade or so, before making reductions.

See also :

1. China building more power plants
2. China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter
3. China #1 in CO2 emissions

(2007-07-03 12:19:19 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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