Nations That Debate Coal Use Export It to Feed China’s Need

Pollution from burning coal has no borders. Yet wealthy developed nations that limit construction of coal-fired plants within their borders do not hesitate to ship loads of coal to China and other nations in Asia, reports Elisabeth Rosenthal for the New York Times. The article lists numerous trade deals, and China now uses about half of the coal burned globally, or 3 billion tons. The rush to supply China has doubled the price of coal in five years. Expressing outrage over the disregard for coal’s role in pollution and emissions that spur climate change, environmental groups pose obstacles for shipping and mining coal at ports and in courts. Research is underway to discover efficient methods for clean burning of goal or emission capture. But such methods are not in current use, certainly not in China where environmental standards lag behind those of Europe and North America. – YaleGlobal