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The Forum > Article Comments > Peak pollution: China aims for the top so it can go down > Comments

Peak pollution: China aims for the top so it can go down : Comments

By Nicholas Cunningham, published 13/6/2014

As of 2012, only 61 of the 75 GW of installed wind were actually connected to the grid. The remaining turbines were left idle even as China was claiming to be setting a global example for clean energy.

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If I recall a year ago China's coal generation capacity was about 750 GW in contrast to about 50 GW from all sources for Australia. The West has outsourced a lot of manufacturing to China so it seems fair to slap a carbon tariff on goods imported back from China. For example we send them coking coal and iron ore or alumina and thermal coal and get back steel and aluminium free of carbon tax. We lose jobs and the atmosphere gets more polluted.

I've seen statements where China says it will burn 4 bn or more tonnes of coal a year until the late 2020s. Less than 1 bn would be better. I doubt that wind and solar can make that sort of dent which leaves nuclear which is much more expensive than coal. If Abbott fails to get re-elected and Obama's new policies stick perhaps the West should put the squeeze on China to burn less coal. Instead both Australia and the US are supplying them with more. I wouldn't count on much changing.
Posted by Taswegian, Friday, 13 June 2014 9:36:37 AM
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However greenies and some scientists extol China as a climate change leader the facts don't stack up.

The first reference the article quotes is http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=CH . Towards the end of that reference are two pie charts - concerning China's Installed Electricity Capacity by Fuel. The first Chart is "end 2012" and the second chart are fuel sources projected for 2040:

The pie charts indicate that China may use twice the amount of fuel for electricity in 2040 that it does in 2012. Given China much more rapid energy growth in the last three decades since 1984 this is a massive underestimation.

It is significant that in 2040 half of China electicity production will be still sourced from dirty coal - meaning much higher air and water pollution levels than China is already suffering.

Note that it is not a China only problem. Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are already recipients of Chinese air pollution blowing over to them. Australia is also in the same polluted world as China.

As well as electricity production the number of cars and trucks in China will be several times higher in 2040 (and indeed in 2025) than they are now. Chinese diesel and petrol engines are notably less efficient (ie. they pollute more per vehicle) than those we use here.

It all means that however greenies extol China as a desirable climate change example the facts don't stack up.

Pete
Posted by plantagenet, Friday, 13 June 2014 12:40:13 PM
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Its true that atmosphere is getting harm because of all these because which there is lot of global warming going on and our future is in danger. Visit http://camilla.com.au/
Posted by elissahuff, Tuesday, 1 July 2014 7:56:38 PM
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