Coal Pollution In China Essay

Michael de Alwis

The Chinese Republic of Coal: Why the excessive combustion of coal in China poses detrimental impacts on its environment and society, as well as the rest of the world.

1. Introduction

China’s economy has grown to be the second largest economy in the world, and along with its positive economic growth, they have been branded as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Out of all the fossil fuels available in China, coal is the most abundant and politically secured resources. Coal fired energy plants are easily integrated into existing power systems, which is why the demand for coal has been rising at a staggering rate. Every one to ten weeks, a new coal fired plant is opened up somewhere in China that is capable enough to power all the houses in either Dallas or San Diego. This paper will aim to discuss the reasons as to why China burns so much coal, taking globalization and the economy into account, the environmental and social consequences and the solutions that can be utilized to reduce coal combustion. China’s coal exports have increased nearly threefold in the past three years and China is now the world’s second largest coal exporter after Australia. This has had widespread implications for international coal markets, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. This rapid export growth has been underpinned by significant changes in China’s domestic coal consumption, production and distribution sectors and expansions in coal rail and port capacity. Government support for coal production and exports in some parts of the industry may also have contributed to China’s coal export competitiveness.

2. Why does China burn so much coal?

Within the past fourteen years China has undergone a severe phase of indus...

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Coal cleaning has been launched as a means of improving energy efficiency and environmental quality. Cleaner coal would reduce 25 percent of coal weight, which would also lead to a reduction in transportation. To increase the supply of cleaner coal, more capital labor must be allocated to coal washing (Solveig), which will be rather difficult as Chinese corporations are not keen on increase expenditures.

Coal is heavily relied upon as a primary source of energy that is needed to fuel industrialization and to improve the standard of living of China’s large and growing population. Due to the lack of countervailing measures, it is unlikely that the output and consumption of coal will be inhibited in the near future, unless China is able to commit to lowering coal emissions and cleaning up its coal plants, pollution will soar within in China and abroad as well.