China is aiming to increase its coal production by about 30 per cent by 2015 to meet its energy needs, the Government has announced, in a move likely to fuel concerns over global warming.
Land and Resources Ministry chief planner Hu Cunzhi said the Government planned to increase annual output to more than 3.3billion tonnes by 2015.
Or as Joseph Romm at ClimateProgress puts it, China announces plan to single-handedly destroy the climate.
In short, from 2007 to 2015, China will increase its coal production by an amount equal to two-thirds of the entire coal consumption of the United States — an amount that surpasses all of the coal consumed today in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Africa, and Central and South America.
Changing China’s rapacious coal plans will arguably be Obama’s single greatest challenge in terms of preserving a livable climate and thus the health and well-being of future generations
This is really a staggeringly disappointing and frightening announcement. It had seemed like China was starting to come around and realize they can't continue with business as usual without dire consequences, especially with their reaction to Obama's selection of Chu as Energy Secretary.
Bad, bad news.
Edited by dana1981 - Fri, 9 Jan 2009 23:04:26 UTC
