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We may be able to stop developed countries from using coal but what can we do about developING countries?

Here in Australia we have the privelage of wealth which allows us to make such lifestyle choices as choosing which inputs we use to produce energy. We built this wealth by taking advantage of the cheapest inputs (both labour and resources)and funding our current state of development via this method.

We can and will change the way our energy mix relies on fossil fuel and we will see more influence in this mix by the renewables.

What we cannot do though, is expect developing countries like India to not use the cheapest input for energy production. And in that country that cheapest input is low rank coals. They will use this resource AND they will contribute carbon emissions far greater than we see today. To ask them to do otherwise would be hypocritical and naive. In essence, it would be tantamount to asking them to stay poor. One of the key building blocks of a developing nation is the ability to adequately and reliably electrify the country. India desperately needs to electrify their country as cheaply as possible to give them the same start that Australia and other developed countries had. They will build coal fired power stations and they will keep using the dirtiest of the coals to fuel these power stations.

So what's the solution?

We need to stop focusing on CCS as a solution or even as a focus of opposition. Its not a near term solution and wont help us to solve anything in the next 10 years. Efforts to promote and efforst to oppose CCS is simply adding to hot air emissions and wasting effort and valuable creative problem solving.

We need to start focusing on the technologies that clean up low-rank coals. These are the interim solutions that have a positive impact on global emissions outputs and are implementable within 2-3 years. This effort will then incrementally reduce the emissions of low-rank coal usage and fund further technological development to further reduce emissions, until maybe one day, we may just see the silver bullet of CCS eliminate carbon emissions totally. (But I wouldn't hold my breath).

These clean-er coal technologies can then be exported to places like India and China and we, as developed nations, can help developing nations keep the pace of their GDP growth alive as well as reduce their impact on carbon emissions.

Reducing Carbon EmissionsFrom Cars ›
Submitted by Clean-er Coal on 26 July 2008 - 7:02pm.

They're Already Doing It

Submitted by pauls on 30 November 2008 - 4:36pm.

China is introducing solar and other renewables at a greater rate than any other country. They're poaching our solar experts because our government is letting the industry here stagnate while China supports it.

Granted, they're increasing coal consumption at the highest rate in the world as well, but where does most of the energy go? Factories to produce goods for export to developed countries. The lifestyle changes in China are a factor too but they're funded by China's huge exports to richer countries.

Thirdly, our government is making coal a competitive option for China and others by giving the coal industry research subsidies, tax breaks and even relief from the expenses of the carbon trading scheme - the very scheme that was supposed to provide financial incentives to reduce CO2 emissions.

Fourthly, clean coal is a scam project. Just like so many environmental management plans, such as "relocating" endangered species from a mine site to a place where they will not survive, "Carbon Capture and Storage" is never intended to work. It is only intended to be a finished and saleable product, with approval from a list of dodgy government departments and international bodies, so it can then be sold to India, China and others to allow the coal industry to continue exporting.

My final point is that if we can stop our own countries from using fossil fuels, that is our part of the international project. There are movements in other countries, notably India, working for the same ends and our efforts will only complement each other. We don't have to do their work for them. The movement in China will have difficulties not faced to the same extent in other countries because of their government's greater readiness to suppress them militarily but it exists nonetheless and again our work here helps their cause.