Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change

Coal production in the USA:

 

The petroleum segment in this chart includes fuels for vehicles, which is more than 2/3 of the total petroleum consumption in the USA.

Natural gas is increasing at about the same rate as coal is decreasing.

Notice the "renewables" energy compared to coal energy.

 

Thank you for making my point. Coal growth in China and India more than outpaces the US decline.

 

This may be helpful re coal consumption.

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/265491/chinese-coal-consumption-in-oil-equivalent/

The first chart in this site shows that China's consumption of coal in exajoules is no larger today than it was 10 years ago.


Beyond that, I'm curious what your point is here.

Are you suggesting that we ignore the warming that is happening on the grounds that there are economically emerging nations that are consuming significantly increasing amounts of energy?

 

My point is that anyone who thinks emissions are a problem should be focused on China, not the US.

From your link:

In 2020, China's coal consumption amounted to 82.3 exajoules, up from 81.8 exajoules in the previous year. Between 1998 and 2020, figures increased by 54 exajoules. As of 2020, China was by far the world's largest coal consumer, with 54 percent of the coal consumption. According to the source, the data only includes solid fuels, i.e. bituminous coal and anthracite (hard coal), and lignite and brown (sub-bituminous) coal.

 

Coal will only last a few more years it is being replaced as we speak by cleaner cheaper options. You should be celebrating the death of coal given its horrific toll on human health.

 

The PARIS agreement was for all nations and nearly all signed it.

This “dirty bedroom” excuse does not wash. America may not be number one emitter now but it did hold that mantle for a long long time and the Co2 it put in the atmosphere is still there today.

 

Coal is booming. China and India are aggressively expanding coal power generation.

 

So what? No apologies for being the largest economy in the world.

 

We ARE doing that!! Aren't you paying attention?

First, let's remember that the US has had a major role in CAUSING this problem - NOT China. Our economy emerged due to the coal and petroleum driven age of manufacturing. We were a major cause of anthropogenic climate change.

And, today we emit TWICE as much CO2 per capita as does China:
https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita/


So, now we're in a situation where the world has to face that problem we were such a major part of causing.

We ARE working to cause other nations to move toward lower CO2 emissions. We do that through the international agencies that I NEVER see you support.

But, the fact that we are such a major contributor to this world wide problem means that we have responsibility in leading by demonstration of our own willingness to improve.

Telling nations to do what we say, not what we do, is NOT going to be accepted as leadership.

Many other nations are already taking actions we don't want to take. One primary example is that European nations have levied heavy taxes on fossil fuel for decades.

THAT is leadership. They demonstrate that they can have healthy economies even when taking strong actions that America has refused to take.

Europe can talk to China, backed by their clear record of taking action.

The USA is the second highest emitter of greenhouse gas. Plus, we emit more CO2 per capita than any other economy anywhere near our own.

We also have a long history of fighting AGAINST world reduction of greenhouse gasses. We worked to torpedo Kyoto, for example. And, then we pretended the reason was that Kyoto wasn't good enough!! That is NOT the leadership that the USA needs to contribute.

 

The european union has a GDP that is about 6% higher than the USA, though the exact comparison is muddied some by the COVID "recession" in both places.

China is growing at 2.3%, while the USA is more or less flat.

There is no question where this is leading. With 4X our population, China WILL have the highest GDP of any individual country or the EU.

 

You linked to a graphic from a BRITISH PETROLEUM site? I mean - why rely on astroturf for you disinformation when you can get it from the source?

We are looking at reducing that and it is not about today but where we are headed tomorrow

https://www.iea.org/reports/coal-2021

 

We owe no one anything.

 

What the heck does THAT mean???

We are ALL in this together.

In fact, as you point out it would be in our best interests to take actions that enhance our leadership in this world.

 

GDP growth in 2021:

US: 5.7%
EU: 5.3%
China: 5.5%

 

No, we are not. The Chinese are exploiting western irrationality to advance their economic agenda.

 

Your link supports my graph, whose figures are unchallenged.

 

LOL!!

You can't pick one year and claim that's the trend.

 

Just correcting your false figures.

 

Still not a good idea to use such partisan sites

 

This from the person quoting Christopher Monckton and NTZ - both of whom are knon to Snopes

 

Data are data, your irrational prejudice notwithstanding.

 

No, this is still a trend issue, not a single year issue.

 

And yet your claim was false.