Well TXU may have decided to scrap its plans for 8 new coal plants, but that doesn’t mean that others are following suit.
Worldwide, more than two coal-fired plants are brought online a week, according to a new analysis by the Christian Science Monitor. The paper writes that these plants have added 1 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. Even more troubling, emissions from these coal-fired power plants now compose about 1/3 of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions.
China, unsurprisingly, is a major contributor to this problem:
China accounted for two-thirds of the more than 560 coal-fired power units built in 26 nations between 2002 and 2006. The Chinese plants boosted annual world CO2 emissions by 740 million tons. But in the next five years, China is slated to slow its buildup by half, according to industry estimates, adding 333 million tons of new CO2 emissions every year. That’s still the largest increase of any nation. But other nations appear intent on catching up.
But, the US isn’t much better. In fact, 2.7GW of new coal-fired generation have been deployed in the last five years. The real problem though is future plans – another 37.7GW of coal power in the next five years, according to Platts, the research firm. Those new plants will add 247.8 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually.
Even European nations that are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol are hopping on the coal bandwagon:
China accounted for two-thirds of the more than 560 coal-fired power units built in 26 nations between 2002 and 2006. The Chinese plants boosted annual world CO2 emissions by 740 million tons. But in the next five years, China is slated to slow its buildup by half, according to industry estimates, adding 333 million tons of new CO2 emissions every year. That’s still the largest increase of any nation. But other nations appear intent on catching up.