How does China’s reliance on coal epitomize the central “single energy dilemma” identified at the beginning of this course?
Markedly, the usage of coal as a singular energy policy has increased in China and expanded its global carbon footprint. Moreover, China is the number one international producer of coal and the most reliant consumers in the world. Plus, the ever-increasing demographics; has made coal plants a daily factor, coal keeps the Chinese energy grid flowing and coal is used to supply power to the majority of grids in China.
For the reason, a singular energy plan in the modern-day time presents dilemmas for China as a Country; due to this fact, the population rapidly continues to grow and China has to meet large energy demands. As a result, singular energy plans place constraints and pressure on the coal-fired grid to supply power to all of China. Not to mention, any solitary energy plan poses a national security issue concerning the country’s energy stability.
With rapid globalization, rising energy prices and the prospect of dwindling global oil reserves, it is becoming increasingly clear that narrow national strategies will not be sufficient to secure national energy security. As Chinese growth has increased, so has its importance for global growth at large. In recent years Chinese growth has made a greater contribution to global growth than that of the U.S. (The Economist 2007). China’s energy security has thus become a matter with potentially far-reaching consequences for the world economy. Climate security, on the other hand, is inherently a global matter: avoiding large-scale damage from climate change that could have far-reaching global economic and security implications.
In your personal assessment, is it likely that estimation can move away from and off coal?
In my unassuming estimation, China will have a very difficult time transitioning its electrical grid into alternative energy sources of coal. On the grounds, that coal appears to be Chinas dominant energy source; 70 percent of the energy consumed by Chinese residents is produced by coal-powered plants. In addition, smaller Chinese cities’/towns’ economies are dependant upon the production of oil and coal-powered plants for their livelihoods.
To point out, China is restarting many of its coal-powered plants after pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, there has been an international campaign to compel China to convert a fraction of its coal energy to renewable green energy. As has been noted, Chinas feeble endeavor to introduce renewable alternative energy to counterbalance the enormous high usage of coal plants to power its electrical grid. Likewise, China approved two more additional plant openings. Therefore, I firmly state China has no plans of slowing the production of coal plants as the primary energy source and the government further refuses to move away from coal.
According to Jayaraj (2019) Indeed, as the UN-led climate show has taken center stage in Europe and North America, China has unobtrusively gone around its trade of expanding the generation, send out, and utilize coal. Last week, China endorsed two more coal mine ventures. The two ventures, affirmed by the governments National Improvement and Change Commission, fetched around 1.32 billion USD and speak to different measures taken by Beijing to prop up its coal generation.
References
Jayaraj, V. (2019, Oct 29). Two Reasons Chinas Coal Spree Is Continuing. Retrieved from Townhall: https://townhall.com/columnists/vijayjayaraj/2019/10/29/china-coal-n2555510
Karl Hallding, ,. G. (2009, September 1). China’s Climate- and Energy-Security Dilemma: Shaping a New Path of Economic Growth. Retrieved from SAGE Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/186810260903800306#articleCitationDownloadContainer
Sawe, B. E. (2018, November 5). Coal Usage By Country, Many of our cities have run on goal for centuries. However, is it really the best way to get power? Retrieved from worldatlas.com: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/15-countries-most-dependent-on-coal-for-energy.html