© 2007 Eugene S. Takle
In 2005, China had plans for 544 new coal-fired power plants to meet the increasing energy demand, 80% of which is derived from burning coal (Watts, 2006). China has very little oil and very little natural gas, but a lot of coal. The mining of coal in China to meet current and future demands presents another challenge. In 2004, 6,000 miners were killed, suggesting saftey measures are being compromised to maintain high production. It is estimated that naturally burning fires at coal seams together with unstoppable fires set in connection with current mining operations puts more CO2 into the atmosphere than the automobiles in the US (Watts, 2005).
References
Watts, S., 2005. A coal dependent future? BBC News
A coal dependent future?