14 DAY TRIAL // One would think that a major air pollution crisis would be more than enough to convince a country to green up its ways. Apparently, this is not the case for China.
Thus, recent media reports say that, in the year 2013 alone, this country gave the thumbs up to plans to install a whopping 100 million tonnes of new coal production capacity.
By the looks of it, the cost of this initiative will amount to some $9.8 billion (€7.2 billion).
Think Progress says that, as surprising as this may sound, the increase in coal production that China gave the green light to this past year is significantly greater than the increase approved by the country back in 2012.
For comparison purposes, it must be said that, in 2012, China invested $1.2 billion (€0.88 billion) in upping coal production, and added some 16.6 million tonnes of yearly capacity.
This means that, when compared to the year before, the country's 2013 increase in new coal production capacity is about six times greater.
Just in case some like percentages more than they like weight measurement units, here is one other way to look at things: China's brand-new coal production capacity is 10% of the United States yearly consumption of this energy source.
Ironically enough, the news that high officials in said country have agreed to spend quite a lot of money on upping coal production comes shortly after China announced that its provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions had all been set very strict air pollution reduction targets.
Now that the country has said that it will add 100 million tonnes of new coal production capacity, some are starting to wonder whether the country is indeed interested in solving its air pollution crisis, or if maybe it is all just talk.
Just for the record, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions estimates that, currently, coal meets 26.6% of the world's energy demand. Furthermore, it is to blame for some 43% of the carbon emissions that reach our planet's atmosphere each year.