Beijing shuts last coal power plant in switch to natural gas

[NWCorona]

Source: Phys.org

The shuttering of the Huaneng Beijing Thermal Power Plant comes on the heels of China's annual legislative sessions, where Premier Li Keqiang promised to "make our skies blue again" in his state-of-the-nation speech.

According to Xinhua, Beijing has become the country's first city to have all its power plants fuelled by natural gas, an objective laid out in 2013 in the capital's five-year clean air action plan.

The Huangneng plant is the fourth to be closed and replaced by gas thermal power centres between 2013 and 2017, cutting nearly 10 million tonnes in coal emissions annually.

Since last Wednesday' closing of the National People's Congress, the annual meeting of China's rubber-stamp parliament, PM2.5 (harmful particulate) levels have remained between 200 and 330 micrograms per cubic metrewell above the World Health Organization's recommended maximum average exposure of 25 micrograms per cubic metre in a 24-hour period

Read more: https://phys.org/news/2017-03-beijing-coal-power-natural-gas.amp

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This clip is very on topic.

I changed the link as this one is more neutral and has more info. I expect more news sites to pick this up. Hopefully.

[Historic NY]

1. Now another place going away from coal...

did someone tell doofus.

[NNadir]

17. The world is using 170% of the coal it used in 2000. We are in fact, using more coal...

...as of 2015 than any year in history except 2014.

Natural gas is no kind of "victory" over coal or any other dangerous fossil fuel. It like coal and petroleum is a filthy fuel, the mining of which will represent a great problem for all future generations, especially because of the impact of flowback water from fracking. The increase in the use of natural gas and oil has more than made up in terms of carbon dioxide for the tiny reduction in coal use in 2015 when compared to 2014.

There's no reason to be smug about this. The last two years have been the worst years ever observed for the accumulation of the dangerous fossil fuel waste carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

New York State, I note, plans to shut its nuclear plants and will replace them with natural gas. This is a crime against all future generations.

ORNL Carbon Dioxide Project

[doc03]

2. Can't Trump stop that? nt

[KT2000]

3. does this mean the Kochs

are stuck with mountains of coal waiting to be sold and shipped?

[old guy]

4. Kansas just gave approval for a new coal powered plant.

Got to push that dead end coal somewhere.

[KT2000]

13. Darn it!

Was hoping they would get stuck with all of that. We are really sick of the coal trains - uncovered - going through Washington.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Air quality is a huge motivator.

They won't be able to switch to solar until the air clears enough for them to see the sun again.

Thank you for the post, NWCorona.

♡lmsp

[Igel]

18. Yup.

When a society gets to be affluent enough attention turns to quality of life. Even before legislation is passed, pressure is placed on polluters to clean up effluents and emissions.

Environmental quality in the US improved for several years before environmental legislation was passed in the US, and continued to improve at the same rate for several years after the legislation passed. It wasn't until there was enough support for the legislation that it could pass, and by that time pressure was great enough in some places for polluters to take action without compulsion. (Yes, it's an unpleasant fact, but there you have it. Similarly, most economic stimuli also occur at peak unemployment, meaning that by the time legislation is passed the decline's mostly or entirely stopped and things have bottomed out; then by the time the first money is disbursed things are on the mend. But government takes credit for what happens under its watch, and the counterargument is hard to get presented. It's one government versus hundreds or thousands of individual, small players each of which can claim at most a small portion of the credit. One gets press, and the other to get heard has to claim credit obviously not duly deserved.)

[NWCorona]

19. No problem and thanks for the acknowledgment!

I totally agree with you on the air quality statement. It's an equalizer for rich and poor as we all breath the same air. The same can't be said of the potable water situation in China or anywhere else really.

Solar cells are so cheap in China that they are very common place in the most rural areas.

[progree]

6. In related news - UK carbon emissions down to levels barely seen since the Victorian era

Coal collapse drives down UK carbon emissions, BBC, 3/6/17

Coal use fell by a record 52% in 2016 on the previous year in the face of cheap gas, higher domestic carbon prices, renewables and other factors.

... One of the main reasons for the drop in coal use is the carbon price floor. This carbon tax doubled in 2015 to £18 per tonne of CO2.

Coal use has fallen by 74% since 2006 and is now 12 times below the peak of 221 millions of tonnes (Mt) burnt in 1956.

While CO2 from coal fell drastically, carbon emissions from gas increased by 12.5% in 2016 as utilities switched from burning coal. CO2 from oil also went up, by 1.6%.

Carbon emissions in 2016 reached 381 millions of tonnes (Mt) of CO2. With the exception of sharp dips caused by general strikes in the 1920s, this represents the lowest level since 1894, when Nicholas II became Tsar of Russia.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39181753?yptr=yahoo

[Alice11111]

7. Another way China is becoming the world leader, just

Not the free world. I'm more comfortable with China than Toddler Donnie now. He's little better than 'Lil Kim.
Too bad China's not a democracy. It is not, but it is taking a leadership role at the UN and filling voids we are leaving to help places in need.

[NWCorona]

21. China is an interesting country. Making progress by leaps and bounds

In some areas but not so in others... Namely human rights but progress is being made.

[keithbvadu2]

24. Trump prepares to pass the world leadership baton to China

Trump prepares to pass the world leadership baton to China


https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-prepares-to-pass-the-world-leadership-baton-to-china/2017/03/16/c64ccee2-0a84-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html?utm_term=.b3ce3ad195e0&wpisrc=nl_p1&wpmm=1

[Alice11111]

25. V interesting article

[roamer65]

8. Great move for air quality.

But CO2 levels will continue to rise.

7.5 billion and counting.

[Hortensis]

9. Wonderful. Every advance is a win for all of us.

[msanthrope]

10. Somebody ought to tell West Virgina and Kentucky. nt

[NWCorona]

22. Word!

[DK504]

11. Once again America has fallen behind in climate change.

Are we going to have to get as bad as Beijing before something is done?

[BootinUp]

12. Damn, you need full face breathing

apparatus to live there.

[NWCorona]

23. In some places you really do!

I've been many times and it's no joke!

[yallerdawg]

14. They discovered choking to death on poisoned air...

wasn't "a Chinese conspiracy."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. I hope new coal plants only get built a Mar-a-Lago. . . . nt

[warmfeet]

16. Now

to switch from natural gas to wind and solar. A work in progress. Keep it up.

[Igel]

20. It's good.

They save money. Good for budget.

They reduce reliance on some sources they'd just as soon not rely on. Good for nationalism. Oh, I'm sorry, "patriotism." You can tell they're not nationalist just by looking at them.

At the same time, they tell the populace that they're doing it for the health of the citizenry. Think of the children. Like the children today are any more precious than the children 10 years ago.

And they get to boast to the world that in the face of extreme pressure to do otherwise, they're phasing out a dirty energy source.

Seldom does a piece of PR line up so wonderfully. There's something for every kind of supporter to notice and think is the One True Reason.