Air pollution's harmful impact on our health has been well documented, and a new report by Global Energy Monitor has discovered a concerning trend related to the dirtiest fuel around.
What's happening?
In April, the nonprofit released its annual report analyzing the global coal fleet and found that operating coal capacity increased by 2% last year.
The addition of new plants in China accounted for two-thirds of the growing fleet, while reduced closures of coal plants contributed to the overall increase in coal capacity.
"We had said that 2024 was the year coal would peak," Rystad Energy senior vice president Carlos Torres Diaz told the New York Times. "But right now, I would say it's not clear we'll hit that. We're near it, in any case."
According to Global Energy Monitor, the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom were the only countries to eliminate one gigawatt of coal capacity without opening a new plant.
Indonesia, India, Vietnam, and Japan rounded out the top five countries with the most newly added coal capacity.
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Why is this concerning?
The World Health Organization has found that 99% of people worldwide are breathing air that threatens their physical well-being. The most polluting fuel of all? Coal.
A study published in the journal Energy Geoscience details how burning coal "releases a mixture of hazardous substances."
The inhalation of these fumes has been linked to respiratory tract infections, lung cancer, immune system dysfunction, low birth weights, and premature deaths.
What is being done about this?
The New York Times noted that China is also the world leader in clean-energy expansion, though coal plant construction was at an eight-year high in 2023. According to the government, a number of the coal plants are intended as backups.
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"While the data isn't totally clear from China, it is possible that while there may be more coal plants there could also be lower utilization of them," Diaz said. "But when it comes to coal … whatever happens there really defines the global trend."
While coal plant retirements slowed down in 2023, many countries have already made significant strides toward phasing out the dirtiest energy — or are working toward doing so.
India, the second-biggest consumer of coal behind China, has major solar projects underway amid increased energy demands.
The United States, the third-biggest coal user, has been retiring its coal-fired plants over the past 10 years, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Signing up for community solar, opting for reusable silicone containers instead of single-use plastic ones, and unplugging appliances that aren't in use are all ways to help reduce harmful pollution generated by individual day-to-day activities.
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