Again…more pointless feel good self inflicted suffering that causes high prices and inflation but accomplishes…nothing…Great Green New Deal…for Asia…![Man facepalming: medium skin tone :man_facepalming_tone3: 🤦🏽♂️](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f926-1f3fd-2642.png)
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Asia Pacific's Record Coal Use Makes Western Sacrifice Pointless
The West's grand crusade for a carbon-neutral future is turning into a colossal case of useless sacrifice. While Olympic athletes were asked to forego air conditioning in Paris to save the planet, and American factories face crippling electricity costs, a stark reality continues to unfold in Asia.
China and India, the world's largest and second largest energy consumers, respectively, are on a coal-fired rampage, building new power plants and opening new mines at a feverish rate. A report by the Energy Institute reveals that global coal consumption has hit a record high, thanks to Asia Pacific demand.
Asia Pacific’s Surge in Coal Consumption
Developed nations pat themselves on the back for shutting down coal plants, even as Asia's insatiable appetite for this energy source cancels out climate-driven actions in the West. Every new coal mine in India or every additional megawatt of coal-generated power in China negates whatever emission reductions are achieved by the West. Justifications for Asia's coal dependency are rooted in the economic realities of the region’s rapid industrialization, which requires the reliability and affordability of fossil fuels. Criticism of reliance on coal, oil and natural gas is based on pseudo-scientific predictions of Earth being overheated by emissions of carbon dioxide -- a plant food that is benefiting ecosystems.
In most cases, coal best meets Asia’s need for dependable baseload electricity. Coal is abundant, both domestically and globally. In contrast, renewable energy sources like solar and wind are simply not stable or cheap enough to meet the massive energy demands of these burgeoning economies.
West Digs Its Own Energy Graveyard
Western elites often overlook the social implications of their “green” push. As traditional coal and gas plants are decommissioned, renewable energy sources increasingly undermine grid reliability, make blackouts more likely and drive up electricity prices. Low-income families in the West suffer most with the pressure of choosing between heating homes and putting food on the table. High energy costs have become a significant burden for businesses across Europe and the U.S., threatening their viability. The Federation of Small Businesses in the U.K. reports its members experienced an average increase of more than 400% between 2021-23. Environmental crusaders conveniently ignore such harsh realities, and warnings about the consequences of “green” policies seemingly fall on deaf ears.
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/ar...akes_western_sacrifice_pointless_1052324.html