© Robert Thomson


NPR took a look this week at the dilemma many developed countries face over coal. It was a timely look because on February 1st many of the world's more developed countries will publish targets for limiting green house gas emissions.

Coal is the biggest single source of greenhouse gases. China and India are now huge consumers of coal, and their appetite is growing. "As long as economic development is a priority," says Morse, "I think climate takes a back seat, and in that situation, coal is going to win every time."

That's the conventional wisdom. But the deal made in Copenhagen may change all that. By Monday, as many as two dozen countries will have listed their emissions targets. China and the U.S. - the two biggest coal users - are leading the group. India is expected to join them, and so will South Africa - a major coal exporter.

I hadn't realized that part of China's interest in alternative energy is based on it's geography. China mines its coal in the southern and western regions of the country and then hauls it by train to be burned in the much more densely populated eastern part of the country. If China cold figure out how to generate significant amounts of wind or solar power near Beijing or Shanghai, it wouldn't have to haul coal from Xinjiang and Sichuan.

You can listen to the story at the NPR website. It's about four minutes long.