November 26, 2013
Recent
studies show that global emissions of carbon dioxide is slowing down. Even
though carbon dioxide is slowing down, coal burning still continues. The world
still remains far from meeting international goals on climate change. It is
unclear if the slowdown in emissions might represent the beginnings of a new
permanent shift. The global carbon project shows that carbon dioxide emissions
from burning fossil fuels and production of cement rose 2.1% in 2012. Growth in
such emissions have been running above 3% a year since 2000.
Aggressive
climate policies in some countries have also had a factor in this slowdown.
Emissions are falling in the
United States and Europe. Some of the factors that are causing this are, an
abundance of natural gas, which is displaces coal in the generation of power,
and tougher mileage standards for new cars.
On a global scale, coal is still
being overused and expanded. Coal is associated with one of the highest
emissions of greenhouse gas. Some countries have set a goal of limiting global
warming to 3.6⁰F of preindustrial level. This will require emissions to peak
and begin to decline toward a low level by 2050. Negotiations are going on
right now to create a new global climate treaty. These treaties however, aren’t
going to go into effect for a couple of years. I think that the coal industry
should find another source of emitting energy. A more sustainable source. If
the coal industries find a new source, they will be creating new jobs for
themselves, rather than just losing them.
"Slowdown in Carbon Emissions Worldwide, but Coal Burning Continues to Grow ." Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/science/slowdown-in-carbon-emissions-worldwide-but-coal-burning-continues-to-grow.html>.
I like your viewpoint at the end. Today, the debate seems to only have two sides: keep coal or shut down the industry. Like many people, I am fairly uneducated on the topic, so I was unaware that the coal industry could possibly find another source of emitting energy. However, would simply finding another source of emitting energy really eliminate the problem? I think it is a great option that should be temporarily put into effect until another powerful source of energy is found.
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