[Marxism] As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes

[David Walters <dwalters@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

China death rate from using coal will also probably pass 100,000 a year, 
or more. In the US it is estimated by the NIH that 30,000 deaths are 
caused but mostly, because little waste from coal plants (soot in the 
air, heavy metal laden ash in the ground is accounted for, it's very 
difficult to make exact estimates. In China it's easier because 
development has been so fast. This says nothing about 
non-soot/particular carbon admission either in terms of greenhouse 
gases. In the US, coal is about 31% or 35% of all carbon emissions 
(can't find the citation right now). In China it's almost 91%.

Fortunately, the Chinese are trying to use ALL methods of alternative 
electrical generation, that is, non-fossil generation, to slow the 
growth of coal. Nuclear is the most prominent, and effective, where they 
have 12 NPPs under construction and another 80 in planning and to start 
breaking ground over the next 10 years. But it's still not enough as it 
will only account for the increase in needed generation and doesn't cut 
into the base of coal produced power.

Clearly the actual *lack* of planning is the cause of this, allowing for 
a runaway load increase that goes up 10% a year. Currently China's 
electrical load is about half that of the US, or about 500 GW (5000 
large 1,000 MW power plants to put in it perspective). By 2030, or in 23 
years, it is expected to be 1,300 GWs or 300 more than what the US 
generates now! This is truly an insane rate of growth for any industry 
and reflects something very wrong about what is going on in China.

Having said that, it is true what I state above: China has them most 
diverse R&D energy program of any country on Earth: they are doing:
Coal gasification
Coal liquidfication
Syngras production
Bio gas production
Hydro power development (obviously very controversial)
Natural gas exploration and development
Tidal power
Wind power
Solar power (both photovoltaics and concentrate thermal styles)
Generation IV high temperature nuclear reactors for hydrogen, electrical 
and syngas production.

They are serious about ALL of it.

Clearly the present danger is fossil fuel burning. It is killing 10s of 
thousands NOW and polluting the Earth with millions of tons of 
radioactive coal ash, laden with mercury.

David


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