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Note: 1 metric ton (tonne) = 1.10231 short tons
Note: 1 metric ton (tonne) = 1.10231 short tons
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China’s demand for coal has driven global coal prices higher. At the beginning of 2007 coal prices nearly doubled as China imported more coal than it exported for the first time. In 2002, China exported 83 million tons more coal than it imported. In 2007, that number fell to 2 million.<ref name="wci"/> Imports are highest for southeastern coastal areas, which are further from the coal producing areas and have greater demand due to industrialization and concentrated populations, such as Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi.<ref name="sp"/>{{#
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:youtube|AWYmT5nEA0M|Coalition Protests Ambre Energy's Push for Coal Exports.|
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China’s demand for coal has driven global coal prices higher. At the beginning of 2007 coal prices nearly doubled as China imported more coal than it exported for the first time. In 2002, China exported 83 million tons more coal than it imported. In 2007, that number fell to 2 million.<ref name="wci"/> Imports are highest for southeastern coastal areas, which are further from the coal producing areas and have greater demand due to industrialization and concentrated populations, such as Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi.<ref name="sp"/>{{#
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China's 2009 net imports soared to over 100 million tons, despite China's domestic coal output of over 3 billion tons a year. According to Reuters, China's net coal imports could rise to 170 million tons or more in 2010,<ref>Jackie Cowhig, [http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE64D1MP20100514 "UPDATE 1-China coal imports may hit 170 mln T in 2010"] Reuters, May 14, 2010.</ref> and are expected to jump 63 percent to more than 200 million tons in 2011, as domestic output struggles to keep pace with demand.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-12/01/content_11635580.htm "China 2011 net coal imports to surge 63%"] China Daily, Nov. 30, 2010.</ref>
China's 2009 net imports soared to over 100 million tons, despite China's domestic coal output of over 3 billion tons a year. According to Reuters, China's net coal imports could rise to 170 million tons or more in 2010,<ref>Jackie Cowhig, [http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLDE64D1MP20100514 "UPDATE 1-China coal imports may hit 170 mln T in 2010"] Reuters, May 14, 2010.</ref> and are expected to jump 63 percent to more than 200 million tons in 2011, as domestic output struggles to keep pace with demand.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-12/01/content_11635580.htm "China 2011 net coal imports to surge 63%"] China Daily, Nov. 30, 2010.</ref>
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For more information on the proposed port developments in the western United States please visit the '''[[Coal exports from northwest United States ports]]''' article.
For more information on the proposed port developments in the western United States please visit the '''[[Coal exports from northwest United States ports]]''' article.
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In September 2010 [[Peabody Energy]] announced that "Coal's best days are ahead." Peabody stated that exports of coal from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming will be central to its expansion goals. The ''Oregonian'' in September 2010 reported that Northwest ports, and in particular ports in Portland, Oregon, may be used in the future to export coal to Asia. The Port of Portland said it doesn't have the space for coal exports in the short-term, but its consultants cited coal as a potential long-term market if it adds terminals on West Hayden Island.{{#
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:youtube|biuUw60jCwU|Coal Export Threatens the Northwest.|
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In September 2010 [[Peabody Energy]] announced that "Coal's best days are ahead." Peabody stated that exports of coal from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming will be central to its expansion goals. The ''Oregonian'' in September 2010 reported that Northwest ports, and in particular ports in Portland, Oregon, may be used in the future to export coal to Asia. The Port of Portland said it doesn't have the space for coal exports in the short-term, but its consultants cited coal as a potential long-term market if it adds terminals on West Hayden Island.{{#
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In early November 2010 Australia-based [[Ambre Energy]] asked Cowlitz County officials in southern Washington State, which borders Oregon, to approve a port redevelopment that would allow for the export of 5 million tons of coal annually. On November 23 Cowlitz County officials approved the permit for the port redevelopment, which is to be located at the private Chinook Ventures port in Longview, Washington. Coal terminals also are proposed at two other sites along the Columbia River.<ref>[http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/11/cowlitz_county_approves_permit.html "Cowlitz County approves permits to export coal to Asia from port in Longview, Wash."] Scott Lean, ''The Oregonian'', November 23, 2010.</ref>
In early November 2010 Australia-based [[Ambre Energy]] asked Cowlitz County officials in southern Washington State, which borders Oregon, to approve a port redevelopment that would allow for the export of 5 million tons of coal annually. On November 23 Cowlitz County officials approved the permit for the port redevelopment, which is to be located at the private Chinook Ventures port in Longview, Washington. Coal terminals also are proposed at two other sites along the Columbia River.<ref>[http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/11/cowlitz_county_approves_permit.html "Cowlitz County approves permits to export coal to Asia from port in Longview, Wash."] Scott Lean, ''The Oregonian'', November 23, 2010.</ref>
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===World Bank plans to limit financing of coal-fired power plants===
===World Bank plans to limit financing of coal-fired power plants===
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The World Bank decided to limit the financing that it provided for coal power plants the day after president Barack Obama announced that the United States would stop investing in coal projects overseas. The World Bank Group wants to make a transition towards more sustainable energy. "Toward a Sustainable Energy Future for All," a paper submitted to board members for review is in preparation for discussion on July 19th. If coal is phased out than natural gas could play an important role in the future. "Natural Gas" which has half the carbon footprint of coal at the point of combustion, can be the least-cost means of providing flexible electricity supply where demand and supply fluctuate," the report said.<ref>[http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/usa-climate-world-bank-idUKL2N0F300W20130627 "World Bank plans to limit financing of coal-fired power plants"] Reuters, June 26, 2013.</ref> <ref name="sp"/>{{#
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:youtube|8vD6ZqtvGxw|Obama's Promises to Go Over GOP Heads for Climate Change.|
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The World Bank decided to limit the financing that it provided for coal power plants the day after president Barack Obama announced that the United States would stop investing in coal projects overseas. The World Bank Group wants to make a transition towards more sustainable energy. "Toward a Sustainable Energy Future for All," a paper submitted to board members for review is in preparation for discussion on July 19th. If coal is phased out than natural gas could play an important role in the future. "Natural Gas" which has half the carbon footprint of coal at the point of combustion, can be the least-cost means of providing flexible electricity supply where demand and supply fluctuate," the report said.<ref>[http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/06/27/usa-climate-world-bank-idUKL2N0F300W20130627 "World Bank plans to limit financing of coal-fired power plants"] Reuters, June 26, 2013.</ref> <ref name="sp"/>{{#
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==China's coal use==
==China's coal use==
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===Air Pollution===
===Air Pollution===
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{{#
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:youtube|mAGxvWCmC1s|Living in China's coal heartland.|
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Average air quality in 45 major cities was rated as "poor" in the first half of 2011, according to statistics.<ref>Li Jing, [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-09/22/content_13763154.htm "Emission rules get tougher"] China Daily, Sep. 22, 2011.</ref> A 2011 [http://www.springerlink.com/content/8v4r3311434804v3/ study] published in the peer-reviewed ''Natural Hazards'' estimates that air pollution from industrial fossil-fuel combustion ([[sulfur dioxide]] and [[particulate matter]] 10) caused 370,000 deaths and a million hospital admissions in 2007, with industrial air pollution costing the Chinese economy 3% of GDP, 43% of which (250 billion Yuan) was due to pollution from coal-fired power plants (the Value of Statistical Life used for China is lower than in industrialized countries - 410,000 Yuan/life, or $65,000 USD).<ref>Bin Fang, Chun-Feng Liu, Le- Le Zou and Yi-Ming Wei, [http://www.springerlink.com/content/8v4r3311434804v3/ study] ''Natural Hazards,'' August 2011.</ref>
Average air quality in 45 major cities was rated as "poor" in the first half of 2011, according to statistics.<ref>Li Jing, [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-09/22/content_13763154.htm "Emission rules get tougher"] China Daily, Sep. 22, 2011.</ref> A 2011 [http://www.springerlink.com/content/8v4r3311434804v3/ study] published in the peer-reviewed ''Natural Hazards'' estimates that air pollution from industrial fossil-fuel combustion ([[sulfur dioxide]] and [[particulate matter]] 10) caused 370,000 deaths and a million hospital admissions in 2007, with industrial air pollution costing the Chinese economy 3% of GDP, 43% of which (250 billion Yuan) was due to pollution from coal-fired power plants (the Value of Statistical Life used for China is lower than in industrialized countries - 410,000 Yuan/life, or $65,000 USD).<ref>Bin Fang, Chun-Feng Liu, Le- Le Zou and Yi-Ming Wei, [http://www.springerlink.com/content/8v4r3311434804v3/ study] ''Natural Hazards,'' August 2011.</ref>
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===Water use===
===Water use===
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:youtube|ScHIOIvFn7M|Coal vs. Water|
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According to a 2013 World Resources Institute analysis, more than half of China’s proposed coal-fired power plants are slated to be built in areas of high or extremely high water stress. If these plants are built, they could further strain already-scarce resources, threatening water security for China’s farms, other industries, and communities.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-26/fire-and-water-china-s-looming-coal-problem.html "Fire and Water: China's Looming Coal Problem,"] Bloomberg, Aug 26, 2013.</ref>
According to a 2013 World Resources Institute analysis, more than half of China’s proposed coal-fired power plants are slated to be built in areas of high or extremely high water stress. If these plants are built, they could further strain already-scarce resources, threatening water security for China’s farms, other industries, and communities.<ref>[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-08-26/fire-and-water-china-s-looming-coal-problem.html "Fire and Water: China's Looming Coal Problem,"] Bloomberg, Aug 26, 2013.</ref>
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===Air Pollution===
===Air Pollution===
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:youtube|zfF7ZmKMUX0|Smog Journeys: a short film by Jia Zhangke|
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China’s coal-produced air pollution also reaches beyond its borders to Korea, Japan, and even the United States.<ref name="Bradsher and Barboza"/>
China’s coal-produced air pollution also reaches beyond its borders to Korea, Japan, and even the United States.<ref name="Bradsher and Barboza"/>
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==Coal Mining==
==Coal Mining==
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{{#
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:youtube|Cw99gjTDZAU|The changing face of China's coal industry.|
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{{#
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There are an estimated 23,000 coal mines in China. China's coal mining industry has the world's worst safety record, with coal mines in China responsible for 80% of mining deaths worldwide. In 2005, 5,986 mine workers were killed in China, compared for example, to 47 in the United States.<ref>Clifford Coonan,[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinas-coal-catastrophe-409258.html "China’s Coal Catastrophe"], ''The Independent'' (UK), July 29, 2006.</ref> Since 2006, a year in which 4,746 mine workers were killed, the Chinese government has shut down thousands of small, often illegal mines in an effort to increase safety. The number of miners killed in 2007 dropped by one-fifth, however China still led the world in mining fatalities with 3,786 deaths.<ref> [http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1248925/scramble_for_coal_continues_in_china/index.html "Scramble for Coal continues in China"], ''Red Orbit'', February 10, 2008.</ref><ref>James Russell, [http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5508#notes “Coal Use Rises Dramatically Despite Impacts on Climate and Health”] Worldwatch Institute, undated, accessed June 2008.</ref> The coal mining industry in China is divided among large state-owned mines, local state-owned mines, and thousands of smaller town and village mines. In February 2006, the NDRC began restructuring the coal sector towards the goal of shutting down all small coal mines by 2015, and establishing five or six large state-owned conglomerates. According to one industry report, in 2005 only 2,000 of China’s 28,000 coal mines were state-owned. Many thousands of these mines rely on outdated equipment and are inefficiently managed, contributing to both increased pollution and dangerous working conditions. One-fifth of the mines are illegal, and it is estimated that the Chinese government has shut down between 20,000 and 50,000 small coal mines in the past several years.<ref>U.S. Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/China/Full.html "Energy Information Administration Country Analysis Brief for China"], Energy Information Administration, updated August 2006.</ref> While the central government continues to crack down on illegal mines, the great demand for coal by China’s power plants, economic growth rates, and the remote locations of many of the mines challenge the government’s ability to control the construction of both illegal mines and plants.
There are an estimated 23,000 coal mines in China. China's coal mining industry has the world's worst safety record, with coal mines in China responsible for 80% of mining deaths worldwide. In 2005, 5,986 mine workers were killed in China, compared for example, to 47 in the United States.<ref>Clifford Coonan,[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinas-coal-catastrophe-409258.html "China’s Coal Catastrophe"], ''The Independent'' (UK), July 29, 2006.</ref> Since 2006, a year in which 4,746 mine workers were killed, the Chinese government has shut down thousands of small, often illegal mines in an effort to increase safety. The number of miners killed in 2007 dropped by one-fifth, however China still led the world in mining fatalities with 3,786 deaths.<ref> [http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1248925/scramble_for_coal_continues_in_china/index.html "Scramble for Coal continues in China"], ''Red Orbit'', February 10, 2008.</ref><ref>James Russell, [http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5508#notes “Coal Use Rises Dramatically Despite Impacts on Climate and Health”] Worldwatch Institute, undated, accessed June 2008.</ref> The coal mining industry in China is divided among large state-owned mines, local state-owned mines, and thousands of smaller town and village mines. In February 2006, the NDRC began restructuring the coal sector towards the goal of shutting down all small coal mines by 2015, and establishing five or six large state-owned conglomerates. According to one industry report, in 2005 only 2,000 of China’s 28,000 coal mines were state-owned. Many thousands of these mines rely on outdated equipment and are inefficiently managed, contributing to both increased pollution and dangerous working conditions. One-fifth of the mines are illegal, and it is estimated that the Chinese government has shut down between 20,000 and 50,000 small coal mines in the past several years.<ref>U.S. Energy Information Administration, [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/China/Full.html "Energy Information Administration Country Analysis Brief for China"], Energy Information Administration, updated August 2006.</ref> While the central government continues to crack down on illegal mines, the great demand for coal by China’s power plants, economic growth rates, and the remote locations of many of the mines challenge the government’s ability to control the construction of both illegal mines and plants.
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===December 2011: Thousands protest new coal plant===
===December 2011: Thousands protest new coal plant===
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:youtube|5vdncZbkmsw|China: 30,000 Haimen Residents "Occupy" Public Highway In Protest Of Coal-Fired Power Plants|
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On December 20, 2011, tens of thousands of residents in "a key economic area" of China’s southern Guandong Province gathered in the streets, occupying a highway to demonstrate against an existing coal plant and the development of a new coal plant near Shantou city. The residents say existing coal plants in the area are already fouling local air and water, making people sick and damaging their livelihoods. Police moved in with tear gas, according to CNN, who also said the protest was initially censored on Twitter by the Chinese government.
On December 20, 2011, tens of thousands of residents in "a key economic area" of China’s southern Guandong Province gathered in the streets, occupying a highway to demonstrate against an existing coal plant and the development of a new coal plant near Shantou city. The residents say existing coal plants in the area are already fouling local air and water, making people sick and damaging their livelihoods. Police moved in with tear gas, according to CNN, who also said the protest was initially censored on Twitter by the Chinese government.
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===[[Shen Neng 1 coal carrier collision with the Great Barrier Reef, Australia]]===
===[[Shen Neng 1 coal carrier collision with the Great Barrier Reef, Australia]]===
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On April 3, 2010, Chinese-owned bulk coal carrier named Shen Neng 1 rammed into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the planet's largest coral reef and selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. The reef is more than 1,200 miles long and comprises more than 3,000 individual reefs, cays, and islands, providing a habitat for countless sea species. The 700 foot vessel was hauling more than 65,000 tons of coal, and hit the reef at full speed in a restricted zone of the marine park, rupturing the vessel's fuel tanks and prompting Australian officials to activate a national oil spill response plan. Besides physical damage to the reef, the greatest threat to the reef was signs of leakage of the roughly 300,000 gallons of heavy low-grade fuel oil the vessel carries to run its engine. The fuel oil is a byproduct of oil production that is used by many cargo ships because it is cheap, but also full of contaminants and very gooey, making it dangerous for animals and hard to clean up. A light aircraft was seen spraying a chemical dispersant on the spilled oil. <ref name="la">John M. Glionna and Ju-min Park and Kenneth R. Weiss,[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-fg-australia-reef5-2010apr05,0,3324015.story?track=rss "Great Barrier Reef rammed by Chinese coal ship"] L.A. Times, April 5, 2010.</ref>
On April 3, 2010, Chinese-owned bulk coal carrier named Shen Neng 1 rammed into the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the planet's largest coral reef and selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. The reef is more than 1,200 miles long and comprises more than 3,000 individual reefs, cays, and islands, providing a habitat for countless sea species. The 700 foot vessel was hauling more than 65,000 tons of coal, and hit the reef at full speed in a restricted zone of the marine park, rupturing the vessel's fuel tanks and prompting Australian officials to activate a national oil spill response plan. Besides physical damage to the reef, the greatest threat to the reef was signs of leakage of the roughly 300,000 gallons of heavy low-grade fuel oil the vessel carries to run its engine. The fuel oil is a byproduct of oil production that is used by many cargo ships because it is cheap, but also full of contaminants and very gooey, making it dangerous for animals and hard to clean up. A light aircraft was seen spraying a chemical dispersant on the spilled oil. <ref name="la">John M. Glionna and Ju-min Park and Kenneth R. Weiss,[http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-fg-australia-reef5-2010apr05,0,3324015.story?track=rss "Great Barrier Reef rammed by Chinese coal ship"] L.A. Times, April 5, 2010.</ref>