What are the options for the vast stores of coal around the world?
If the countries of the world continue burning coal the way they do today, it will be impossible to achieve the reductions in carbon emissions needed to have a reasonable chance of preventing the worst consequences of global warming. Coal-fired power plants represent the United States’ largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2, the main heat-trapping gas building up in our atmosphere and causing climate change).[1,2] While existing coal power technologies are incompatible with climate protection, advanced coal technologies not yet in widespread use may provide an opportunity for the world’s coal reserves to continue playing a role in the energy mix of the future. Figure 1. Rising Coal Emissions Compared with Needed U.S. Economy-wide Emissions Reductions by 2050 Explore more about coal and global warming.
