Coal in China: A Crisis of Creativity

1. Framing the issue.
   • China has an urgent need to clean up its air for health and consequently economic reasons. The need for action to clean up the air is created primarily by the consumption of coal, largely in the energy sector. Even in terms of global carbon budgets the quantities of carbon dioxide involved are significant. Through an understanding of climate ethics it is clear tha much of the responsibility for this cleanup lays with northern govornments. However whilst there are numerous pathways to fullfiling this obligation the pathways have very different social and environmental side effects.
2. Assessing the options.
   • In the quest for solutions we must be cognoscente of the varied economic situation throughout China--a nation that is amongsth the most economically unequal in the world. Having considered the economic context tha any new energy plan would inhabit  it is now important to look at the technological options and consider how these perform in terms of carbon emissions reductions, costs and rate of application. This is a broad set of questions that relate to CCS, smart grids, renewable energy and efficienct. Luckily althouh we are on contested ground when discussing CCS  the nesccesity of investing massively into renewables is not in doubht; everyone knows this is our energy futre. The presentation of this program as a green jobs nbonanza  and not a necessary restraint from business as usuall will be key to its success. Finally, It would not do to pass by our assessment of technologies without also reviewing the local impact of coal, and a comparison of ccs and renewables on ancillary isues.
3. Points of agreements and a vision of the future.
   • Having established the opportnity to be grasped in moving beyond coal, the presure and support for doing so and having looked at the options, its is now nessicary to conclude our examination of coal and china by brining political developments on tech transfer up to date.We also need to look openly at the largest points of contenscioun and explain why worlds like neo-colonialims are used for climate change solutions. Finally we present our vision for a cleaner and more prosperous China.