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Future of Coal Series

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Despite major shifts in the industry and serious worries in coal communities, today coal still supplies nearly 40% of our electricity. According to the Bureau of Land Management, one out of every five homes and business in the US use electricity made from Wyoming coal. But what does the future look like for fossil fuels in a world where there is increasing pressure to keep them in the ground? In this series, we examine the role of coal as an energy source in a world where constraints on carbon emissions are adopted to mitigate global warming. Indeed, the challenge for governments and industry is to find a path that mitigates carbon emissions yet continues to utilize coal to meet urgent energy needs, especially in developing economies.

Future of Coal Series

The end of coal-fired power is in sight, even with private interests holding out

Oct 11, 2022 04:28 am UTC| Economy

If future historians pick a point in time when Australia comprehensively turned its back on coal-fired generation, they may well point to AGLs decision to bring forward the closure of Loy Yang A, the cheapest (excluding...

Future of Coal Series

Why including coal in a new ‘capacity mechanism’ will make Australia's energy crisis worse

Jun 21, 2022 21:42 pm UTC| Economy

Australias electricity generators would be paid extra money to be available even if they dont actually generate any energy, under a new mechanism proposed by the federal governments Energy Security Board...

Future of Coal Series

China's demand for seaborne coal is set to drop fast and far. Australia should take note.

Apr 23, 2022 08:14 am UTC| Economy

Chinas plans to boost energy security and cut carbon emissions mean this years sudden boom for Australian coal exporters is just a blip. Our new research explores the double pressures of Chinas plans to bolster energy...

Future of Coal Series

Australia's government gives more support to fossil fuel research than is apparent

Jul 24, 2021 06:09 am UTC| Economy

Australian governments direct billions to fossil fuel companies. Among the projects funded by Commonwealth and state governments are work on coal ports, railways and power stations, and research into clean coal or coal...

Future of Coal Series

Deutsche Bank to discontinue lending to coal miners

Aug 01, 2020 14:31 pm UTC| Business

Deutsche Bank announced it would discontinue business with companies that are most exposed to coal mining by 2025 at the latest. The policy will cover companies making over half their revenues from coal mining or, where...

Future of Coal Series

Aren't we in a drought? The Australian black coal industry uses enough water for over 5 million people

May 05, 2020 08:33 am UTC| Nature

Water is a highly contested resource in this long, oppressive drought, and the coal industry is one of Australias biggest water users. Research released today, funded by the Australian Conservation Foundation, has...

Future of Coal Series

Global emissions to hit 36.8 billion tonnes, beating last year's record high

Dec 04, 2019 11:21 am UTC| Insights & Views

Global emissions for 2019 are predicted to hit 36.8 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂), setting yet another all-time record. This disturbing result means emissions have grown by 62% since international climate...

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Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

What if the Reserve Bank itself has been feeding inflation? An economist explains

Heres something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its attempt to restrain inflation in May...

China’s new world order: looking for clues from Xi’s recent meetings with foreign leaders

There is broad consensus that Chinese foreign policy has become more assertive and more centralised in the decade since Xi Jinping has ascended to the top of Chinas leadership. This has also meant that Chinese foreign...

How India’s economy has fared under ten years of Narendra Modi

More than 960 million Indians will head to the polls in the worlds biggest election between April 19 and early June. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is seeking a third...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Georgia is sliding towards autocracy after government moves to force through bill on ‘foreign agents’

Georgias ruling party attempted to pass a controversial bill on foreign agents in March 2023. The law would have required civil society groups and the media to register as being under foreign influence if they receive...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

Mainland China Investors Blocked from Accessing New Hong Kong Bitcoin ETFs

Despite launching new Bitcoin and Ether ETFs in Hong Kong, mainland Chinese investors remain sidelined due to longstanding cryptocurrency bans in their home country. Spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Launch in Hong Kong, But...

SHIB Price Climbs as Shibarium Upgrade Sparks Optimism Among Investors

The Shiba Inu cryptocurrency surged over 4% on April 26, buoyed by executive enthusiasm for the forthcoming Shibarium upgrade to enhance the platforms functionality and security. Shibarium Upgrade Fuels Market Optimism,...

China Investigates Digital Yuan Architect Yao Qian Amid CBDC Concerns

Yao Qian, a pivotal figure behind Chinas digital yuan, is under investigation for alleged misconduct, casting uncertainty on the future of Chinas CBDC initiatives. Probe into Yao Qian Shakes Foundations of Chinas...

Shein Joins Facebook, Amazon in EU Digital Regulations Compliance

Under the EU Digital Regulations, Shein has joined tech giants like Facebook, Amazon, and Google in meeting the strict compliance standards set by the EUs Digital Services Act due to its user base surpassing 45 million in...

Metaplanet Inc. Buys $6.25M in Bitcoin, Pivots to Digital Assets

In a strategic financial maneuver, Metaplanet Inc., a prominent Japanese public company, has invested $6.25 million in Bitcoin, marking its entry into the burgeoning cryptocurrency market. Metaplanet Dives into Crypto,...