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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

Australian trade deficit narrows in September, driven by firmer coal exports

Nov 03, 2016 05:25 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Australias trade balance improved during the month of September, driven by strong exports of coal and significantly beating market expectations. This surprise improvement was driven by a spike in resource exports, with...

Future of Coal Series

Australia's coal politics are undermining democratic and Indigenous rights

Oct 26, 2016 09:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Can Australia achieve fair and open decision-making when big coal players are involved? The case of Adanis proposed Carmichael coal mine suggests the answer is no, and Indigenous land owners are bearing the brunt. The...

Future of Coal Series

The gas industry needs a carbon price to compete with coal

Oct 25, 2016 17:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Putting a price on carbon would benefit the Australian gas industry, at least in the short term. It is therefore in the interests of gas producers to lobby for the emissions trading scheme proposed for the electricity...

Future of Coal Series

China’s coal imports likely to remain strong, policy measures to dictate prices

Oct 20, 2016 06:36 am UTC| Economy Commentary

Coal imports in China are expected to remain strong in the near term, despite efforts to limit the impact of capacity closures on utilities, while prices are likely to be dictated by the countrys policy...

Future of Coal Series

Bangladesh is building a dirty and expensive coal plant next to the world's largest mangrove forest

Sep 27, 2016 13:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views

A controversial new coal power plant being built in Bangladesh is already running out of friends. Environmentalists worry it will spell disaster for the worlds largest mangrove forest, while locals worry about pollution...

Future of Coal Series

King Coal is dethroned in the US – and that's good news for the environment

Sep 23, 2016 08:08 am UTC| Insights & Views

This is the worst year in decades for U.S. coal. During the first six months of 2016, U.S. coal production was down a staggering 28 percent compared to 2015, and down 33 percent compared to 2014. For the first time ever,...

Future of Coal Series

Pacific pariah: how Australia’s love of coal has left it out in the diplomatic cold

Sep 23, 2016 08:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will have some explaining to do when he attends the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Pohnpei, Micronesia, this week. Australias continued determination to dig up coal,...

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Economy

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda Hints at Rate Hike as Inflation Pressures Build

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) held its interest rates steady on Tuesday, but growing internal support for tightening monetary policy highlights increasing concern over inflation pressures, particularly those linked to the...

European Stocks Slip as U.S.-Iran Tensions and Earnings Season Weigh on Markets

European stock markets edged lower on Tuesday as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of key central bank meetings and a busy week of corporate earnings. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, particularly the stalled...

Ukraine Faces Pressure to Introduce VAT on Low-Value Imports to Secure IMF Funding

Ukraine is under increasing pressure to introduce a value-added tax (VAT) on low-value parcels from abroad as part of efforts to keep its $8.1 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program on track. The IMF review...

Gold Prices Drop Amid Iran War Concerns, Rising Oil Costs, and Hawkish Central Bank Signals

Gold prices declined sharply during Asian trading on Tuesday as rising oil prices and hawkish signals from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) heightened concerns about global inflation and interest rate policies. Spot gold fell by 1%...

China’s Ultra-Cheap EV Boom: Why Electric Cars Cost Far Less Than in the U.S.

The Beijing Auto Show is drawing global attention as it highlights a dramatic shift in the automotive market: electric vehicle (EV) prices in China are significantly lower than in the United States. Intense competition...

Politics

King Charles Addresses U.S. Congress, Emphasizes UK-US Alliance Amid Political Tensions

Britains King Charles III is set to deliver a historic address to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, reinforcing the long-standing special relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. The speech comes at a...

Trump Skeptical of Iran Hormuz Proposal as Nuclear Talks Stall

U.S. President Donald Trump and his national security team remain doubtful about Irans recent proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz while delaying discussions on its nuclear program, according to a Wall Street Journal...

White House Withdraws Trump’s National Park Service Nominee Amid Criticism

The White House has officially withdrawn President Donald Trumps nomination of Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service (NPS), more than two months after it was submitted to the U.S. Senate. The administration did not...

Trump Administration Dismisses Entire National Science Board, Sparking Debate Over Scientific Independence

The Trump administration has removed all members of the National Science Board, a major advisory group that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF), according to statements from two former board members. The...

Trump Rejects Iran Proposal as War Tensions Push Oil Prices Higher

U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with Irans latest proposal aimed at resolving the ongoing two-month conflict, according to a U.S. official. The development has reduced hopes for a near-term...

Science

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

Google Secures Pentagon AI Deal for Classified Projects

Alphabets Google has reportedly entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy its advanced artificial intelligence models for classified operations, according to a report by The Information citing...

Australia Targets Meta, Google, and TikTok With New News Payment Tax Proposal

The Australian government has announced a new plan that could impose multimillion-dollar charges on major tech platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok if they fail to compensate local media companies for news content...

Lightelligence IPO Soars Over 400% in Hong Kong Debut Amid Rising AI Investment Demand

Shares of Lightelligence, the Shanghai-based optical computing company formerly known as Shanghai Xizhi Technology, delivered an explosive performance during their Hong Kong stock market debut, underscoring strong investor...

OpenAI Faces Revenue Pressure and User Growth Challenges Ahead of IPO

OpenAI is reportedly facing mounting pressure after missing key internal targets for both user growth and revenue, raising concerns about its ability to sustain aggressive spending plans. According to a Wall Street Journal...

Advantest Stock Falls on Weak Outlook Despite Strong AI-Driven Results

Shares of Advantest Corp (TYO:6857) declined on Tuesday after the semiconductor equipment maker issued an annual outlook that fell short of market expectations, overshadowing its strong financial performance driven by...