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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

Oil Prices Surge Over 3% as Middle East Conflict Raises Supply Fears

Oil prices climbed sharply during Asian trading on Thursday as escalating tensions in the Middle East fueled concerns about potential disruptions to global crude oil supply. The conflict has now entered its sixth day with...

Japan’s Rengo Unions Seek Nearly 6% Wage Increase in 2026 Labor Talks

Japans largest labor union federation, Rengo, announced that its member unions are seeking an average wage increase of 5.94% in the 2026 annual labor negotiations, highlighting continued momentum in wage growth as...

China Unveils New Five-Year Plan Focused on Tech Power, Economic Growth, and National Security

Chinas political leadership gathered in Beijing as President Xi Jinping introduced a new strategic roadmap for the countrys economic and political direction during the annual National Peoples Congress (NPC). The meeting,...

Asian Stocks Rebound as KOSPI Surges, China Signals Stimulus Amid Global Tensions

Asian stock markets rebounded sharply on Thursday, with South Koreas KOSPI leading gains as bargain hunters returned to equities following heavy losses earlier in the week. Positive momentum from Wall Street and selective...

Trump Praises Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela Oil Exports Resume

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez is doing an excellent job as Venezuela begins restoring its oil flow, signaling improving cooperation between Washington...

Politics

Chinese Air Force Activity Near Taiwan Drops Sharply Amid Possible Strategic Shift

Chinese air force activity around Taiwan has dropped significantly in recent weeks, marking an unusual pause in what had previously been near-daily military operations. According to Taiwan government data compiled by the...

Young Trump Voters Divided After U.S. Strike on Iran and Death of Ayatollah Khamenei

Young voters who supported Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election are expressing mixed reactions following the recent U.S. strike on Iran that reportedly resulted in the death of Iranian Supreme Leader...

Brazil Senate Approves Mercosur–EU Trade Agreement After Decades of Negotiations

Brazilian lawmakers have officially approved the long-awaited free trade agreement between the South American trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union, marking a major milestone after more than 20 years of negotiations....

Rubio, Saudi Foreign Minister Discuss Iran Threats and U.S. Embassy Riyadh Attack

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday to discuss rising concerns about Irans role in regional instability and other key developments in the...

U.S. Pledges Support to Turkey After Iranian Missile Threat

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washingtons strong support for Turkey following a missile threat linked to Iran, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department. Rubio spoke with Turkish Foreign...

Science

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...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Indonesia Issues Stern Warning to Meta Over Online Gambling and Disinformation

Indonesias communications ministry has issued a stern warning to Meta Platforms Inc. over what it describes as insufficient action against the spread of online gambling, disinformation, and harmful content across its...

Big Tech Signs White House Pledge to Fund Power for AI Data Centers

Major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon signed a new agreement at the White House committing to fund additional electricity generation for their rapidly expanding data centers. The...

OpenAI Explores Partnership With The Trade Desk to Expand ChatGPT Advertising

OpenAI has reportedly begun early discussions with advertising technology company The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) as it explores ways to expand advertising capabilities on its popular ChatGPT platform. According to a report...

Iran Crisis Could Threaten AI Data Center Expansion and Global Chip Demand, South Korea Warns

South Koreas semiconductor industry is raising concerns that an extended geopolitical crisis involving Iran could slow the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the Middle East, potentially...

US Lawmakers Raise Security Concerns Over Intel Testing ACM Research Chipmaking Tools

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has raised national security concerns regarding Intels testing of semiconductor manufacturing equipment produced by ACM Research, according to a report by Reuters. The concerns were...