A Fair Bargain?

While the future of coal in the U.S. appears to be in jeopardy, the same can’t be said for China. According to one recent article, coal consumption in China is expected to rise to 4.8 billion metric tons by 2020, or nearly five times U.S. consumption. That figure is up from 3.65 billion metric tons in 2012. All of which means China isn’t just the world’s top coal consumer; the nation burns almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined.

Of course, China isn’t the only country driving global coal consumption. Because coal offers an inexpensive power generation option, many developing countries are turning to coal to bolster economic growth. In fact, according to the International Energy Agency, India is poised to overtake the U.S. as the number-two coal consumer in the world in 2017.

What does that mean for those waging the fight against global carbon emissions? Consider the trends. Since 1992, carbon dioxide emissions have increased in China by 240 percent,157 percent in India, and 139 percent in Iran. These nations are the biggest contributors to the growth in carbon dioxide emissions we hear so much about from the media. In fact, during that same span, CO2 emissions in the U.S. have increased only 10 percent.

What does this mean for the ability of the U.S. to affect global carbon emissions? As PACE testified at the EPA listening session in Atlanta, even if America’s coal-fired power fleet shut down today completely, the environmental impact would be minuscule since these plants produce only .18% of the world’s carbon. It’s not that the U.S. shouldn’t have a role in solving global problems; it’s that a unilateral solution does little except dampen our own economy.

These realities don’t mean we should throw up our hands and not work with other nations to continue making environmental gains. It does mean that U.S. policymakers should consider what Americans will gain from the economic sacrifices posed by turning away from affordable energy sources. It does mean that consumers deserve to know exactly what they are getting when they are asked to pay more at the pump and at the gas and power meter. We can’t afford to make decisions in a bubble, insulated from global realities.