Four Charts That Prove the Future of Clean Energy Is Arriving

[kristopher]

Four Charts That Prove the Future of Clean Energy Is Arriving

“We are living it, and it is gaining force.”










Full article: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/four-charts-that-prove-the-future-of-clean-energy-has-arrived?utm_source=Daily&utm_medium=Headline&utm_campaign=GTMDaily

[kristopher]

1. These charts show how the trajectory of coal use worldwide is set to change.

The trends documented are key to replacing coal in developed, developing and hoping-to-start-developing countries.

[Nihil]

2. The OP is excellent news for the US but your reply title is wishful thinking for the RoW.

To lift a quote from http://www.democraticunderground.com/112754443
> Our reduction in US coal consumption appears to match up almost perfectly
> with the increase in US coal exports.

And the rest of the world isn't buying US coal to sequester it.

Yes, the trends shown in the OP are excellent and those trends are indeed
key to replacing coal elsewhere but no matter how good the US energy trend
is, mining & exporting (*) all of the coal that you're no longer burning is only
an accounting exercise on a global scale.



Still, thanks for posting it as partial good news is still good news.



(*) = i.e., instead of leaving it in situ - the only long-term proven method of
carbon sequestration on the planet.

[kristopher]

3. Wishful thinking has nothing to do with it

The economic edge that coal has enjoyed is already being eroded steadily on a variety of fronts and the inflection points demonstrated by the graphs are significant for its economics worldwide. For example, China is turning away from it in favor of renewables; the World Bank has determined to stop funding coal projects, and countries without a grid are skipping the entire concept of centralized generation - which is the key to any country expanding dependence on coal.

The stat quoted about coal exports is a data point on a trend line, and it isn't a trend line that is set to continue its upward trajectory.