• How does China’s reliance on coal epitomize the central “single energy dilemma” identified at the beginning of this course?

Markedly, the usage of coal as a singular energy policy has increased  in China and expanded its global carbon footprint. Moreover, China is  the number one international producer of coal and the most reliant  consumers in the world. Plus, the ever-increasing demographics;  has  made coal plants a daily factor,  coal keeps the Chinese energy grid  flowing and coal is used to supply power to the majority of grids in  China.

 For the reason, a singular energy plan in the modern-day time presents dilemmas for China as a Country; due to this fact,  the population rapidly  continues to grow and  China has to meet large energy demands. As a   result, singular energy plans place constraints and pressure on the  coal-fired grid to supply power to all of China.  Not to mention, any  solitary energy plan poses a national security issue concerning the  country’s energy stability.

With rapid globalization, rising energy prices and the prospect of  dwindling global oil reserves, it is becoming increasingly clear that  narrow national strategies will not be sufficient to secure national  energy security. As Chinese growth has increased, so has its importance  for global growth at large. In recent years Chinese growth has made a  greater contribution to global growth than that of the U.S. (The  Economist 2007). China’s energy security has thus become a matter with  potentially far-reaching consequences for the world economy. Climate  security, on the other hand, is inherently a global matter: avoiding  large-scale damage from climate change that could have far-reaching  global economic and security implications.

• In your personal assessment, is it likely that estimation can move away from and off coal?

 In my unassuming estimation, China will have a very difficult time  transitioning its electrical grid into alternative energy sources of  coal. On the grounds, that coal appears to be  China’s dominant energy  source; 70 percent of the energy consumed by Chinese residents is  produced by coal-powered plants. In addition, smaller Chinese  cities’/towns’ economies are dependant upon the production of oil and  coal-powered plants for their livelihoods.

To point out, China is restarting many of its coal-powered plants  after pledging to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore,  there has been an international campaign to compel China to convert a  fraction of its coal energy to renewable green energy. As has been  noted, China’s feeble endeavor to introduce renewable alternative energy  to counterbalance the enormous high usage of coal plants to power its  electrical grid. Likewise, China approved two more additional plant  openings. Therefore, I firmly state China has no plans of slowing the  production of coal plants as the primary energy source and the  government further refuses to move away from coal.

 According to Jayaraj (2019) Indeed, as the UN-led climate show has  taken center stage in Europe and North America, China has unobtrusively  gone around its trade of expanding the generation, send out, and utilize  coal. Last week, China endorsed two more coal mine ventures. The two  ventures, affirmed by the government’s National Improvement and Change  Commission, fetched around 1.32 billion USD and speak to different  measures taken by Beijing to prop up its coal generation.

References

Jayaraj, V. (2019, Oct 29). Two Reasons China’s Coal Spree Is Continuing. Retrieved from Townhall: https://townhall.com/columnists/vijayjayaraj/2019/10/29/china-coal-n2555510

Karl Hallding, ,. G. (2009, September 1). China’s Climate- and Energy-Security Dilemma: Shaping a New Path of Economic Growth. Retrieved from SAGE Journals: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/186810260903800306#articleCitationDownloadContainer

Sawe, B. E. (2018, November 5). Coal Usage By Country, Many of our cities have run on goal for centuries. However, is it really the best way to get power? Retrieved from worldatlas.com: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/15-countries-most-dependent-on-coal-for-energy.html