The cheap and dirty fuel

COP21 has just begun. It's a fantastic chance to promote and persuade countries to opt into cleaner fuels and promise the use of less resources or reduced environmental impact. A great blog review of COP21's objectives, aims and outcomes can be found here. 

During the industrial revolution, coal was a cheap and dominant source of energy for Britain and fuelled much of revolution as an efficient, high energy-resource. But the emergence of 'dirty' coal impacting lakes through sulphur emissions has forced many countries, including Britain, to use 'cleaner' varieties of coal which are not found in the UK (I won't go into the politics of this...).

Is our need for power more important than the environment? (Source)

For me, coal is a no-brainer. It is one of the dirtiest fuels which should be opted against. But opting for cleaner forms of energy production may not be the easiest, however dirty the fuel is. Many developing countries, including India, want to bring reliable electricity to a larger proportion of their populations. But it therefore means choosing for the cheapest form of power production - coal.

The International Energy Agency has reported that in 2014, renewable accounted for half of the world's new electricity generation, after coal (woo!). In the UK, a more exciting development has been announced - power generation from coal will end in 10 years! Unfortunately, leading by example is not always effective, and many developing countries, are going to have to meet their increased energy demands somehow.

Coal is the answer for many. For example, in the Philippines, 23 new coal power plants will be built by 2020...! And 40% of the 400 Gw of electrical generation will be coal-driven by 2040 in SE Asia.

So does coal have a role in the future of the world's energy demands for the future? Well we have an ever growing need and want for energy, and as the world becomes more developed, and a greater number of people gain access to electricity, the demands for accessible and cheap electricity will increase. 

We are a greedy people. But is the strategy to stem the greediness? Or do we allow the greediness and then solve the issues later?