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The roots of Chinese pollution
A detailed analysis of powerplants in China by MIT researchers debunks the widespread notion that outmoded energy technology or the utter absence of government regulation is to blame for that country's notorious air-pollution problems. The real issue, the study found, involves complicated interactions between new market forces, new commercial pressures and new types of governmental regulation...
China's power sector has been expanding at a rate roughly equivalent to three to four new coal-fired, 500 megawatt plants coming on line every week...most of the new plants have been built to very high technical standards, using some of the most modern technologies available. The problem has to do with the way that energy infrastructure is being operated and the types of coals being burned.
The good news is that there is a single lever -- coal quality -- that could have an enormous impact on Chinese pollution levels. Here is the full story.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on October 7, 2008 at 08:39 AM in Law | Permalink
Comments
Or the bad news here is coal quality. China's coal reserves are large but poor quality aren't they? I don't see them importing coal. Since they are already using the best technology that's bad news.
Posted by: John B. Chilton at Oct 7, 2008 9:37:29 AM
@ john,
the article mentions that china does have more expensive high quality coal, but during price spikes the power plants turn to cheap coal.
they say the right regulations and incentives can get the plants using high quality coal.
Posted by: wongba at Oct 7, 2008 9:46:59 AM
I actually work in the energy sector so I'll be speakigng in my field for once.
Your summary ignores/overlooks this critical sentence early on:
"while at the same time idle expensive-to-operate smokestack scrubbers or other cleanup technologies."
If you don't turn on the scrubbers then it doesn't matter how advanced the technology is and the grade of coal is NOT the most important thing!
Posted by: gabe at Oct 7, 2008 10:11:46 AM
Tyler
Gabe is on target. This is not a technology problem, nor a coal problem. It is a culture problem.
Do you have any Chinese friends who grew up in the 60's or 70's? Ask them what they think about it.
Posted by: Bob Calder at Oct 7, 2008 10:24:34 AM
Thanks for setting me straight, wongba, I should have read! To better make my point, it's the economics: the abundance of cheap low quality coal relative to the alternatives. gabe is making a similar point -- if the scrubbers are expensive in use, and as a result not used their presence is not relevant.
To inject some politics -- Biden's claim that the Chinese don't have the technology is wrong.
Posted by: John B. Chilton at Oct 7, 2008 10:50:46 AM
This is yet another example of why the free market is BETTER, (not perfect) than any variation
that concentrates power in the hands of the state.
We constantly hear these fawning sycophants in the West telling us about the Chinese "miracle". Yet
until ten years ago, the Chinese were almost exclusively running steam locomotives that were based on
a Soviet design based upon an American design, not from the 1940's when steam development reached its
finale, but from the late 1910's or early 1920's. They are now ordering 6000 horsepower diesel electric
designs from GE. Where's the innovation?
Now over the past few years we are treated to endless stories of dirty air, toxins in toothpaste
and candy, faulty tires, etc.
If you want to see a "Chinese miracle", see how so many Chinese immigrants come here, prosper, contribute,
and assimilate, filling our most prestigious institutions of higher learning with students who then
excel in the most difficult curricula while the left insists that no racial minority can possibly
do those things.
Posted by: Superheater at Oct 7, 2008 11:10:27 AM
You know where those guys are going with this line of argument. If it is only a simple matter of turning on the scrubbers (making sure the supply of ash is there etc)adding a few extra percent to the cost of fuel and then China has less SO2 and NOX and mercury pollution....well this is a problem for the environmetal scaremongers who wish to implement a whole global governenence power grid complete with global taxes and millions of rules to micromange our lives to be "sustainable". So they have to trot out research showing that we need massive new changes to our world, population reduction etc...I can see the headlines "there is not enough good coal left!!"..."6 billion people is beyond the carrying capaicty of the planet we must act now!!"
Posted by: gabe at Oct 7, 2008 11:22:29 AM
@ superheater,
sure there are lots of chinese immigrants that come to the US and assimilate. but increasingly, there are others that get an education and go back to china b/c that's where the opportunities lie. many 1.5 gen and abcs wish to work in china too. the US is still the gold standard for education, but not so anymore for job opportunities.
Posted by: wongba at Oct 7, 2008 12:39:48 PM
You've misread the article, or your post is not complete.
They are talking about SO2 emissions, not CO2 emissions. Sulphur Dioxide not Carbon Dioxide.
SO2 is bad for the local Chinese, and short term good for the world climate. Our models are well calibrated now, and the Pinatubo eruption gives us a very clear test of the magnitude of the negative aerosol forcing arising from SO2 emissions (in the case of Pinatubo, c. 0.5 degree centigrade worldwide).
CO2 is long term bad for all of us. Burning better coal will help but doesn't make a huge difference to the picture.
Market prices for electricity in China would help, by reducing consumption. But almost no country charges market prices for electricity, universally. There is usually a degree of subsidisation of large industrial consumers.
Posted by: Valuethinker at Oct 8, 2008 5:35:36 AM
http://econotrashtalk.typepad.com/
Posted by: dg lesvic at Oct 13, 2008 10:00:42 PM
I'm the interest rate, I choose the credit crisis, how –I’ve been
celibate for seven years to take control of the classing adjustment
coupling would cause (oh that's how you won). So consequently
I could probably have the oil price at $170 currently, how -I was
sleeping to providing days with no expectations, and much ridicule.
Instead on July 16th I started exercising.
The directions in this cash economy come down to this:
1)react
2)fill in personality
3)demand cash
The answer to exiting this economy will always be the same -you
will use a program that the Univeristy of Waterloo (9938493) is
aware of. At a certain point of organizing your life with programs
you'll find everybody is dealing with NEXT BEST THOUGHT.
The program will provide you with directions that are as healthy
and as safe as possible using a process of elimination. A program
will answer the following questions, the best way to remove cash
dependency and determine which option an employee finds most
comfortable.
Posted by: Kristina Brooker at Oct 13, 2008 11:18:18 PM
I caused the credit crisis, nobody else caused the credit
crisis. The extent anybody else was involved was simply I was
indirectly told one person having sex in the 80's caused a
recession, I waited and tried to take the job of interest rate.
I want to explain something -I only caused the credit crisis
because all the answers to leaving this cash economy are
products and companies currently in the free market system. My plan
was to lower the interest rate as fast as possible and direct
attention to myself with outrageous macro statistics. Which I have a
tendency to be involved with. Another instance besides the credit
crisis was WW3, though that title is an over exageration for
Isreal invading Hizballahland. What happened was I left Newfoundland
and went to Waterloo in June 2006, WW3 started I thought if I went
back to Newfoundland it would end, and the minute I got information
from the TV in Newfoundland they stated it had ended. I don't
actually understand the marco data but I believe it's basically due
to having the best money because of my ethical bloodline and my
free negative space bloodline (like Jesus).
The solution of using a program to leave the free market system
as healthy and as safe as possible will always be the answer.
It makes sense that the University of Waterloo understands, it is
a technical Uni, this is a technical solution. As well if you
consider the state of industralisation, America's problem is
employment and TV. Canada's employment and TV are close so
relating to the situation in America is easier for Canadian's,
English being the major simaliarity.
That Canada would be a major source of suggestions makes
sense, that Upper class Canada is basically composed of
Waterloo, U of T, McGill, UBC, U of A is true. That amoung these
schools Waterloo is highly competitive concerning the computer
and programming is fair.
Posted by: Kristina Brooker at Oct 13, 2008 11:20:52 PM
Since "the news" has made a predictable error my
question is what do you think my "penis position opinion" is,
since with ever opinion the people effecting directions will
check my virile. You'll find I'm number one.
Their are two groups of people you take opinions with, those that
effect and check your class expectations and those your class place
can be determined by the types of statements you have to say to
be expensive.
The point of checking virile is it determines your personal comfort
best which is the best way to be expensive. Given the point of this
economy is to follow the rule of,
Economic Profit:As much money as fast as possible or as long as
possible.
Such games include:
-my sex life affecting your employment, leading to jail finding you...
-women getting directions about work, approved by a male owner
-female payment due to no financial opinion happening through ridicule
-teenagers fitting into class expectation
-drug dealers controlling classing through tv
-the FBI not having a reason to to anything so coming up with
problems for work such as deturing communism.
-problems for the sake of problems for the reaction to keep fitting
class expectation so economic profit increases.
-Problems so that the reaction is "I don't understand"
Of course their are exceptions it depends on comfort.
Posted by: Kristina Brooker at Oct 13, 2008 11:21:48 PM
Here's information about sex.
After marriage, live together first, after a certain age, move out of
home, get a job first, love, trust (as expected), go out (opinion),
casual, random (information?).
Do what you want.
I say twenty due to mature conversation.
How sex negatively effects health is called muscle removal, your sex
muscles become more difficult to contract. If your allowed not to
have sex for 4 years that problems has improved as much as it's
going to.
If the police are controlled by drug dealers it doesn't matter that
the phrase to indicate unhealthy sex is "This is illegal sex".
Posted by: Kristina Brooker at Oct 13, 2008 11:22:46 PM
