China and Japan plan on using more coal power

Currently, Japan’s nuclear reactors have been idled for safety checks. And as a result, 10 power companies consumed a record breaking 5.6 million metric tons of coal in January, 2014 which is 12% more than January 2013. Japan is even hopping on the U.S. “clean coal” band wagon. Japan wants to improve on the latest gasification technologies that will make carbon emit less carbon into the atmosphere.

Japan’s energy plan is to use nuclear power again. Japan will turn on most of the existing nuclear reactors over the next 5 years and build some new ones in the next two decades. Japan’s commitment to nuclear is bit less than going to 50% nuclear in the pre-Fukushima plan. The reduction is being filled by coal and natural gas.

China will close 1,725 small-scale coal mines over the course of 2014. The closures are part of China’s effort to reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere, and cut massive pollution problems in cities like Beijing. But they are more of a PR move than a step towards greener pastures. China hopes to cap its total coal production at 4.1 billion metric tons by 2015, but that is actually up from 3.7 billion metric tons in 2013.

Coal is far more deadly than other energy sources because of the air pollution it causes.

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