The topic of peak coal is not entirely new as I wrote previously twice about it. What is entirely new is the date. To research carried by Tadeusz W. Patzek and Gregory D. Croft coal production from existing coalfields could peak as early as next year.
But this is not all as still to their report production from existing coalfields is expected to fall by 50 percent by 2050. Such news need to be spread among our leaders so action can occur.
We can live without coal – and oil for that matter – if we prepare ourselves early enough. Indeed, there are plenty of alternatives.
Scitizen brings more details on this :
Money would be better spent on increasing the efficiency of coal-fired electrical generating plants rather than on carbon capture and sequestration technology.
(…) They suggest that existing coal-fired power stations upgrade to supercritical steam turbines which would lift efficiency from about 35 percent to 50 percent.
This greater efficiency would also tend to reduce the rate of emissions of greenhouse gases.
If this was confirmed and became true, we would be in a dire situation as the two energy sources accounting for nearly sixty percent of our consumption would be peaking this very decade.
This requires a real paradigm shift. Luckily energy conservation and efficiency can do wonders. Renewables could answer our needs many times over. Nuclear allows us to generate huge quantities of low carbon electricity in limited space.
If this wasn’t enough, breakthroughs in technology will enable us to do more with less.
Some may say that since we aren’t sure of anything, we shouldn’t act. But this couldn’t be more wrong as both oil and coal will peak one day. This is pure logic.
I am confident the human race can solve this. All we really need is our representatives to step up. With global warming and the weirding climate, it’s high time.