China signs an agreement with the EU to reduce emissions from coal burning power plants with a goal to have zero emissions by the year 2020. This is similar to the U.S. EPA’s long term plans for reducing emissions by 2018. Environmentalists concerned about mercury emissions from coal burning must wonder, will these promised changes come too late and at what cost to public health?
From Shanghai Daily (link):
CHINA, which is battling pollution on a big scale, and the European Union, one of the most technologically advanced regions, agreed yesterday to reduce China’s carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations and to consider burying them. Luo said the Huayi Group is studying transformation of carbon dioxide emission into ethyl acid – a basic industrial chemical. He said the EU has budgeted 5 million euros (US$5.97 million) for a feasibility study. China is trying to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from power stations and to collect the emitted carbon dioxide. China and the EU will conduct feasibility studies and aim for zero-pollution power by 2020. China depends heavily on coal, which accounts for 70 percent of its energy consumption. New technology aims to reduce emissions from power generation while capturing and allowing for storage of carbon dioxide emitted from coal-fired power stations.
This topic on the web, via Google News.
