From The GWPF:
China will talk a good game at the UN Climate Conference in Paris, but won’t make any binding commitments, concludes The Truth About China, an important new report published today by the Global Warming Policy Foundation. “China’s Communist Party has as its highest priority its own self-preservation, and that self-preservation depends overwhelmingly on its ability to continue raising the standard of living of its citizens,” states economist Patricia Adams, the study’s author and the executive director of Toronto-based Probe International, an organization that has worked closely with Chinese NGOs for decades. —Global Warming Policy Foundation, 2 December 2015
More than 2,400 coal-fired power stations are under construction or being planned around the world, a study has revealed two weeks after Britain pledged to stop burning coal.
The new plants will emit 6.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year and undermine the efforts at the Paris climate conference to limit global warming to 2C. China is building 368 plants and planning a further 803, according to the study by four climate change research bodies, including Ecofys and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. India is building 297 and planning 149. Rich countries are also planning new coal plants. The nuclear disaster at Fukushima has prompted Japan to turn back to coal, with 40 plants in the pipeline and five under construction. –Ben Webster, The Times, 2 December 2015
Adams’s report is worth reading in full not just because of the fascinating light it casts on the Chinese, their economy, their corruption, their political mindset and the tensions between the populace and the Communist party but also because of the very basic fact it underlines about Paris – and about all future COP negotiations. Even if China believed in keeping to emission targets, which it doesn’t, its officials are so corrupt, uninterested and growth-driven they would never police them. So it will be stalemate. Any agreement reached in Paris will be meaningless and toothless. And thank goodness for that. Or rather, thank China. –James Delingpole, Breitbart London, 2 December 2015
New GWPF Report: The Truth About China
Global Warming Policy Foundation, 2 December 2015
China will talk a good game at the UN Climate Conference in Paris, but won’t make any binding commitments, concludes The Truth About China, an important new report published today by the Global Warming Policy Foundation.
“China’s Communist Party has as its highest priority its own self-preservation, and that self-preservation depends overwhelmingly on its ability to continue raising the standard of living of its citizens,” states economist Patricia Adams, the study’s author and the executive director of Toronto-based Probe International, an organization that has worked closely with Chinese NGOs for decades.
“With China’s economic growth faltering, the last thing the Communist Party wants is to hobble its economy further by curtailing the use of the fossil fuels upon which its economy depends. A major cutback in fossil fuel use represents an existential threat to the Communist Party’s rule. It simply isn’t going to happen.”
Adams’s report includes another important finding: tackling CO2 emissions would do little if anything to curb the serious air pollution – dubbed “airpocalypse” – plaguing China’s major cities. On the contrary, the measures needed to curb China’s smog of life-threatening pollutants such as nitrogen and sulphur oxides – scrubbers on power plants, for example – actually increase CO2 emissions.
“A programme to rapidly reduce pollutants harmful to human health would be at odds with a programme to reduce CO2,” Adams states, noting that human health is unaffected by CO2, a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas. Next to keeping its economy afloat, the biggest challenge to its credibility that the Communist leadership faces is its need to reduce smog. “I have never heard of a public protest in China against carbon dioxide emissions,” Adams states. “CO2 is a major concern for Western NGOs with offices in Beijing but it’s a non-issue for Chinese citizens and environmentalists at the grassroots.”
All that China will commit to, says the Adams report, is to continue to improve the energy efficiency of its economy as it grows – a goal it has long pursued, independent of global warming concerns. In doing so, China aims to increase its GDP along with its fossil fuel use, and by 2030 or so will depend on fossil fuels for 80% of its energy use, down from today’s 90%. When it reaches 80% 15 years hence, its energy makeup will largely resemble America’s today.
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Some of these coal plants built by the demon who created the AGW scam, Maurice Strong himself, as CEO of Ontario Hydro.
Innit funny how the “emissions” from coal-fired power plants in China are white (good) while in the US and just about everywhere else they are always black (evil)?
What you see on TV is steam, IE water vapor ? ( which in sufficient quantities a pollutant )
Man Bearpig linked to an auction of solar products….which related to SolarWorld.
3 Nov: PV-Magazine: Lawsuit threatens SolarWorld liquidity
The ongoing lawsuit over polysilicon agreements between a SolarWorld subsidiary and Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation is threatening the German solar giant’s liquidity. The company was dealt a blow last week, when a motion to reconsider a decision on antitrust defenses was denied by a U.S. court. After shares tumbled yesterday, it issued a statement saying the decision is not a final ruling on the case. It has, however, previously acknowledged that if it must repay the US $676 million, its existence could be “threatened.”…
http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/lawsuit-threatens-solarworld-liquidity_100021833/
MSM has been quiet on the above…just as they’ve been very quiet about the major disaster that is Abengoa and the looming disaster(?) at SunEdison,
can’t publicise problems with renewables with COP21 taking place!
“China’s Communist Party has as its highest priority its own self-preservation, and that self-preservation depends overwhelmingly on its ability to continue raising the standard of living of its citizens,”
Now the Communist Party in china may be bad actors overall, but their focus on survival and progress can be considered commendable.
Why can’t western democracies get off the self flagellation and do the same here.
at least China is willing to invest in coal-fired power plants:
1 Dec: Mail&Guardian Africa: Bloomberg: Africa searches for renewable energy billions—as China does big deal with Zimbabwe for good old coal
Western nations keen on financing clean energy, but as Zimbabwe deal shows, the continent’s power needs are too immediate.
THE African Union, an alliance of 53 countries, has announced a plan to mobilise $20 billion to develop at least 10 gigawatts of renewable energy on the continent by the end of the decade…
The programme is expected to be partially funded from the $100 billion pledged by rich countries to fight climate change in the developing world…
But amid the buzz around renewable energy China is set to provide a $1.2 billion loan to rehabilitate and expand Zimbabwe’s coal-fired Hwange power plant, highlighting the difficulties of getting developing countries to choose renewable but costlier fuels over cheaper but dirtier sources.
In news timed to coincide with Chinese president Xi Jinping’s arrival in the struggling southern African country, Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said work on the plan would add 600MW to the creaking power supply, easing rationing…
The AfDB in March defended its decision to continue financing power plants that use coal despite pressure from environmental groups and UN officials to shift more funds to clear energy.
“It is hypocritical for western governments who have funded their industrialisation using fossil fuels, providing their citizens with enough power, to say to African countries, ‘You cannot develop dams, you cannot develop coal, just rely on these very expensive renewables,’” former president Donald Kaberuka told journalists in London on Wednesday. “African countries will not listen.”…
http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-12-01-africa-set-for-billions-in-renewable-energyas-china-invests-in-good-old-coal
while the CAGW cowboys insist the poor leapfrog fossil fuels:
2 Dec: AAP: Renewables to light way for Africa
The bank would also work with other power initiatives on the continent such as US President Barack Obama’s $US7-billion plan to “Power Africa”, projects by the European Union, Britain and others to raise their levels of investments in the energy sector…
The countries also have to carry out fundamental reforms of the energy sector, their utilities and the pricing of energy to ensure subsidies on fossil fuels are diverted to renewables…
The initiative goes to the heart of an issue under discussion at the climate talks — how to convince developing nations to leapfrog the cheap, carbon-intensive energy sources like coal that powered the industrial revolution and move directly to the low-emissions sources that many see as critical to slowing global warming.
Although Africa has renewable power options that include hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and biomass, about 640 million people or about 68 per cent of the population lack access to electricity.
Only about 35 GW of power in Africa now comes from renewable sources of total installed electricity capacity of about 160 GW.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/renewables-light-way-africa-235739379.html
“China’s Communist Party has as its highest priority its own self-preservation, and that self-preservation depends overwhelmingly on its ability to continue raising the standard of living of its citizens,” states economist Patricia Adams, the study’s author and the executive director of Toronto-based Probe International, an organization that has worked closely with Chinese NGOs for decades.”
What is happening in this rabbit-hole world? This New World Order totalitarianist says this, disgusted that a government would put the improved standard of living of its citizens and self preservation as its highest priority and even here at WUWT, it didn’t seem seem to attract notice. Have we become so desensitized by Obama putting US citizens last in consideration that we are not outraged by the implication of this?
I’ve expressed support for Vlad Putin, not because I like his human rights record but because he is one of so few guts and balls political leaders. The rest, outside of Asia are killing us off with Kumbaya coalitions with Lilliputian activists. Canada’s new P.M whose life’s experience is as a drama teacher, is forging ahead even after the Paris massacre with bringing in 25,000 Syrian “refugees” before year end.
Were I an East European, I’d be having secret talks with Putin to have the iron curtain raised again to keep Western Europe and its self immolating policies OUT of the East. We English speakers of the world having lost our cultural roots should, perhaps, be looking to India to lead the English speaking world before it’s too late. Well these are my most upbeat thoughts for the day.
One additional comment on the Chinese coal plants:
I’ve worked for the largest energy company over there. It is a state owned enterprise and with no monopoly restriction, they handle everything from digging out the coal, loading, hauling, and finally, generation. No matter how modern the new plants are, someone, somewhere has the ability to flip the scrubber switch and gain a couple percent (more?). Like most things over there, you could never know for sure.
Of course China agreed to hold the line on CO2 emissions starting in 2030 in return for the U.S. and Europe agreeing to cripple their economies much sooner. They know that if we don’t uphold our part of the agreement, they won’t have to uphold their end either. But if we do keep our commitments, it will put China in a position to become the dominant economic and military power in the world before 2030. Then they’ll be free to do whatever they want. Who’s going to stop them?
“China will talk a good game at the UN Climate Conference in Paris, but won’t make any binding commitments”
Or, they will sign anything, do nothing to comply with it, and issue completely made up numbers to prove compliance.
If we complain about it, well. They have nuclear missiles. And, you are not going to risk Armageddon for an environmental treaty, will you.
There is no method short of armed conquest of every industrialized country on Earth, that will make an environmental treaty meaningful.
Obama is on a fool’s errand. But, that is the only thing he knows how to do.
China is quite active in reducing their pollution – their smog is the result of burning poor quality coal, not the burning of coal per se. All of their new coal plants are advanced and clean. They worry about POLLUTION, not CO2 and are quite ambitious about removing same. They have more nuclear plants on their schedule than coal plants over the next 80 years. They were originally planning over 600 nuclear plants by 2050 and over 1500 by the turn of the century. Currently they have more nuclear pants under construction than the rest of the world combined, as I recall. They also have built an enormous hydro capacity.
The idea that the Chinese aren’t actively working to reduce their pollution is pure ignorance in action.
Never before has a COP meeting seemed less relevant.
The West are facing some major problems, economies that are bouncing along the bottom, an ever growing welfare state that cannot be afforded especially given the poor economic growth and outlook, the health implications of an ageing population, the health implications of an obese population, mass migration and terrorism threatening the very fabric of western civilisation, and all the world leaders can do is to get together and discuss a non issue which they can do nothing about since it appears that CO2 has little (if any) control over temperature and they cannot, on a global basis, reduce CO2 emissions even if they wanted to.
What a monumental waste of time (and expense) all of this is. The fact that this meeting is taking place in Paris merely emphasises the stupidity and the lack of political common sense and intelligence of our political leaders. We really do live in the age of stupid, not in an age of enlightenment.
Presently, world leaders should be focused on what matters, namely reinvigorating their economies so that their citizens can enjoy a better quality of life, and addressing the problems and issues surrounding the mass migration out of the Middle East and Africa, and getting a grip on terrorism and extremism.
In Rio, China made it clear that it would not take any firm steps to curb its CO2 emissions for about 20 years, and the fact that China’s position has not changed, since then, and that it (together with India, and other BRICS) will be increasing their CO2 emissions for at least the next 15 to 20 years, coupled with the fact that there has been no warming (according to our best global measuring device and data set) for more than 18 years, ought to have persuaded world leaders to postpone looking this issue. It could and should have been kicked into the long grass, with a ‘promise’ to reconvene say in 2030.
That would have been the sensible course. It would also have allowed scientists to continue to monitor the position and obtain better observational data, and to better understand the underlying science.
Our grandchildren certainly are not going to forgive us for this folly.
Good points. Allow me one modification. We are living in the Age of Deception – Public schools are “dumbing down” our future generations for a reason. Common Core is a strategy to Nationalize the brainwashing. The less critical the thinker, the more susceptible to propaganda. P.T. Barnum might say ignorant people are easy to bamboozle.
The Progressive movement has a Vision. The vision is one world government with instituted world population controls, control of the distribution and use of the worlds natural resources, and the management of third world industrialization and distribution of labor. That vision will look like some kind of mashup of “A Brave New World” and “1984”.
First step is that In the U.S. they need to convince the majority to follow the Pied Piper into their self styled misery. CAGW is one of the numerous Progressive strategies to transfer wealth from and gain control over the middle class. They need an ignorant voting majority with their amygdala stimulated by fear and guilt to achieve this peaceful takeover of our liberties.
I fear we have let this Progressive Movement with it’s army of liberals become too entrenched in our Primary Media Outlets and Universities to easily undo this mess we are in. It just might be to late to stop them.
The state of education (or is that the education state) is very worrying and lies at the heart of many of the problems that the developed nations are now facing.
There is no excuse for people (other than those mentally handicapped) not having basic reading, writing and numeracy skills by the age of 9, latest. Yet politicians, and society, seem to consider it OK that many 16 year olds leave full time education almost illiterate, and without these basic skills, such that they are almost unemployable or can only do low paid demeaning jobs that they do not want to do. Everyone seems to accept that because of their background, nothing more can be expected of them.
Politicians of all ilks should be ashamed that this state of affairs is allowed to continue. Addressing it should be a top priority.
The pollution in Beijing is no joke. A guy I work with, who is there, is headed to the hospital right now as I type. He is seriously sick. The economic impact is huge, construction projects halted, freeways closed, and power plants shut down. Some PM 2.5 measurement have been over 900 micrograms/meter^3, though 600+ is more typical. SO4 or CO2? I think choosing the CO2 is a safe bet.
There does seem to be some agreement in Paris:
http://www.newsbiscuit.com/2015/12/02/progress-at-climate-talks-as-world-agrees-cardboard-to-go-out-on-a-tuesday-night/
The real question is where will China [and the world] get the coal to supply a 50+% increase in coal consumption?
Production in China dropped by 2.4% last year, yet they are building more plants — and already account for basically 50% of WORLD PRODUCTION.
In 2012 (the last year I could easily find data for) China Consumed 4.1 Billion Tons, but only produced 3.65 Billion — so they are already importing Half a Billion Tons of coal a year.
For comparison, 500 Million Tons of coal is more than the ENTIRE PRODUCTION of all but 3 countries — China, the US, and India. — and basically equals the production of the entire EU.
So, respectfully, where is all this coal going to come from? — And do you really think it will remain a cheap source of electricity when the supply crunch hits?
Many times on this site posters talk about the advancement of renewables limiting the poor countries. In fact it is quite the opposite. As the first world transitions to renewables — the resultant glut of coal makes it a much less expensive fuel for the 2nd and 3rd world.
China’s near-future supplies of coal (and oil, and many other minerals) will be coming in from Africa. They have been surveying the geology, developing the mines, and making the infrastructure to move it for about 12-15 years now – faster lately (the last 7 years) now that they know the President will NOT intervene nor protest. By taking over the South China undersea oil reserves and access points – by building artificial islands off of Vietnam – they are “protecting” their local resources AND their blockade sea access routes as well AGAINST foreigners.
What this does do, is protect the CHINESE mining industry and the CHINESE production reserves from over-use. THEY remain as national assets ready and proven for exploitation if the Chinese ever feel threatened or face blockade. Manchuria has been a target for foreign mining and dominance sicne the czars in the late 1800’s, and then the Japanese in 1930’s, then the Russians in the late 1930’s and late 1940’s before Mao permanently took over.
Africa can’t come close to the 2 Billion Tons per year that china will need with a 50% expansion.
They didn’t increase their capacity by an order of magnitude in the last few years — in 2012 the entire continent produced 295 Million Tons.
Total Reserves in the ME and Africa is 34 Billion tons, meaning they could only supply about 17 years to China, but have none for themselves.
“Karl
December 3, 2015 at 1:29 pm”
You are very wrong. China is deep in to Africa and her resources.
Unless the First world starts building coal plants like planned — then the price of coal will skyrocket — pricing many emerging economies out of the market — either by cost, or by making coal more valuable to export than to use internally.
This is a bit off topic, but I’m wondering where all the heat generated by power plants, vehicle engines, home heating systems, and the like goes. Is it possible that this heat energy, along with the heat emanating from natural terrestrial sources, e.g., volcanoes, contributes to the slight warming of the planet–perhaps more so than any effect from CO2? Perhaps the combined heat generated by all these sources is infinitesimal when compared to the size of the planet and the energy received from the sun. Still, the heat has to go somewhere.
In 2012 Total Energy Consumption worldwide was 5.6E+20 Joules
Every second 1.7E+17 Joules is incident on Earth from the Sun
That means the Total Energy Consumption in 2012 was equal to the Energy incident on the Earth from approximately 1 hour of Sunlight
So the answer to my question appears to be that Total Energy Consumption (i.e., heat released?) is too small a quantity to matter when compared to the energy incident on the earth from the sun. Of course, 5.6E+20 Joules x many years must make some contribution to the heat energy in the atmosphere. No?
You are assuming 100% conversion of joules to heat.
A large portion of energy is used for work.
And work is used for what purpose? Skyscrapers building?
Do they grow up to the stratopause?
Harry K
The “sensible heat” released by man’s activities (including generating heat by building heating, process heating such as steel mills and foundries and welding and burning cement, and by secondary heating in electric generation, and tertiary heating by burning gasoline to accelerate cars and trucks, then heating brakes and blowing air around as they later decelerate) is measurable across local areas as a “part” of the urban heat island effect.
It is not as large an UHI effect as most suspect from intuition and instinct, because the solar impact over a wide area over a very long time is much greater. Away from urban areas, even the heat signature of a house, barn, train, pipeline or mine goes away very, very rapidly. That of the road they are on is visible for hours.