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[av_heading heading=’Struggle against coal is gaining ground’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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February 10, 2018
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IT LOOKS like the move against the use of coal is gaining ground after the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, fast-tracked the timetable for his country to shut down all coal-fired power plants.
Based on an article posted on the Futurism.com website, the move will help in solidifying the countryâs leadership position in the fight against climate change.
Saying that Macron has pushed forward the countryâs plan to shut down all of its coal-fired power plants by two years â making it appear that France would be coal-free by 2021.
âWeâve also decided to make France a model in the fight against climate change,â said President Macron at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
It was learned that a plan introduced by Macronâs predecessor, Francois Hollande, originally set 2023 as the year for coal-fired power plants to end production in France.
It was also learned that only one percent of Franceâs power is generated by coal, so Macronâs choice to move this date up is largely symbolic of the new leadership position that France is taking in combating climate change.
Macron also mentioned that the renewed pledge would be a âhuge advantage in terms of attractiveness and competitiveness.â
Coal plants are more than an environmental burden, they also take a toll on the economy, and a move toward clean energy can help improve a nationâs bottom line.
The article also pointed out that phasing out investment in coal is an angle that many nations are taking in transitioning to a cleaner world.
Like for instance China, the worldâs biggest greenhouse gas emitter, cancelled the building of 104 new coal plants last year.
It said that an international alliance of world governments is banding together to eradicate coal by 2030.
The European Union has also accelerated its plans to erase coal from the continentâs power generators.
With the dropping prices of renewable energy, it will help to make coal less attractive to nations.
With this, wealthier nations are able to subsidize costs associated with renewable energy, already making them more cost-effective than new fossil-fuel burning plants.
As technology and efficiency improve, renewable energy is expected to surpass fossil fuels across the board in terms of affordability.
On the other hand, Europe is also making impressive strides in the clean energy revolution.
The article also mentioned that the continent, as a whole, was able to produce more electricity from renewable sources like solar, wind, and biomass than it did burning coal in 2017.
A data analysis made by climate policy campaign group Sandbag showed that renewable energy just edged out coal-generated power with 679 terawatt-hours compared to coalâs 669 terawatt-hours.
But the struggle against climate change is ever-present, and utilizing the most environment-friendly energy sources is critical towards limiting carbon emissions.
France is certainly leading the way, but it is going to take much more than a single country or even continent to turn the tables on climate change.
Letâs do our share to alleviate the effects of climate change in the country. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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