24. Assume that world coal production is 6.1 billion tons per year and estimated total recoverable resources of coal are 1.1 trillion tons. How long it would take to use up those reserves at current rate of production
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
The quote above shows how coal is now being challenged from several different angles. Coal
is the largest single contributor to climate change, and the scientific evidence that it cannot
continue to be burned at the current pace without creating serious havoc is now abundant. The
UN climate summit (UNFCCC COP21) at the end of 2015 is likely to deliver a global climate
agreement that will introduce measures to reduce carbon emissions.
The contribution of coal to climate change, further exacerbated by its effects on public health
(air pollution) and the environment, raises ethical objections. Such concerns now go beyond
religious authorities like Pope Francis: the $900 billion Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, the
largest in the world, divested from coal for ethical reasons (see more below).
Climate, public health and ethical considerations have contributed to more stringent
government policies with regards to coal, which in turn impact investments in the energy
source.