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Coals rapid decline drives carbon emissions down to 1890 levels
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of Financial Times
Posted: March 18th, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/47563b2a-21f6-11e8-9a70-08f715791...
Declining coal use has pushed UK carbon emissions to levels last consistently seen in 1890, highlighting the countrys progress in cutting greenhouse gases faster than most other developed economies. Emissions fell by 2.6 per cent in 2017, driven by a nearly one-fifth reduction in the use of coal as the energy industry shifts towards cleaner sources of electricity generation, especially wind and solar power. The data marked the fifth successive year in which the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into UK skies has fallen, and emissions are now 38 per cent below the level of 1990. With coal quickly disappearing in the UK and other fossil fuel use mostly flat, emissions have continued their steady decline, said Zeke Hausfather, author of the report by Carbon Brief, a climate research and news organisation, which based its findings on the latest UK government data. Britains success in driving down emissions contrasts with Germany, where the countrys continued dependence on coal for about 40 per cent of electricity generation has dented Chancellor Angela Merkels green credentials and put the countrys climate targets at risk. More than two-thirds of todays emissions still need to be eliminated if Britain is to meet its legally binding goal to reduce CO2 output by 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
Note: In 2017, for the first time since the 1800's, Britain went a day without burning coal to generate electricity. For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing climate change news articles from reliable major media sources.
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