News: 0179852286

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Global Use of Coal Hit Record High in 2024 (theguardian.com)

(Wednesday October 22, 2025 @05:20PM (msmash) from the reality-check dept.)


Coal use [1]hit a record high around the world last year despite efforts to switch to clean energy, imperilling the world's attempts to rein in global heating. From a report:

> The share of coal in electricity generation dropped as renewable energy surged ahead. But the general increase in power demand meant that more coal was used overall, according to the annual State of Climate Action report, published on Wednesday. The report painted a grim picture of the world's chances of avoiding increasingly severe impacts from the climate crisis. Countries are falling behind the targets they have set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which have continued to rise, albeit at a lower rate than before.

>

> Clea Schumer, a research associate at the World Resources Institute thinktank, which led the report, said: "There's no doubt that we are largely doing the right things. We are just not moving fast enough. One of the most concerning findings from our assessment is that for the fifth report in our series in a row, efforts to phase out coal are well off track."



[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/22/global-use-of-coal-hit-record-high-in-2024



Gotta feed the AI Bubble (Score:1)

by Tablizer ( 95088 )

NufsedGPT

bUt NuClEaR bAd (Score:3)

by atomicalgebra ( 4566883 )

Yes, you antinuclear scumbags are at fault for this. Just compare nuclear France at 19 g CO2 per kWh vs coal loving Germany at 283 g CO2 per kWh.

Re: (Score:1)

by dbialac ( 320955 )

The Japanese would like everyone to thank them for taking the role of being the pinnacle test ground for nuclear technology on civilians.

Re: (Score:2)

by Kernel Kurtz ( 182424 )

> The Japanese would like everyone to thank them for taking the role of being the pinnacle test ground for nuclear technology on civilians.

Indeed Fukushima and climate change are equally serious problems. I can see how it is hard to choose between them.

If you are in a first world nation (Score:3)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

Then you can probably weather the worst of climate change for the next 30 or 50 years. You will probably get your clock cleaned if you live near the coast though.

The problem with nuclear is that when there is a problem you lose all of your property except what you can carry with you because you have to evacuate your city immediately for 10 years.

America does not treat our homeless well. So I certainly do not want to join their ranks.

And it's basically guaranteed. Because Americans like the priva

Re: (Score:2)

by Shugart ( 598491 )

Techies make social problems we don't fix em.

Re: (Score:2)

by Kernel Kurtz ( 182424 )

> The problem with nuclear is that when there is a problem you lose all of your property except what you can carry with you because you have to evacuate your city immediately for 10 years.

Valid point, whereas you could live right next door to the coal plant for your entire life with no such worries. Totally better.

Re: bUt NuClEaR bAd (Score:2)

by drinkypoo ( 153816 )

Ok bot.

Re: (Score:2)

by atomicalgebra ( 4566883 )

Is that the best you can do? We would all be better if you just admitted you were wrong, took responsibility, and started advocating for new nuclear energy.

Wasting money on nuclear (Score:2)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

When we haven't even come close to building out enough wind and solar is stupid and criminal.

That's before we talk about the obvious technical shortcomings of nuclear power that are complete disasters waiting to happen thanks to social problems we refuse to acknowledge and address. Specifically the wanton obsessive privatization of high-risk industries like nuclear power and the unquenchable thirst for profit and short-term quarter on quarter gains.

Add in the fact that we never punish the ruling elite

Re: (Score:2)

by atomicalgebra ( 4566883 )

Germany has spent 15 years and 500 billion euros only to fail. And you are conflating a lot of other problems with nuclear energy. Don't do that. It's not accurate nor is it fair.

I hear nuclear takes too long. (Score:2)

by Kernel Kurtz ( 182424 )

Good thing coal is faster.

Re: (Score:2)

by stabiesoft ( 733417 )

I expect this. I saw an article I think on thereg about how some company is repurposing jet engines as turbines for a quick way to ramp up nat gas fired juice. The article mentioned someone paying 25mil to reserve a turbine slated for production in 2030. almost 5 year backlog for nat gas juice. AI is very much like the post a couple down, FEED ME SEYMOUR Re-activating coal plants is probably the fastest way to more juice. I'd be pretty unsurprised to hear AI co's buying old ALCOA smelters. ALCOA often coloc

Jevon's paradox is still alive! (Score:2)

by Quakeulf ( 2650167 )

Why is this never going out of fashion: [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox

QOTD:
All I want is more than my fair share.