SOURCES: US ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
ROCK AND
A HARD PLACE
GLOBAL COAL CONSUMPTION
10
9
8
GLOBAL COAL
CUNSUMPTION IS
EXPECTED TO RISE
25% BY THE END OF
THE DECADE
IN BILLIONS
OF TONS
8.1 BILLION TONS
7
6
largely by rapid development
centered on coal-fired power. In
December, Shanghai’s air quality
fell to a record low and the country’s smog could be seen from
space. But even with leaders in
China vowing to slow down the
growth of coal use, experts predict global coal consumption will
jump up another 25 percent by
the end of the decade.
Decisions on the Northwest export terminals could significantly
influence the future of coal in
Asia. “Opening up this main
line of cheap American coal is a
pretty important signal if you are
a Chinese official thinking about
how much to invest in what kind
of energy infrastructure,” said KC
Golden, senior policy adviser for
the non-profit Climate Solutions,
which has advocated against the
proposed ports.
The effects would span the
globe. According to estimates by
2011
2009
2007
2005
2003
2001
1999
1997
1995
4
1993
5
1991
U.S. and abroad before coal interests can successfully drive their
product to northwestern ports for
export. There are the vocal environmental advocates, the newly
elected local leaders who’ve made
clear their opposition to the plans,
the big-money investors who’ve
withdrawn support for port builders and, of course, the tribes.
In a July letter to the Army
Corps of Engineers, the federal
agency tasked with evaluating the
two Washington State coal port
projects, the Lummi Nation wrote
of its “unconditional and unequivocal opposition” to the terminal
planned for Cherry Point, near its
reservation. The tribe cited among
other concerns “significant and
unavoidable impacts and damage”
to treaty rights reserved in the
19th century to fish at its “usual
and accustomed” areas.
Patricia Graesser, a spokeswoman with the Corps, acknowledged the Lummi letter and said
her agency was in government-togovernment discussions with the
tribe. “We have a responsibility
to uphold the nation’s treaty with
Native American tribes,” she said.
The Chinese government,
meanwhile, is responding to a
major air pollution crisis sparked
HUFFINGTON
02.09.14