Air pollution from China is a global problem
New York Times: China now burns more coal than the US, Europe and Japan combined as the country's economy expands. Pollution from these coal-fired power plants containing sulfur compounds, carbon and other coal byproducts cause respiratory damage, heart disease and cancer. According to Steven S. Cliff, an atmospheric scientist at the University of California at Davis, pollution from China is being picked up in Lake Tahoe in the mountains of eastern California. Satellite data has also tracked China's air pollution heading towards Korea and towards Europe. China's environmental problems are being closely watched by the international community as it becomes more a global problem.
China has about 450 years supply of coal, making it the primary energy source for the forseeable future. The country is extremely interested in clean coal technology, but is currently insisting that westen countries should transfer the technology to China. There are procedures in which this can happen under the Kyoto Protocol.
Articles on China's coal future
The New York Times
BBC Newsnight
Nature
