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U.S. Emissions Rise 4.2%, China's Fall 2.7%

(www.theenergymix.com)
196 points triceratops | 1 comments | 02 Sep 25 20:02 UTC | HN request time: 0.2s | source
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jryan49 ◴[02 Sep 25 20:37 UTC] No.45108691[source]▶
Is there a future where China uses this as leverage with the rest of the world to put sanctions on the US if we don't transition?
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Workaccount2 ◴[02 Sep 25 20:42 UTC] No.45108771[source]▶
China is doing this for energy independence. Their fossil fuel supply chain is critically vulnerable. They don't care about the climate, but will happily play the optics.
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bgnn ◴[02 Sep 25 20:56 UTC] No.45108940[source]▶
Neither the US cares about the climate amd doesn't care about the optics either.

This is capitalism in action: solar is cheaper than anything else per kwh. The obsession with fossil in the West is due to the fossil fuel lobbies, not because of the rational market forces. China doesn't have that.

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chrisco255 ◴[02 Sep 25 21:30 UTC] No.45109310[source]▶
China continues to get the bulk of their energy from fossil fuels. 56% from coal. China has double the emissions of the USA and new construction for coal plants reached a 10 year high in 2024:

https://www.carbonbrief.org/chinas-construction-of-new-coal-...

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1. decimalenough ◴[02 Sep 25 21:42 UTC] No.45109473[source]▶
Yup, China added the most capacity in the world of solar, coal and nuclear at the same time.

However, the new coal plants are largely replacing old, inefficient, heavily polluting ones, so they're still a net positive.