In the last day in the media, India is going to use coal as its backbone energy for the next thirty years, is buying coal mines all around the world, and will double production by 2020 to a massive 1,500 million tons per annum. At the same time India is meetings its climate goals early, and is likely to reduce emissions by 2 – 3 billion tons by 2030.
They can’t all be true:
Coal to be India’s energy mainstay for next 30 years: policy paper
–Economic Times, May 16th
China, India dominate coal ownership as some shun climate risks: report
— Reuters, May 15th
Coal Decline In China & India Likely To Reduce Emissions Growth By 2-3 Billion Tonnes By 2030
— Cleantechnica, May 16th
China, India to Reach Climate Goals Years Early, as U.S. Likely to Fall Far Short
-InsideClimateNews, May 16th
The top two headlines are backed by big numbers: India is the worlds third largest coal producer, and coal powers 60% of India’s energy needs. But the poor investors or readers of industry rags might think India’s coal use is falling. Read the fine print.
Lessons in spin:
It’s all in how an issue is framed. The third headline talks about “reductions” from forecast values, meaning theoretical savings of emissions “that might have been, but weren’t”.
The fourth headline tells us that the two massive coal producing nations are “meeting climate targets early” which just shows how pathetic the climate targets are.
If these countries are a “success” what does failure look like?
We have to teach children (adults) how to filter these contradictions.