22 October 2013
Hey China, How’s That Clean Coal Working Out For You!
Posted by Dan Satterfield
The NASA Terra Satellite true colour sensor shows the severe smog over China stretches for well over a thousand miles. Compare the clear air over the Korean Peninsula with China on the left. Click for a much larger version.
It’s much worse on the ground of course. Check out this report from the BBC:
I guess this Christmas might not be a good time to bring back the clean coal carolers. Also see this post. Something to remember the next time you see those slick adverts from the coal council on your fave cable news outlet…
Here is another 500 meter resolution shot from Terra Sat.
This is in western China. The smog cloud is HUGE! Click for a huge version. From NASA Terra Satellite and the MODIS sensor.
Dan Satterfield has worked as an on air meteorologist for 32 years in Oklahoma, Florida and Alabama. Forecasting weather is Dan's job, but all of Earth Science is his passion. This journal is where Dan writes about things he has too little time for on air. Dan blogs about peer-reviewed Earth science for Junior High level audiences and up.
I am a little confused. Is anyone claiming that China has a robust, well-implemented clean-coal program? Is the heavy smog evidence of the failure of clean coal or more evidence of the continued use of old coal technologies? Just an inquiry.
There is no such thing as a clean coal program. That was kind of the point 😉