How coal made us rich — and why it needs to go
Let’s Begin…
Coal powered a revolution in human prosperity that the world had never seen before. But it came at a price. Now Asia is the biggest consumer of coal — how can it quit its new addiction? This video unpacks the science and industry surrounding coal, and helps us understand the path forward without it.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels and a leading cause of global warming. Aside from being one of the main drivers of climate change, the burning of coal has disastrous health consequences such as asthma and breathing difficulties, brain damage, heart problems, cancer, neurological disorders, and premature death. In addition to that, burning coal leads to the pollution of water.
A Just Transition
Phasing out coal is essential to solving the climate crisis. All across the world, coal plants are being shut down, either because of environmental policy or for economic reasons and often both. Transitioning communities to clean energy can be done responsibly and humanely. It's important to have a clear and firm exit date and job-training programs. For developing nations, funds and policies can be made available to help countries and communities transition to a low-carbon economy and reap the benefits of high production of low-cost energy, without the pollution of fossil fuels.
Beyond Coal
Listen to Tzeporah Berman advocate for the Fossil-Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative for transparency and accountability in phasing out fossil fuels. Check out US and European resources and actions you can take to help society move beyond coal. The World Economic Forum released reports and strategies on how to from coal to renewable energy.
Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.
About Earth School
We can save the world. Speed and Scale shows us how to unlock a cleaner, healthier and safer future by laying out a roadmap that will get us to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. How’s it going to work? We need to electrify transportation, decarbonize the grid, fix food, protect nature, clean up industry and remove carbon. To learn how we’re going to do all that - and to learn how you can take action now - explore this page.
Meet The Creators
- Video created by DW Planet A
- Lesson Plan created by TED Ed
