Word: coal
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...January, the social networking site announced that its new data center in Prineville, Ore.—which the company has described as one of the most energy-efficient in the world—would run on coal instead of cleaner energy sources, drawing criticism from environmental activism groups such as Greenpeace...
Within 10 years, Dong plans to triple its production of renewable energy. In 2009 it invested $3.32 billion in development - nearly half of which was marked for renewables. Underscoring its commitment to a green transformation, Dong is in the process of shutting down 25% of its coal-fired power plants and switching to straw-based and other renewable fuels. "We're taking the big steps now," says Eldrup. "This is different from politicians who make big promises to do something in the future. We want to show that you must have a big vision and be ready to deliver...
...safety disparity has many causes, including greater automation in the U.S. and a more sustained focus on workplace safety. China depends on relatively cheap coal as a key source of energy for its rapidly growing economy, and its mines churn out more than twice the amount as the U.S. In 2008, China produced 2.85 billion tons of coal, versus 1.17 billion in the U.S. Coal mines are responsible for a large share of global mine disasters because they are more likely to produce toxic and combustible gases than metal or other mines...
Chinese authorities have struggled for years to control mine disasters. Inspectors have forced the closure of small, illegal mines, but that has put more pressure on larger, more reputable operators, like the state-owned China National Coal Group, which co-owns the Wangjialing mine. And while the annual death totals have declined even as coal production increases, it will likely be years more before the annual total drops below 1,000. (See the top 10 news stories...
...with doing the investigations are the same people who have financial interests in the mines themselves," says Crothall. "You can't really rely on them to do a thorough or independent job." Mining usually pays much better wages than farming, and in some parts of China's central northern coal belt, the taxes paid by mines make up the bulk of local government revenues...