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Comparison of Sino-U.S. Electricity Consumption and SO2 Emissions
Thermal power has always been a major consumer of coal, accounting for about 50% of the country's total coal consumption. It is also one of the largest sources of atmospheric pollutants, with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions making up 30% to 40% of the national total. Over the past decade, the power industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions, with both sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dropping faster than the national average. However, despite these improvements, many people still feel that air quality is deteriorating. This contradiction raises an important question: why is there such a gap between emission reductions and public perception?
The root cause lies in the limitations of current emission reduction strategies. While the power sector has made great efforts, the overall approach has not been comprehensive enough. For example, according to data from the China Energy Statistics Yearbook 2011, coal consumption in China increased from 1,063 million tons in 2005 to 1,512 million tons in 2010, with an annual growth rate of around 8.45%. During this period, the share of coal used in power generation remained relatively stable at around 48%, indicating that the problem is not only about the power industry but also about the broader energy system.
In contrast, the United States saw minimal growth in coal consumption, increasing from 1,065 million tons in 2005 to just 1,069 million tons in 2010. Meanwhile, the proportion of coal used in power generation rose sharply, from 90.19% in 2005 to 99.12% in 2010. Despite this high reliance on coal, U.S. air quality remains significantly better than China’s, suggesting that the issue is not solely about coal use, but rather about how it is managed across different sectors.
Looking at sulfur dioxide emissions specifically, China’s power sector reduced its emissions from 13.5 million tons in 2005 to 9.26 million tons in 2010—a decrease of 31.41%. However, the proportion of sulfur dioxide emissions from the power industry dropped from 52.96% to 42.38%, showing that other sectors are still contributing significantly. In the U.S., power sector sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 47.78% during the same period, yet the share of emissions from power generation remained around 70%, indicating that the U.S. has more effectively controlled emissions in non-power sectors.
This leads to several key questions: Should coal consumption in the power industry be strictly controlled? Is the proportion of sulfur dioxide emissions from the power sector a sufficient indicator of environmental impact? And does the current evaluation system for coal use and emissions need to be improved?
The answer seems to lie in rethinking the way we measure and manage coal consumption and pollution. A new concept called "secondary ratio" could help. The "secondary ratio" would be defined as the ratio of sulfur dioxide emissions to coal consumption in the power sector. By focusing on this metric, we can better assess the efficiency of pollution control and identify areas where further improvements are needed.
In conclusion, while the power industry has made progress in reducing emissions, a more holistic approach is necessary. The focus should not only be on reducing the total amount of emissions but also on managing coal use more efficiently across all sectors. Introducing new evaluation metrics like the "secondary ratio" could play a crucial role in achieving cleaner air and sustainable energy development.