“For the first time, China generated less than half of its electricity from coal during the first six months of 2026. Coal, while often crucial during the early stages of economic development, is among the most polluting sources of energy,” reports The Doomslayer.
Reuters notes that
China, the world’s largest coal consumer, generated less than 50% of its electricity from the fossil fuel in the six months to June, marking a first for the country, which has been promoting the use of renewable energy, officials said. Coal’s share of the power mix was 49.7%…
That share was well down from 65.5% in 2016….Renewable energy’s share grew to 41.2% — topping 40% for the first time — and of that wind and solar accounted for 24.6%…Wind and solar’s share was up from 9.7% in 2020. Natural gas and nuclear make up the balance.
Despite coal’s shrinking share, analysts say China might still use more of it this year than last as power demand rapidly climbs. More Chinese are switching to electric cars, data centers for AI are being built out, and exports continue to grow. Planners have set a deadline for coal consumption to peak no later than 2030.
Nuclear power grew by 76% in China from 2016 to 2026.
Last year, China completed the Great Green Wall, a 46-year project to encircle its largest desert with trees. China did this to prevent desertification and curb the sandstorms that plague parts of China in springtime. The Great Green Wall is an 1800-mile “green belt” around the Taklamakan desert in China’s vast northwestern region of Xinjiang. The final 300 feet of trees in the green belt were planted on the desert’s southern edge in November.
Sandstorms can be a problem in China. In 2023, a severe sandstorm affected more than 400 million people in China, sending dust over 800,000 square miles, and leaving some people with eye or lung infections.
Despite having lots of oil, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recently built four nuclear power reactors.
A nuclear plant in Florida is helping crocodiles thrive. Russia signed an agreement with Ethiopia to build a nuclear power plant.
Snub-nosed monkeys are making a comeback in the mountains of China.
