I have linked a pdf of a report co-published by GoFossilFree.org (http://gofossilfree.org.au/) & 350.org (https://350.org/) that highlights the influence fossil fuel industries are having on our Universities.
Also here is a link to a facebook page discussing it.
And in the mean time while we jump up and down about our coal plants
According to the New York Times
1,600 coal plants are planned or under construction in 62 countries, according to Urgewald’s tally, which uses data from the Global Coal Plant Tracker portal. The new plants would expand the world’s coal-fired power capacity by 43 percent.
It is not a good idea to take such statistics at face value. The figures are based on projects announced by companies who have said they will build new plants. That does not mean that they have government approval or finance, or even if they got those necessities in the near future that the project would be deemed likely to be profitable and so actually commence. You have to keep in mind that unbounded optimism is the stock in trade of large project developers around the world.
Consider that a large number of those proposed projects are in China. China is in over-supply of generation and the government has stated that it will be winding back. The government is already aware of the huge pollution (ie health) problems due to their existing coal plants. China is also investing large amounts in renewables.
So how many new coal plants will actually be built? Nobody knows for sure but I suggest that it will be nothing like those numbers.
As for jumping up and down, the argument that because our greenhouse gas emissions are small compared to overseas giants therefore we need do nothing is very weak. I don’t know if making that case was your intention but there are many other reasons to embrace the inevitable conversion of the energy basis of the economy and to do it sooner rather than later.
