Australia was rocked this week with the announcement that the Chinese government will be limiting the use of imported coal from January 1, 2015 with the aim of improving air quality in major cities. While some are worried about the $1.5b loss the mining industry will suffer because of the ban, we believe that it is a great opportunity for Australia to step up in the renewable energy field. New Scientist reports: "Tighter restrictions will also apply to coal being transported more than 600 kilometres across the country. Such coal must now be less than 30 per cent ash and less than 2 per cent sulphur. The most stringent rules apply to coal burned in coastal and northern cities, where air pollution is at its worst. That must now be at most 16 per cent ash and 1 per cent sulphur. The announcement will affect coal-mining globally. For example, China gets about 20 per cent of its imported coal from Australia, but more than half of what Australia sends might not meet the new standards. Ian Dunlop, who used to chair the Australian Coal Association but now campaigns to leave coal in the ground, says this will force the industry to focus on cleaner coal. "The pressure from China is undoubtedly going to be a very big factor." Last month, China banned the burning of coal in Beijing's six central districts, with plans to extend the ban to the rest of the city by 2016." In our recent blog, 5 ways climate change threatens health we explained how serious the air pollution situation is: Air pollution and allergens: WHO estimates air pollution is responsible for 1 in 8 deaths around the world. It killed 7 million people in 2012 and these numbers are predicted to rise due to dangerous climate change. Poor air quality contributed to 1.2m deaths in China in 2010 – around 40% of the global total. This ban is a brilliant glimmer of hope towards a future of renewable energy. China should also be congratulated on investing vast amounts of money in wind, solar and other renewable projects over the past 2 years.
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