Developing on Coal – Switch On Shorts – Video

Transcript:

Nearly every developed country developed on coal. The UK, the US, Germany, China, and dozens of others use coal to power their industrial revolutions and later their electric grids. Today, many developing nations are following a similar path, juggling the energy benefits of coal with its environmental impacts. Vietnam is in the midst of a coal revolution. I went there to get a better understanding of the benefits and challenges for countries developing on coal. A manufacturing economy requires two things. A large population eager for jobs and a lot of energy to help them do their work. The economy in Vietnam is growing very rapidly. It’s a huge need for electricity. We are working to promote sustainable energy development in Vietnam. In the past until now, um, hydropower is the main source, but for now until 2030, uh, coal will be the main source accounting for 40% in terms of capacity. Why not keep hydro? It’s just because hydropower potential in Vietnam just used up. Ah, we’ve built all the dams that could be built. So, you have to have something else. Yeah. For more than 30 years, Vietnam has experience with coal power development. That means our uh human resources are familiar with coal. So, it’s easier for them to to develop them in the future. Sure. I I I grew up in a small town exactly the same this town. Mhm. And almost all families there have one, two or even three members working for co or or pots. My father, my mother, my older brother, my sister-in-law, all of them are working for for this industry. It’s the foundational income and it just makes the rest of the town work. Yes. So if coal goes away, a lot of this economy goes away. It it will be serious issue. serious issue. I don’t know but it will be tough for the local people. What do you think about the public perception? What do they think about the energy situation here? There are some people who have a good knowledge then they are talking about the environment and clean energy. Yes. But most of the people in Vietnam they want to have a cheap the consumers they are very sensitive to any change in the price of electricity. So, coal is cheap and local, at least in the beginning, and provides millions of jobs, not just in the coal and power industries, but the many other industries that depend on them. Coal helps a country lift itself out of poverty and increase the standard of living of its citizens. But like all benefits, these come at a cost. Local pollution and the global issue of CO2 emissions. Because it’s cheap and local and established, China, India, Vietnam, and other developing countries, many in Asia, will continue to rely on coal in the coming decades. If developed countries want to help them reduce their air pollution and CO2 emissions in our one shared atmosphere, we could consider helping them develop on some other energy source.