How is it possible that the UK's emissions have declined so much? This is the main reason. The UK left coal behind. The UK's CO₂ emissions from coal are today lower than at any point since 1800.
Instead of burning the coal under our feet, we pay Canadians to cut down forests, melt the lumber into wood chips, and to freight the wood chips across the Atlantic. We should use less coal, but the solution we have implemented is an accountancy fudge to claim our CO2 emissions net out. In thermodynamic terms we have not covered ourselves in glory. But thermodynamics is irrelevant, what really matters are stories and power.
@Object_Zero_ @MaxCRoser Mostly we use natural gas instead. It’s a lot cleaner than coal, both due to its chemistry and due to combined cycle generators
@peterrhague @MaxCRoser Yes, I was specifically referring to Drax. It’s a 2.5 GW power station that produces around 10% of our electricity (from memory). It was built to burn coal but then converted to Europe’s largest wood burner.
@peterrhague @Object_Zero_ @MaxCRoser Unless you count methane leaks which makes gas as bad as coal. npr.org/2023/07/14/118…