Bad news: coal consumption UP!

This year has all been about bad news: a terrible war in Ukraine, huge energy-supply shortages as a result of Russian revenge on Europe for backing Ukraine, natural disasters everywhere, collapse of Great Britain as a serious country, North Korea going mad with ballistic-missile test launches, Iran repression of its youth, China's Xi Zinping wanting to be master of the universe, and now the latest figures show that coal consumption is up, coal-fired power stations are busy, coal imports are up. More than eight billion metric tons of coal have been used up already this year, and the use of coal for generating electricity has risen by two per cent, according to the International Energy Agency. While the reasons are understandable because of Putin's shutting off of natural gas pipeline supplies to Europe, the consequences are dire for the planet. Coal consumption has to go down to zero to reduce carbon emissions and save the world, but reliance on this fossil fuel remains high. There is still a lot of it about and it's filling the gap left by the drastic shortages of natural gas and the slow progress towards changing to alternative energy. In a year, but probably two or three, things will get better but will it be too late? Two more years of high consumption of coal could be dangerously risky for the climate. Are any governments taking all this into account or are they so overwhelmed by their economic challenges that they are failing to think sufficiently about the future of this planet? I fear so. The UK government is even considering developing a new coal mine. The future is not coal but it seems we just can't let go of the fuel which has and is ruining our lives and the future of our children.