Air pollution has been a long-standing problem in China, but it may have reached a turning point earlier this year, after thick blankets of gray clouds enveloped Beijing and other cities for days. The health toll on the Chinese population has been staggering, and the government is finally demonstrating the volition to take the problem seriously. Watch the following video to find out how all this adds up to considerable pain for American coal exporters.
China's Airpocalypse and Peak Coal
By Sara Murphy – Sep 14, 2013 at 7:00AM
Beijing's foul air may precipitate coal's decline much sooner than anyone expected.
About the Author
Sara began her career working for NGOs in the international development and disaster response fields. She had an epiphany one day, and thought she had invented the concept of sustainable investing. While initially disappointed that others had thought of this long ago, she was fortunate to be able to enter the humming field of Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI). With the exception of a few years as an environmental consultant, she has never looked back. Her first job in the SRI field was with a Washington, DC-based research firm, where she conducted social and environmental analysis of publicly traded companies. From there, Sara moved to Europe to work as a senior sustainability analyst for a large SRI fund management team with 8 billion Euros under management. Now back in Washington, DC, Sara is a freelance writer and analyst primarily covering sustainability issues for investors and consumers.
Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in French and Spanish, and a Master of Arts degree from George Mason University in Economics. Sara grew up in Asia and Africa, and observed first hand the direct and indirect impact companies' activities have on people and the environment, both positive and negative. She believes that it is entirely possible for all stakeholders to benefit and profit from companies' ingenuity and innovation.
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