‘Nothing else here’: Why it’s so hard for world to quit coal

By ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL
AP Science Writer

DHANBAD, India (AP) — Efforts to fight climate change are being held back in part because coal, the biggest single source of climate-changing gases, provides cheap electricity and supports millions of jobs. It’s one of the dilemmas facing world leaders gathered in Glasgow, Scotland this week in an attempt to stave off the worst effects of climate change. Developing nations such as India argue they should be allowed the “carbon space” to grow as rich nations have before eventually turning away from coal and reducing emissions. But because rich nations have already raised Earth’s temperature so much, consequences of further warming will be catastrophic, scientists say.