Coal is the new gold in South Africa -- it's also one of the worst polluters on the planet. South Africa is the world's fourth largest coal exporter with over 40 billion tons of the fossil fuel in reserves, according to the government. While the Chamber of Mines reported sales of some $10 billion last year. But the of host of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, currently taking place in Durban, is under increasing pressure to curb its addiction to coal -- the world's most notorious contributor to the greenhouse gases blamed for contributing to climate change. From South Africa to America, Europe to China, coal is the bedrock on which most world economies have been built. Reducing its use, many countries argue, will reduce productivity and growth.
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South Africa is host of the United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP17
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South Africa is the world's fourth largest coal exporter, selling some $10 billion-worth in 2010
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Coal one of the worst polluters on the planet; SA under pressure to reduce its use
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Government says it has plans to use more sustainable energy
Complicating matters even more is the argument around whether the world's second biggest economy, @placeholder, should be entitled to such a subsidy.