[Zhang Fei]

In China, homes and offices burn coal for heat. I expect most of its air pollution problems come from small, inefficient and dirty heating systems, rather than power plants.

[Paul R.]

In China, homes and offices burn coal for heat. I expect most of its air pollution problems come from small, inefficient and dirty heating systems, rather than power plants.

According to my brother, who spent considerable time in China a few years ago, it's both.

Also, do not forget mercury. If you study EPA's own data carefully, you'll find that most of the mercury in the AVERAGE body of water in the USA is drifting here from China. I'd guess power plant stacks are much more efficient at pushing pollutants up high enough that some can drift here, than a home or shop's furnace. Either way, China's local pollution problems are obviously much worse than what drifts to the USA. The same would be true of Euro's burning coal* vs. what would get to Russia, for the most part.

*Most of the mercury can be scrubbed out of power plant emissions, of course, but, I suppose the question is whether OLD coal fired power plants in Eastern European countries have good scrubbers.