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Despite its efforts to go green, China still depends on coal, but critics say blaming China for its rampant pollution is unfair, given all the manufacturing the world's developed countries outsource to Chinese companies
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7 Comments
Add CommentOf course, China can not be blamed as we all consume their products which use "their" power. However, they are on the verge of robotically mass producing most of the world's PV and LiFePo4 batteries. Why can't we do that? Because we are too dam expensive (due to lawyers and fees, etc). It is also because of nimbyism (which blocks solar and windfarms). And because of corporate greed (AKA conspiracy theory). These stupid show stoppers are America's middle name. We need to stop that by demanding new laws that eradicate the old anti renewable (and anti desert solar farm) laws. When we do that, I'm sure China will have far surpassed us (anyways) in the renewables energy race (cause noth'n gets in their way)!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCan we please give the US a break. It is not the world's largest CO2 emitter (that's China), it is not the largest emitter per dollar of GDP (there are over a hundred worse offenders), and it is not (as this article erroneously claims) the highest emitter per capita, it is fifth at worst.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know the US is such an easy target to kick, but try and resist the temptation and stick to reality.
It is true that a good portion of China's GHG emissions are due to manufactured goods bound for other countries. It is also true that this will grow in the coming years due to the misguided US cap and trade legislation. Manufacturing will flee to China in droves as the Obamites put the squeeze on emissions and taxes mushroom.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Senate just voted to extend unemployment to 99 weeks. Be prepared for permanent unemployment as Obama continues to take over the economy.
There is a fundamental dishonesty in the excuses given here for China. China's spokesman says "you" (the West collectively) outsourced to China. Greenpeace's spokesperson says the same, "the West" did it. But the only collective state entity that had anything to do with this is China's. It is China that invites companies to outsource and use its cheap labor and lack of environmental restraints; and that asks us to import its goods without compensatory environmental tariffs. Obviously some companies will do it, as long as China encourages it, and as long as our own governments do not respond proactively with carbon-input tariffs in order to restrain it. While the blame surely is on China, its time to move beyond the blame game. Theres a simple way to do that: simply establish a tariff on the emissions-input into goods, and keep the tariff at a level that equalizes for the emissions restrictions, taxes, and indirect taxes that exist in the West. The direct and indirect (and impending) taxes on emissions are whats getting Westerners serious about cutting emissions. The equivalent tariff is the only real instrument we have to encourage Chinese to start getting serious too. And its the ONLY way to get equal justice on this matter instead of blame games.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, China likes its profits so much that it is even willing to supress how much colder and drier its western and northern regions are getting. As long as carbon credits seem to be of some value it would be counter productive to admit that these things are absolutely worthless, since the world grows cooler no matter how much CO2 China pumps out supplying the world with cheap industrial products.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisall this, the shape of our world,we see. knowing we keep seeing what we allow our-self and none else. (magnet generator) zero point energy .
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisChina certainly has the capital and research potential to invest in green technology, to develop and implement it totally, even over a short time-span that could leave the Copenhagen objectives looking pretty silly.
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