Part II:
The Chinese economy is heavily dependent on coal for its energy needs. 70% of china’s energy comes from coal – and it also causes 400,000 extra deaths annually in China. Coal remains central to the regime’s growth strategy – it plans to increase coal production by a further 30 percent by 2015.
But it is in China’s interest that it cuts down rapidly on emissions. Rise in sea levels will affect millions in China. Changing climate will cause havoc. Rain patterns and hence agriculture will be affected. More and more people will die because of pollution related issues.
http://chinaworker.info/en/content/news/919/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8380106.stm
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Part I:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125957944561669451.html
Article in this morning’s WSJ discussing the stalemate between EU and China on the currency issue (i.e. appreciation of yuan) as well as EU’s push for China to cap its carbon emissions. Unclemilton is skeptical that a consensus regarding climate and carbon emissions will be reached in Copenhagen next week. What do you think??
December 1, 2009 at 12:10 pm |
If the transferral of pioneering green technology is vital in carbon capture and control, EU would be in a dilemma whether to benefit-thy-neighbor by dissemination of its technological knowhow and exportation of its comparative advantage, the capitalization of which by China may lead to the skyrocketing if not overhauling of Chinese research capability. If yes, EU’s trade deficit would be temporarily alleviated until surpassed by China’s technology frontier. If no, then neither the carbon nor trade problem could be satisfactorily resolved.
December 2, 2009 at 2:38 pm |
China has pledged to cut the amount of carbon dioxide produced for each yuan of national income 40-45 percent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels. The ETS is good and covers more than 10,000 installations in Europe with a net heat excess of 20 MW in the energy and industrial sectors which are collectively responsible for close to half of the EU’s emissions of CO2 and 40% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. By the way, China government need to balance its LR intest and SR interest. With taking environment into consideration, the government also needs to consider the price volatility of energies after making some promises. After all, most economic development still rely on coals industry, where gives out carbon dioxide and poison us day by day. /Fangming
December 3, 2009 at 3:45 am |
Here is a quick an interesting article that talks about some of the perceptions regarding the “greening” of China. The article agrees with the comments above, and says that China has “the world’s best and worst record on global warming”
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/13/think_again_green_china
“China is going green in a hurry.”
- Yes and no.
“China is surging ahead of the United States in alternative energy.”
- No
“China’s one-party political system is an advantage for going green.”
- Not necessarily
“The United States should fear China’s ‘Green Sputnik.’”
- No need to.
December 3, 2009 at 3:53 am |
Karthik from UncleMilton:
Some statistics from today’s SCMP:
37% -> The predicted decline in mainland’s grain output in the second half of the century if no action is taken.
The paper talks about an article written by Dr Zheng in the latest issue of Qiushi.