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Written by Milan Clarke   
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Sunday, 21 March 2010

China and Energy

China: the Good, the Bad, and the Green… China is the most populated country in the world, and they are currently the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, behind the United States. If China's carbon emissions keep up with a pace of 7% per year growth, by 2030 its carbon dioxide (CO2) production will equal that of the entire world today.1

Because of its enormity and power, China is inarguably a major factor in the world’s efforts to prevent climate change. As David Sandalow, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy stated, “Even if every other country cut their emissions of greenhouse gases by 80 percent, China could trigger a 2.7C degree rise in global temperatures if it does not act.”2 Also, almost 80% percent of China's energy is produced by coal,3 and sadly, they have announced that they are building 500 new coal-fired plants in the next ten years.4 To put this figure in perspective, that is one more plant exhausting jet-black smoke every four days.

On the upside, China is the frontrunner in the development and implementation of clean-coal technology. Eighty percent of the energy that 1.2 billion people rely upon comes from the chemical transfer of harmless lumps of this organic material into a gaseous, ozone-rotting pollutant. Sadly, it doesn’t look like it is the end for coal in China—coal is cheap to operate, the infrastructure is already in place, and the global recession is making everyone extra leery of spending the billions needed for significant clean energy producing plants.

However, what China is doing is not all bad. The country deserves some praise for their steps towards creation of clean energy and their concern for the environment. The 2008 Summer Olympics put the spotlight on China’s new environmental awareness. (For more on the 2008 Summer Olympics, check out:
http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/A-Green-Demand-at-the-2008-Summer-Olympics.html). The Chinese government is wholeheartedly supporting a mission to have renewable energy generate 20% of the country’s total energy use by 2020. Despite President Obama’s resolution to keep the U.S. ahead of the curve on clean energy, China is winning by a landslide. They have pledged $440 billion to the endeavor while America has devoted $69 billion – less than one sixth of China.5

Furthermore, China has recently passed a new law that will require utility companies to purchase all available renewable power, despite its higher prices. This will be reflected in prices paid by consumers and could have a negative effect on the economy, but China understands that sacrifices must be made for the future. With China’s tremendous sense of urgency, it looks like they will be a model for clean energy for years to come. Not all of their plans for renewable energy have come without controversy however. Dams being built for hydroelectric power have come under fire for putting a huge amount of stress and altering surrounding ecosystems, for example. For more on this, check out:

http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Three-Gorges-Dam.html and
http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Mekong-River.html.

Although there are many who want the United States to be making a similar commitment to renewable energy as China is right now, the current economic crisis has been blocking efforts. It is an especially difficult time for clean energy to enter the limelight, because every dollar of our budget is squeezed to create jobs and keep the country afloat. However, many of these jobs are geared toward the green industry.6 The U.S. and most of the rest of the world is having a hard time spending money in areas where short-term benefits are not realized. Nonetheless, many argue there is no reason why the United States shouldn’t be able to do as much if not mare than China in the race for renewable energy. For more information on China’s strides in renewable energy, check out this New York Times article and op-ed.:

China’s managed economy is what makes its plan possible. The U.S. government simply cannot claim such stringent control over the energy industry. Passing even small reforms often requires months on end of negotiation. It is an unfortunate situation, but we understand the necessities of the times and demand that more of our energy be derived from alternative and renewable sources. For now we can rest peacefully knowing that although China is emitting tons of harmful greenhouse gases, they are highly aware of the harm they are doing and taking expensive steps to improve their carbon footprint.

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1 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/world/asia/11coal.html
2 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/5491705/One-fifth-of-Chinas-energy-to-come-from-renewables-by-2020.html
3 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/world/asia/11coal.html
4 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/4330469.stm
5 http://planetgreen.discovery.com/feature/planet-100/china-race-clean-energy.html
6 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/us/politics/14stimintro.ready.html?_r=1




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