By: Mike Schuster
China's Plan to be more Green than US: On Tuesday, at the UN Summit for Climate Change, China unveiled a massive plan to curb their ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Ideas included in the plan: planting a forest larger than Norway, and generating at least 15% of their energy from renewables within at least a decade. China has also vowed to take "determined and practical steps" to improve its nuclear energy, increase energy efficiency and reduce (notably)its carbon growth rate.
The US had no definite plan, but Obama stated that the US is "determined to act". Personally, this looks like the beginning of China taking the green lead in the world (along with all the green business opportunities). There are a few problems with China's ideas (most notably that trees, and therefore, forests, are overall carbon emitters until they reach maturity), but it does seem like China is reacting to this crisis much more efficiently than our country is: maybe some competition from China will be enough to get our government to finally do something meaningful about our energy and environment crisis
9 comments:
I think that China's green scheme will have far more positive consequences than just the lessening of its own environmental pollution. Right now, the US is considered the world's leader in just about everything: power, money, diversity, etc. But with China so close behind, and growing, the US has to push harder and harder to keep its standards #1. Now that China is really pushing to green itself, the US will more or less be forced to do the same - or face criticism that a country where the problem is exponentially larger is making more progress than the richer country who's been in the green movement for far longer. China's green will help to green the entire world.
This plan sounds great. China has such a big pollution problem and it sounds like they are finally making a change. Also, im glad China will be pushing the US to become more green.
I guess I didn't realize that China would be on the forefront of "going green." In so many other classes in the past few years I have learned about their exponential growth and coal burning factories going up like crazy! Is this enough to offset the growth of "dirty" energy? I hope that we can catch up/ get ahead. We need to make sure that we have a competitive advantage in something and we can't let a new industry opportunity like this to pass us by.
this is great to hear. If im not mistaken, i think the whole reason the US didnt sign Keyoto was because of China. Now that China is turning green hopefully we'll follow. I'm excited to see some change
I would think that China's plan will be enough to spur countries, who don't emit even half of what China does in terms of CO2, to act faster to this global pollution crisis. I don't know if the US sees China as a treat in terms of 'greening' faster, but it may be just the incentive this administration needs. Yes, China has a big pollution problems, but so does the US, and our policies barely break the surface. Maybe our countries can work together to change our industries!
Hmm..Interesting to hear that China is planning to plant a forest larger than Norway. Didn't we just hear about China's problem with growing desertification across the country? Well, Good Luck China! Hopefully the U.S. can learn what works from you.
I think that China's Green initiative is great. China seems as though it will set an example for other developing countries to follow. This plan will not only help China it will help the world. As for the United States, I hope China's actions will persuade more environmental action in our country. I think the US needs to take action immediately and come up with a new and improved climate change initiative.
China still has a long way to go. China surpassed the U.S. as the number one emitter of CO2 and generates most of their electricity from coal fired plants. Also, the construction of the Three Gorges dam flooded 400 miles upstream, impacting the animals, plants, and water quality.
I think China has a great plan. I would like to know the research they have done behind planting this forest? was it once a forest? does the area where they want to plant this allow for so many trees? Planting trees is good for the air for sure, but some climates and places just don't have the resources (water, sun, nutrients in the soil) to sustain a forest.
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