The Green Dragon Wakes: Are China’s Eco-Efforts A Sign of Things to Come?
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 11.12.08
Tibet railway photo: Henry Chen
China’s environmental woes are well documented, but in a recent article in Yale Environment 360 Fred Pearce tries to find the greener side of China’s rise. He even asserts that, because of its growing green efforts, China’s per-capita carbon emissions are unlikely to ever reach those of the United States.
At his own request, you can call him an “incorrigible optimist” (and frankly, I do, at least in part). But here are Pearce’s examples of the new Green China:
China’s Renewable Energy Industry Growing Fast
After updating us on the dark statistic that China in fact is erecting more than one new coal plant a week (the current stat is two 1000 MW plants a week), he points out China’s fast growing renewable energy industry and its leading position in aquaculture.
Eco-Cities, Plastic Bag Bans
Pearce then reads the laundry list of other green endeavors:
On an island at the mouth of the Yangtze river near Shanghai, they are currently building the world’s first eco-city, powered by renewable electricity, with citywide water recycling and plans for a car-free transport system. Similarly, the recently completed 1,200-kilometer railway into Tibet employed “green construction” methods, according to a paper in Science last year. And the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is devoted to green urban design.In June, the country officially banned free plastic bags in shops. The world’s largest plastic bag manufacturer (Chinese, of course) shut down as a result.
The ‘Queen of Trash’
Pearce relays the size of China’s recycling industry through the story of the ‘Queen of Trash’,
Witness the success of China's "Queen of Trash," Cheung Yan. Ten years ago, when China stopped logging its own natural forests to prevent a recurrence of big floods, she anticipated a paper shortage. She went to the U.S. and drove around in an old pick-up begging municipal garbage dumps to sell her their waste paper. She was so successful that today her company, Nine Dragons, ships more than 6 million ton of waste paper a year into China, which she recycles into boxes for electronics goods that will be taking the next container ship back to Europe and North America.Nine Dragons is now the world’s largest manufacturer of packaging. Cheung is reportedly mainland China’s richest person — and possibly the richest self-made woman on the planet.
Ultimately, Pearce concludes that the rise of the middle class in China, combined with the pressure of dwindling natural resources, and the profit motive of supplying the US with green products as it too moves towards a greater green awareness, will force China into adopting greener measures.
So what do readers think? Incorrigible optimism, starry-eyed wishful thinking or accurate insight?
Full article at: Yale Environment 360
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Man, I really hope their per-capita carbon emissions don't reach anywhere near ours! With over 3x as many people, that would be simply disgusting to fathom.
"Incorrigible optimism, starry-eyed wishful thinking or accurate insight?"
Without a healthy dose of all three of these, we're doomed.
You can't change the world if you don't believe it is possible. We need seers to see where we should go, pioneers who think we can get there and try lots of things, and a lot of toiling and careful thought to make it happen.
China want energy independence more than America. And because of that, their renewable energy production is outpacing their current growth. And with the global economic slow-down, much of that energy pumped into factories for American consumption is also dwindling. China is poised to lead the world in clean-energy deployment. You may find yourselves surprised if you hang on to the old image of China.
A contry that is still developing, and its pushing forward with green tech, its got millions of people willing to work, and people smart to innovate and see the niches that open. As soon as we stop buying the tat that they currently build and put our money in Green Tech, who'll be the biggest supplier, yup China, they are flexible and able to adapt.
Nice. We're all trying to see the bright green side here, and I think this strikes a balance. Not much new but still.
For a meta meditation on thinking about China's environment, see my post here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/china_environmental_reporting_fairness.php
Also, China's paper queen on TreeHugger:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/worlds_richest.php
Thanks,
Alex
China has burnt coal in a dirty fashion because it had no choice; but, as it progresses it realizes that it must clean its act to survive.