Think Again: Green China

Is China the green model of the world's future -- or an industrial polluter on a massive scale?

BY CHRISTINA LARSON | NOVEMBER 13, 2009

Two years ago, the New York Times reported that China was "choking on growth," with rapid economic development ravaging its environment. But in a recent column, the Times' Tom Friedman declared that "Red China [has] decided to become Green China," writing that the developing country now outpaces the United States in its pursuit of alternative energy.

The Times example illustrates the schism in how the West regards China on the environment. One side argues that China is a pure environmental villain -- the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and an unmatched polluter. So, this case goes, the U.S. Congress shouldn't commit to capping carbon emissions when Beijing hasn't accepted binding reduction targets. The other side contends that China is already so far ahead of the United States in green technology that Americans should be trembling for their jobs, not to mention their competitive edge in the global marketplace.

On the eve of Obama's first trip to Beijing and with less than a month to go before the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, it's time to think again: Is China the green model of the future, or the brown reminder of our industrial past?

 SUBJECTS: EAST ASIA
 

Christina Larson is a contributing editor at Foreign Policy and a Bernard L. Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation.

WILLISTAMPA

11:56 AM ET

November 16, 2009

Nice Propaganda Christina

How much did China pay you for that little piece of good news?

I know for a fact, that China pays for propaganda right here in the U.S. and there are a few "journalists" who love those little envelopes passed under the table.

Unfortunately, Christina, the huge cloud of pollution that floats over the Pacific from China sort of counter's the green image that you sadly tried to promote.

Nice try though.

 

SHALOMAR

2:28 PM ET

November 16, 2009

And Carbon Capture and Sequestration...

I'm surprised you did not mention geologic sequestration of carbon, which will reduce carbon emissions and where China is also on the front edge of the curve with 2 large carbon capture and sequestration projects.

 

CHUNKYLIMEY

6:49 PM ET

November 17, 2009

Balanced

Apart from the ridiculous comment here by someone who clearly can't read a whole article and understand it; this article is a great balance of showing the positive and negative impacts of rapid change under a totalitarian system.

One obvious issue with China getting ahead of the race on Green energy is that after the initial outlay Green energy becomes an incredibly cheap resource. Although there are issues of supply matching demand since it is the machinery for capturing the energy that is the expensive outlay; if it is built durable and made cheap to maintain it reduces costs massively. Cheap energy of course means a massive cost in manufacturing costs. After the initial outlay China may actually be able to increase profit margins, reduce manufacturing costs and still produce cheaper goods than America. This of course is a serious economic threat. The unfortunate contrast is that the North American continent actually offers far more natural energy resources than China but will remain untapped because one of the large players in the 2 party system (which is often as undemocratic is just having 1 party) is owned by the oil industry, opposed to environmentalism and any large scale government program that would require Tax hikes and massive oversight. Energy reform that could protect and save the American economy will be opposed by the Republicans every step of the way (but Republicans have always been a cancer on the American economy as their solid record of devastation to American growth has always shown). Sadly Democrats owned by the interests of unions will also struggle to make significant reform.

However amidst all of this it is worth remembering that the price of centralized control in China is the loss of freedom and the risk that one universally "agreed" plan may not even be the right one. Americas only real hope is to keep Religion out of the classroom and keep Science in. If Americans can increase scientific literacy in the face of the wave of ignorance started in the Reagan era then America may actually stand a chance to remain the dominant world player, in energy and technology.

 

CHUNKYLIMEY

6:49 PM ET

November 17, 2009

Balanced

Apart from the ridiculous comment here by someone who clearly can't read a whole article and understand it; this article is a great balance of showing the positive and negative impacts of rapid change under a totalitarian system.

One obvious issue with China getting ahead of the race on Green energy is that after the initial outlay Green energy becomes an incredibly cheap resource. Although there are issues of supply matching demand since it is the machinery for capturing the energy that is the expensive outlay; if it is built durable and made cheap to maintain it reduces costs massively. Cheap energy of course means a massive cost in manufacturing costs. After the initial outlay China may actually be able to increase profit margins, reduce manufacturing costs and still produce cheaper goods than America. This of course is a serious economic threat. The unfortunate contrast is that the North American continent actually offers far more natural energy resources than China but will remain untapped because one of the large players in the 2 party system (which is often as undemocratic is just having 1 party) is owned by the oil industry, opposed to environmentalism and any large scale government program that would require Tax hikes and massive oversight. Energy reform that could protect and save the American economy will be opposed by the Republicans every step of the way (but Republicans have always been a cancer on the American economy as their solid record of devastation to American growth has always shown). Sadly Democrats owned by the interests of unions will also struggle to make significant reform.

However amidst all of this it is worth remembering that the price of centralized control in China is the loss of freedom and the risk that one universally "agreed" plan may not even be the right one. Americas only real hope is to keep Religion out of the classroom and keep Science in. If Americans can increase scientific literacy in the face of the wave of ignorance started in the Reagan era then America may actually stand a chance to remain the dominant world player, in energy and technology.

 

RHODESCOLOSSUS

12:12 PM ET

December 2, 2009

China is

hardly a totalitarian system.