China Pushes Use of Clean Energy

[Frank Booth]

Source: Wall Street Journal

BEIJING -- China announced new regulations to increase the use of renewable energy such as wind and hydropower by forcing electricity grid operators to prioritize their use, in an effort by the world's top greenhouse-gas emitter to reduce its reliance on coal.

The new measures were passed Saturday by the standing committee of the National People's Congress, China's legislature, as an amendment to the 2006 renewable energy law, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. The amendment will force powerful state-owned electric grid companies, which are responsible for distributing electricity from power plants, to buy all the electricity generated from renewable sources even when it is more expensive and more complicated to use than electricity from coal-fired plants.


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126192809041606467.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection

[David__77]

1. Good for China.

They are making solid, real moves to improve the environment. That should be commended.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Questionable at best

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7332628

[David__77]

3. You're pointing out exactly why the Chinese government is making these efforts.

It's good that efforts are being made.

[Frank Booth]

4. Plus, not surprisingly, it will be another huge economic boon for China.

While our government's busy fighting over whether global warming exists or not, the Chinese government is plowing huge subsidies into the development of green energy.

[FreakinDJ]

15. Of course it was the Chinese who "Derailed the Copenhagen Summit"

[proteus_lives]

6. Have you even seen a picture of Chinese skies?

This is laughable, they are among polluters on earth.

[David__77]

7. Isn't that why they'd be implementing these policies?

I mean, if there were no pollution, then there would be no need right?

[Fearless]

5. Well of course, they wouldn't want to be dependant on the US for coal... ring a bell???

:banghead:

[wickerwoman]

8. China has massive coal reserves.

Most of the reason their air quality is so poor is that many northern provinces rely almost exclusively on coal energy (including individuals heating houses and cooking with it).

Projects like the Three Gorges Dam and their new emphasis on wind and solar projects are meant to alleviate their dependence on (their own) coal.

Say what you want about China and their motivations, but they're champing at the bit to show up the US on green technology and thanks to GWB they have a real chance of pushing ahead if we continue to ignore a problem that has been self-evident for 40 years.

[Fearless]

19. I'm speaking of the future and ftr the US has larger.

[wickerwoman]

20. But the point is that China doesn't want or need our coal.

They have tons of their own. It would be like worrying about the US having to import corn from Mexico for survival. In some conceivable bizzaro future, I guess that's a possibility, but it's far more likely we'll continue to use our own (and ideally reduce our consumption since corn products are linked to obesity and health problems).

And China would rather pull a huge PR coup by beating us to affordable green technology and then exporting it around the world.

The CCP is all about national pride, saving face and maintaining "social harmony" (i.e. doing just enough that the party isn't overthrown by pissed off citizens). All three of those goals are furthered by pursuing green technology.

[Fearless]

21. The current rate of usage is unsustainable... thus the focus on alternative energy.

Also their past issues: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jNcIoEdFWRBZCPy7u3scP0GTTwGw


And a study on shortage...

"it is predicted that the coal supply capacity would reach 1530Mt/a in 2005,
1550Mt in 2010, and 1430Mt in 2020 respectively. Therefore, the shortage of
coal supply would reach 120Mt in 2005, 250Mt in 2010, and 620-770 in 2020
respectively."

http://www.iea.org/work/2003/beijing/4Youg.pdf


And international trends and predictions:

http://www.im-mining.com/2009/06/07/eia-predicts-surge-in-world-coal-consumption/


And another...

"Unlike oil and natural gas, coal is in fairly abundant supply in the U.S. In fact, we possess the world’s largest share, roughly 30 percent, of proven coal reserves, with Russia and China a distant second and third. That's why experts sometimes call the United States "the Saudi Arabia of coal."

http://www.publicagenda.org/whoturnedoutthelights/world-coal-reserves

[Sultana]

9. Yea right....

<_<

[Turborama]

10. Renewable energy in China

Some interesting facts and figures here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_China

There's a strong stench of xenophobia hanging around in this thread.

[marasinghe]

11. i know. what's with all this china bashing? not cool.

i do so admire their cutting-edge programs for the advancement of human rights, organ donation, pollution curbs, abolishing of the death penalty & democracy.

[Turborama]

13. This news story isn't about any of those topics, apart from the "pollution curbs", of course

Thanks for explaining your hatred for China, though.

Back to the topic at hand.

Just a couple of facts from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_China">Wikipedia article:

About 16 percent of China's electricity came from renewable sources in 2006, led by the world's largest number of hydroelectric generators.

China has the largest wind resources in the world...

China has become a world leader in the manufacture of solar photovoltaic technology...

[Frank Booth]

12. Didn't you get the DU memo?

All cultures are deserving of respect -- except for Asians, particularly Indians and Chinese.

[marasinghe]

14. yep; i diss my wife & myself every time i open my stupid mouth.

she's chinese; i'm south-asian (of indian origin ; though grant you, not indian).
so i get a two-fer every time i make these 'xenophobic' posts.
:evilgrin:

the Turborama dude didn't accuse me of racism, i guess - so i should politely point out that any right-thinking person calling out the chinese govt. on its bullshit propaganda does not equate to hating china, any more than calling out the us govt. on its bullshit propaganda equates to hating the usa. now if he had said 'the current chinese govt.', he would be nearer the truth of the matter.

[underpants]

16. "China is just stringing Obama along"

giggle giggle giggle "He doesn't know what he is doing. China will NEVER sign on for this"

those are the types of comments the RW media just loved saying about 6 months ago. As usual they couldn't have been more wrong even if they actually tried.
............
This is a good sign. We'll see how it plays out but at least they are at the table.

[clear eye]

17. They also got their runaway population growth under control

while other developing nations didn't. Don't underestimate the Chinese oligarchs ability to see what's in their best longterm interests. And I agree w/ the poster who said that they are likely looking forward to a market (us) for their green technologies.

This is the fatal flaw of our corporate model--the insatiable demand for short-term returns that creates suicidal decisions. Once upon a time representative gov't mitigated that. Not so much anymore.

[Uncle Joe]

18. Kicking and recommending the thread and I agree with your analysis, clear eye.

:thumbsup:

No nation is perfect and the Chinese certainly have pollution but I believe they recognize their own existence is at stake and they're in the process of changing in regards to renewable, sustainable energy technology.

We can sit here all day long, avoid changing ourselves and focus on the splinter in China's eye and I believe they will leave us in the dust.

[Frank Booth]

22. This is what many people fail to recognize about China's oligarchs.

While oligarchs in most countries care only about enriching themselves, China's leader actually care about improving the country. While the means may at times be morally wrong, it's hard to argue with the results.