the tall tree attracts the wind
June 17th 2008 00:05
as the Chinese saying goes.
When it comes to Global Emissions there is a lot of finger pointing and comparisons made.
A third report has been released showing China as the largest emitter globally. In absolute terms the latest shows them a staggering 14% ahead of the U.S.
China will argue it is unfair to compare them in totality because if you delve into the detaill or slice open the tree, i.e. on a per capita basis, the numbers are significantly lower and China should have the right to grow, and their citizens have a right to rise to Developed living standards with all the trimmings. Realistically the answer lies somewhere in between, however being the tall tree in the argument China need to proactively be part of the solution, especially with the eyes of the world on them leading into the Beijing Olympics. Hopefully in the next version of Kyoto we can all find a way to work on this problem together, because lets face it, we consume many of the products doing the damage to the Chinese numbers, best we don't forget that.
Here is an extract of a reuters article on the report and a link to the story.
When it comes to Global Emissions there is a lot of finger pointing and comparisons made.
A third report has been released showing China as the largest emitter globally. In absolute terms the latest shows them a staggering 14% ahead of the U.S.
China will argue it is unfair to compare them in totality because if you delve into the detaill or slice open the tree, i.e. on a per capita basis, the numbers are significantly lower and China should have the right to grow, and their citizens have a right to rise to Developed living standards with all the trimmings. Realistically the answer lies somewhere in between, however being the tall tree in the argument China need to proactively be part of the solution, especially with the eyes of the world on them leading into the Beijing Olympics. Hopefully in the next version of Kyoto we can all find a way to work on this problem together, because lets face it, we consume many of the products doing the damage to the Chinese numbers, best we don't forget that.
Here is an extract of a reuters article on the report and a link to the story.
BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) - China's ranking as top emitter of the main planet-warming gas, carbon dioxide, seemed confirmed by a Dutch report on Friday, putting more pressure on Beijing to come up with their own figures, experts said.
The finding from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) is the third published in English by either European or U.S.-based researchers to show China at the top.
It says China's CO2 emissions raced 14 percent ahead of the total emitted by the United States last year.
One of the report's biggest effects will be to put more pressure on the central government to speed up the process of tallying its own total greenhouse gas emissions.
"No matter how many of these kind of reports are released, you still need the confirmation from China to really confirm the story," said Greenpeace China's Beijing-based climate and energy campaign manager Ailun Yang.
Even without China's confirmation, Friday's report represented the consensus view, said Isabel Hilton, editor of bilingual Mandarin-English China Dialogue website, which publishes reports about China's environment.
The delay in Beijing's confirmation reflected reluctance.
"As the Chinese saying goes, the tall tree attracts the wind. The government is conscious that being the largest emitter by volume, along with a vigorous programme of building coal-fired power stations, risks putting China at a moral disadvantage in international diplomacy," said Hilton.
The finding from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) is the third published in English by either European or U.S.-based researchers to show China at the top.
It says China's CO2 emissions raced 14 percent ahead of the total emitted by the United States last year.
One of the report's biggest effects will be to put more pressure on the central government to speed up the process of tallying its own total greenhouse gas emissions.
"No matter how many of these kind of reports are released, you still need the confirmation from China to really confirm the story," said Greenpeace China's Beijing-based climate and energy campaign manager Ailun Yang.
Even without China's confirmation, Friday's report represented the consensus view, said Isabel Hilton, editor of bilingual Mandarin-English China Dialogue website, which publishes reports about China's environment.
The delay in Beijing's confirmation reflected reluctance.
"As the Chinese saying goes, the tall tree attracts the wind. The government is conscious that being the largest emitter by volume, along with a vigorous programme of building coal-fired power stations, risks putting China at a moral disadvantage in international diplomacy," said Hilton.
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Comment by katyzzz
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Comment by Market Newbie
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Well, not only because of China, of course!
Comment by Cibbuano
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Fat Cult
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The only thing I agree with is China should learn from the mistakes of other countries, and adopt new, clean technology at a faster rate.
Comment by Aimzster
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Comment by Louie
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Comment by Rosemary
Alpaca Notes - Tasmania
or
Clean environment?
Try going a day without buying something made in China.
Comment by Louie
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Yes indeed and Australia needs to be part of the solution to this....via the CDM mechanism and make australia a partner with China for this goal. There is a good submission to the Garnaut review website by arkx that states this. (ok so I wrote it)
Also we need to be aware that a lot of Chinese pollution is down to our EXCESSIVE consumption.
Comment by Louie
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Comment by Louie
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Comment by Lara M
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Uh huh!
I think...what we call modern living is (most times) simply extravagant living...
Comment by Mountain Fog
well, there are some things that really sh@t me about all this climate stuff; I see corporations once again feeding at the trough, and governments going with them, (tax revenue), by increasing the price of everything, suggesting this is going to help the enviroment, no it isn't, all it is going to do is enslave the lower economic classes to the perpetual servitude of debt.!
And what of "carbon credits"? This little idea really makes me laugh! We are allowing countries and corporations to continue producing the same amount of pollution as long as they plant a few trees!
C'mon!! REALLY!! The pollution still contaminates, no matter how many trees are planted and the rate of pollution usually far exceeds the 'balancing' effect of the few undersized trees planted anyway!
So, as far as criticising China, well, yes it needs to be criticised, as long as we put ourselves in the same boat. The per capita argument is NOT EVER going to help solve the enviroment/pollution/climate problems, it just can't by reason of science.
More people, ergo, pollution...fullstop.
We really need to push the governemnts to put massive fundiing immediately into developing electro-magnetic drives, that use magnets for propulsion of the turbines and whatever.
Zero emmissions, zero waste, zero imput and brings maximum output.
Lets get it on!!
cheers
fog
Comment by Louie
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Comment by Krystal
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Ancient Chinese wisdom has many ways, tall trees just do not come into it.
Chinese methods very sublte, trick stupid westerners like the USA.
But dishonourable Japanese eat whales and call it research, Asian ways are much smarter than you dumb bunch, Confucius say, take over dishonourable western ways, make China rich and powerful, just see what Communism can do.
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Comment by Fobzy
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I'd like to see a climate canary yellow.
Ah, the inscrutable Chinese, oldest civilisation on earth, or thereabouts.
Tall trees, from China, nowadays, more like tall tales.
But they will own the world in another 10 years and won't we all feel silly.
Lovely picture and marvellous truism, but are we talking about China to-day?
Comment by KylieW
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Comment by No Borders Migration Advocates 1
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What good is a world that is over populated, polluted and baron?
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