China Heavily Reliant on Emissions Heavy
Coal
Dec 16, 2009 -- Voice of America News/ContentWorks
China is pushing ahead with plans to develop renewable energy sources.
At the same time, though, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse
gases is still largely reliant on one major source of carbon emissions -
coal. The Asia Society's Orville Schell had an epiphany when he visited
heavily polluted Shanxi province a few years ago. "I knew I was going to
be in coal country, but I was shocked by what I saw. And it was at that
moment, I felt like St. Paul on the road to Damascus (a Biblical
reference to being on the road to truth). The scales (blinders) fell
from my eyes and I realized coal is the heart of the matter," said
Schell
Coal is the most abundant energy source in China and it generates 70
percent of the nation's power. Greenpeace activist Li Yan says her
organization thinks one reason Chinese companies still rely on coal is
because coal is "very, very cheap." "So, a reform in the pricing system
of coal, to internalize all the environmental and health damage, and all
the external damages, to have it reflect in the real price of coal," she
said.
Burning coal emits carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases that
many scientists say contribute to global warming. Climate change was one
of the highlights of recent agreements between China and the United
States, the world's two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. During a
visit to China in November, President Barack Obama outlined specific
ways the two countries have agreed to work together. "We are creating a
joint clean energy research center, and have achieved agreements on
energy efficiency, renewable energy, cleaner uses of coal, electric
vehicles, and shale gas," he said.
Despite the friendly words, the Copenhagen climate change summit this
month underscores the vast difference between the U.S. and Chinese
positions. Developed countries think that although China is a developing
nation, it should take more proactive steps to fight climate change
because it is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Yu
Qingtai, part of the Chinese delegation to the climate change talks,
says China believes in the idea of "common but differentiated
responsibilities." Yu says under this principle, it is not fair to ask
developing countries like China and India to take on the same
responsibilities as developed countries. But China's continued
development means that as the economy continues to grow, even more coal
will be burned and more carbon released into the atmosphere. This
dilemma was underscored by China's recent announcement that it will
reduce its carbon intensity by up to 45 percent by 2020, compared with
2005 levels. In other words it will emit less carbon dioxide for each
unit of economic output. But that does not reduce China's overall
emissions, it only slows the growth. Chinese people suffer much of the
environmental burden brought on by the country's growing coal use,
because of thick air pollution, as well as climate change. Several
studies have shown that China's chronically dirty air contributes to
thousands of illnesses and deaths a year. And pollution increasingly is
a social issue driving thousands of Chinese to protest against the
government and businesses.
Climate experts say this is why the government cannot ignore the
problem. Wu Changhua is the Greater China director of an international
non-profit organization called the Climate Group.
"I think with or without international agreement or not, it's actually
happening here already - not just for the meeting at Copenhagen. In the
last five years or 10 years, actually, China is already starting to
shift to low-carbon development pathway," said Wu.
The problem is enormous, but experts say they see signs that change is
possible in China. Tsinghua University economist Hu Angang says he is
encouraged that Chinese officials increasingly talk about the need to
pursue so-called green energy and the importance of having a green
economy. "This is good news, a good signal for us, to change our model,"
said Hu.
Hu acknowledges that an international agreement on climate change is
important. But he says for China, reducing emissions - from coal and
other sources - is also very much in its own national interest.
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