China announces pledge to curb carbon emissions and invest in green energy

[Better Believe It]

China announces pledge to curb carbon emissions
President Hu Jintao vows to greatly decrease intensity from country's economy and invest in green energy
By Julian Borger and Suzanne Goldenberg in New York
September 22, 2009

The world inched closer to an elusive deal to combat climate change today when China, the planet's biggest polluter, made its most substantial commitment to curbing its carbon emissions and investing in clean energy.

The proposals, delivered by President Hu Jintao, on the first morning of this week's UN general assembly meeting, included the promise of a "notable" decrease in the carbon intensity of China's economy - the amount of emissions for each unit of economic output - by 2020.

"At stake in the fight against climate change are the common interests of the entire world," Hu said. "Out of a sense of responsibility to its own people and people across the world, China fully appreciates the importance and urgency of addressing climate change."

"President Hu's speech is a step forward and shows the Chinese are serious about the climate threat," John Sauven, the executive director of Greenpeace said. "This is the first time that China has said publicly that it will intensify efforts to reduce emissions, but without firm targets or a detailed action plan, today's announcement is too vague to be the major breakthrough we hoped for.'

In today's speech, President Hu said his country would plant forests across an area the size of Norway, and generate 15% of its energy needs within a decade. "China has provided impressive leadership," said Al Gore, the former US vice-president and leading climate activist. "It's not widely known in the rest of the world but China in each of the last two years has planted two and half times more trees than the entire rest of the world put together."

The official US reaction was more muted. Todd Stern, President Barack Obama's special envoy for climate change, said Hu's pledge on carbon intensity was welcome in principle, but added: "It depends on what the number is."

Please read the complete article at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/22/climate-change-china-us-united-nations

[polichick]

1. Someone has to lead - looks like it might be China. k&r

[Deja Q]

6. Just as long as they buck their current trend for the quality of the products sold under their name.

Cheaply made crap that breaks and requires re-purchasing is not green.

Making toxic products that maim or kill because it's cheaper is not green.

:shrug:

[polichick]

7. They're about to build the world's largest solar field...

China is serious about being a leader in green energy ~ good for them! Hopefully we'll catch up.

[Forkboy]

2. This will be China's century.

And they're ready for it. We're still arguing over American Idol.

[Deja Q]

5. So the last three presidents have been chatting more about American idol?

But I agree, President Obama can take the reins on this one. Or not. He is the leader and we peons can only do so much too.

[Forkboy]

8. Well, Bush, Clinton and Bush didn't exactly light up the debate on it.

:shrug:

[Peacetrain]

3. Green energy production is the economic engine of the future.. the right

just is blind to that.. the Chinese already lead us in wind turbine production.

[Deja Q]

4. We all should be, when we can.

Oh, did Al move out of his mansion and sell his personal jet?
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/gorehome.asp

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/bush-or-gore-who-walks-environmental-walk
(from 2009. Though since then, W moved to a larger place (so the snopes article is now partially out of date) and if Al's moved to a greener place, that's absolutely terrific. Nice to know people walk the talk on issues that became famous for.)

[theoldman]

9. China wants to kill two birds with one stone.

The have a pollution problem and it needs to be resolved. They need to manufacture products that will sell world wide. We will buy their products to resolve our pollution problem. Too bad we don't have anything to sell except weapon systems.

[polichick]

10. Unspeakably sad that we only lead in arms exports. nt

[WinkyDink]

11. A "green" China would be an amazing step forward.