November 7, 2008

Sometimes these write themselves: China and Pollution

From Yahoo/Reuters:
China tells rich polluting nations to change lifestyle
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said rich nations must abandon their "unsustainable lifestyle" to fight climate change and expand help to poor nations bearing the brunt of worsening droughts and rising sea levels.

Wen told the opening of a conference Friday the financial crisis was no reason for rich nations to delay fighting global warming.

"As the global financial crisis spreads and worsens, and the world economy slows down apparently, the international community must not waver in its determination to tackle climate change," Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

The two-day meeting is to push China's call for rich nations to fund a huge infusion of greenhouse gas-cutting technology for developing countries. But foreign officials at the meeting raised doubts about Beijing's proposal, which could stoke contention over who pays and how much.

China is widely believed to be the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from industry, power plants and vehicles lifting global temperatures. But Wen threw the onus back on rich nations, with their much higher emissions per person and long history of polluting the air.
Sure, we have higher emissions per person but this is because we are producing more product per person. As for the long history of polluting the air, we didn't realize this was an issue until recently and we are doing better than China in this respect. Much better. And it is not like China's own population is unaware: New York Times: Rural Chinese Riot as Police Try to Halt Pollution Protest Asia News: 30,000 clash with police in village pollution riot The BBC: Bloody China riot caught on film China Digital Times: Hundreds of villagers in China riot against polluting factory Pot meet Kettle Posted by DaveH at November 7, 2008 9:25 PM
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