“Its not us, its you!” China says developing nations at fault for air pollution
Ambassador Yu Qingtai is China’s point man on global warming. As special representative to the climate change talks for China’s ministry of foreign affairs, Yu is a forceful advocate for China’s view that while his country will do its part, the primary responsibility for fixing the problem rests squarely on the shoulders of the United States and other industrialized countries. And he bristles when reminded that many US experts put on the onus on China’s rapidly growing economy and industrial might.
“There were those who came to China years ago and described us as a kingdom of bicycles,” he says, when I mention some of that criticism. We’re sitting in a conference room at the foreign ministry, where Yu has come to be questioned by a small group of journalists invited to Beijing by the Chinese People’s Institute for Foreign Affairs. As China modernizes, he says, every Chinese citizen has the right to all of the modern industrial and transportation options enjoyed by, say, Americans – including the right to own a car. “We should not be expected to stay forever as a kingdom of bicycles!” he says.
He has a point.
“The environmental problems we face today are not the making of China and India,” he says. The accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere has been growing for the past two centuries, during which Europe and the United States emerged as industrial powers. “Eighty percent of the gases in the atmosphere are the result of emissions by the developed countries, and on a per capita basis it is even more,” he says. That’s a view that has been widely accepted during worldwide climate-change talks through the United Nations and elsewhere, resulting in an international convention that calls upon the developed countries to take major steps to reduce carbon emissions while providing financial assistance and technology to less developed countries such as China and India. So far, however, no accord has been struck, and it isn’t likely that a breakthrough will occur next month at the Copenhagen summit, either. The fund set up to provide financial aid to the Third World on climate change is virtually empty. How much is in it? I asked Yu. “Nothing,” he answers.
Together, China and the United States account for about 40 percent of carbon emissions, with each country contributing roughly 20 percent, or one-fifth, of worldwide emissions. But on a per capita basis, the United States emits five times as much as China does. Yet that disparity doesn’t prevent some analysts, such as Elizabeth Economy of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, a recognized expert on China and the environment, from suggesting that in the future China will have to bear most of the burden to reduce emissions. Last June, in congressional testimony, Economy said:
“The International Energy Agency estimates that China’s energy-related CO2 emissions will be twice that of the United States by 2030 … China is on track to overwhelm the global effort to address climate change.
Id ride my bike more, but I nearly always nearly get knocked off by a new driver in a sub 1.6L shopping cart.
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That attitude isn’t going to help anyone. There is truth to it but everyone has to look at the future at this point and not the past.
China certainly has industrial pollution problems, as does India etc – and the people that affects most is the local population, so it should be in the citizens’ interest to prevent this.
Climate change wise I think China could use this to its advantage and hone skills in developing world beating eco technologies, taking advantage of current low manufacturing costs for export.
As far as the US goes, I don’t know how they’re ever going to achieve much when they are turning out brand new cars such as the 2010 Chevy Camaro with a 6 litre petrol engine and over 5 litre engines on most pick ups and SUV’s. This is NOT the right way forward.
The US has to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
China is doing way more than the U.S. when it comes to helping the environment. Especially considering the U.S. pollutes a lot more too. Is it ok for the U.S. to just brush it off and do nothing?
I can see China’s point, they’ve only contributed to 20 years worth of industrial pollution whilst the West have at least 200-300 years worth of industrial revolution to talk about.
Still, its a global problem and requires a global solution rather than individual finger pointing.
OK CCT, fair point – but China has had historical pollution too, even if supposedly less industrialised: For instance a plethora of burning open cast coal seams smoldering away for over 60 years since they were first exposed, emitting 12% of China’s CO2 in the last few years – that’s more than all the vehicles in the US each year.
These have now mostly been extinguished thankfully.
Not that I’m finger pointing! (After all the above success has been very good news).
Exactly CCT. It is too late for finger pointing. Plus you have to remember that back then no one knew better or very few did. Then no one believed it was making a difference until just recently. Finger pointing now is just ignorant.
So it is OK for the U.S. to point their dirty fingers at others?? And just because they didn’t know doesn’t mean they were right. They knew they were polluting the environment, yet no one cared.
On a car related issue, as this a car blog, the China car market is set to be the largest in the world, in combination with India.
As those who have been there will observe, they ride 3/4 people per scooter, and often up to 8 per car in some places. Which may seem crazy, but, it is very efficient, if a bit tough on the vehicles.
Im afraid if they all aspired to gas guzzling american style cars, and rode one person per SUV, then there would be a big problem. In fuel Prices, and in pollution.
The Irony as always, is that the world loves to moan at China, but yet, they also love to sell cars to them, and get things made there, which counts on their CO2 lists..
And all this rubbish about elec cars, where is most electricity coming from currently? They are just as bad on sustainability…
Both parties have good points and should work together for the good of mankind. But I do think Americans should get use to driving smaller vehicles. They are too obsessed or addicted to large dispacement engines. Some of my co-workers commute to work in Ford F-150 pick up truck. The only thing they haul with their trucks is air. And this is commuting in New York City traffic.
At least in China many drivers commute in smaller ” Sub 1.6 litre shopping carts”
More small cars need to be offered in America. If there were more upscale small cars it is possible more people in America would move to them but te selection is so limited. You can get a not so great Honda fit or jump up to a MINI. Not much between and not enough at the top for sure.
bloody yanks, fucking around with our futures!
Most Americans are stupid when it comes to pollution and conservation they think that by buying products in recycled “containers” is enough.
Few people realize that probably half of the store shelves are stock with Made In China products(this is not a bad thing).
So where are those “containers” being recycled at?
The problems LIES with BIG COMPANIES and the US Government not wanting to pay for what they have done. Buy they seem to be willing to give money to the undeserving non-taxpayers quicker than taxpayers can send in the money(sorry, wrong subject).
Americans are not educated in smart conservation like buying a car that looks good and gets good gas mileage.I still own a 13 yr old car because it run good and gets 33mpg (Saturn SL2,1.9l I4) the average new car of the same size gets the same because there is incentive (tax breaks) for more efficient or smaller engines in the US.
NO incentive
“Id ride my bike more, but I nearly always nearly get knocked off by a new driver in a sub 1.6L shopping cart. ”
I really don’t get you guys at CCT.
You post an article that criticizes U.S. per capita emissions, yet mock on small displacement vehicles at the same time….
seriously…
Well, if I had the car of choice to get knocked off by, I’d choose a small 1.6L car over a mammoth Escalade.
My point being is that the number of small cars on the road (with new drivers behind the wheels!) has exploded in the past few months, it makes cycling on the road a very dangerous past time, although I still do enjoy it.
I believe CCT has a real point on cars and bicycles. The most non polluting form of transport is NOT a small car, its a bicycle. The world needs to look to Copenhagen, for its fantastic bicycle infrastructure, and high levels of bicycle use. We need to place a tax on pollution, and design our cities so that people can affordably live close to their work. Then we need to incorporate more effective rail linking cities together, and then, we need to tax car parking heavily.