FSB Author Article
China as the Global Warming Bridezilla -- and
America's Handy Excuse for Dawdling
By Scott Bittle & Jean Johnson,
Authors of Book Who Turned Out the Lights: Your
Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis
There
is no doubt that the Chinese are becoming more prosperous and that
their economy is in overdrive, and that means their global warming
statistics are rocketing upward. Frankly, if they follow our example,
the outlook for the world looks grim.
China
has now surpassed the United States as the largest emitter of carbon
dioxide, pumping some six billion metric tons into the atmosphere in
2007. Right now, China burns more than 40 percent of all the coal used
in the world, slightly more than the U.S., Japan, and Europe put
together. When it comes to global warming, coal is the most dangerous
fuel there is -- at least the way it's used now.
If the Chinese, whose auto-buying
habits are picking up due to the country's amazing economic growth,
start owning cars at the same rate as Americans, that will put an
additional one billion cars on the road. If they run on
gasoline, both carbon emissions and competition for oil will soar.
You
may have heard that the Chinese are making big investments in green
technology, and that's true. They're aggressively exploring
electric
cars, wind power, solar panels, and everything else. But Chinese energy
demand is increasing so fast that they're gobbling up even more fossil
fuels as well.
But
before we get too comfortable with the finger-pointing, let's admit our
own sins. Depending on which measure you use, the United States and
China are running neck and neck for worst greenhouse gas polluter in
the world. Since global warming is caused by the accumulated
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the United States got a head start
when we started using a lot of coal about the time of Civil War. With
about 5 percent of the world's population, the United States
alone is
responsible for about 29 percent of the total accumulated greenhouse
gases in the atmosphere, compared to just 8 percent for China. Then
there's the per person measure. In 2005, each American was responsible
for about 20 metric tons of carbon dioxide, compared to about 5 metric
tons for each person in China. The reason China has surpassed the
U.S.
in total emissions is that they have a billion more people than we
do.
Between
the two of us, the United States and China account for nearly 40
percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide so you'd think that both
countries would recognize that it's time to step up to the plate.
Instead, we're embroiled in one of the most repetitive, boring, and
counterproductive energy debates imaginable. It goes something like
this:
The Americans: We're happy to change how we use energy and cut greenhouse gases. But China's already producing more carbon dioxide than we are, and it won't do any good for us to change if China doesn't. Plus, China's a major economic rival. Why should we add to our energy costs, become less competitive, and maybe lose jobs, if China doesn't do the same? You guys are building cheap, smoky coal plants like there's no tomorrow, and you know better. So, after you.
The Chinese: But the United States has produced most of the greenhouse gas that's already out there, and you're the world's biggest energy gluttons per person. Sounds like you want to hide the beer keg just as the second wave of guests starts showing up. Plus, we've got a billion people to lift out of poverty, thank you very much, and the world should cut us some slack as we do it. So, after you.
As far as the rest of the world is concerned, both China and the United States are the "bridezillas" of global warming: demanding, entitled and almost unimaginably self-absorbed. This stalemate is one of the main obstacles to negotiating a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen this December. Some energy experts have called it a "suicide pact," which is harsh, but not unjustified. So far, neither country has agreed to an international global warming agreement, and the world as a whole won't be able to make much progress without these two mega-players.
Many foreign policy experts believe there's an opening now. At the UN "Climate Week" in September, both Chinese and American leaders were more vocal about the need to confront climate change. There is also growing concern in China over the catastrophic effect the country's headlong rush into coal has had on the Chinese people's health. Just one percent of the country's half billion urban residents breathe healthy air, according to studies by the European Union. Pollution-induced cancer is now China's leading cause of death.
So
what could we do? Well, the United States and China could join forces
and take a leadership role in Copenhagen, coming to terms and setting
an example for the rest of the world -- we're just not holding our
breath
waiting for that to happen. More doable might be cooperative agreements
on research and financing for both cleaner use of coal and alternative
energy. But step number one, according to many experts, is for the U.S.
to get its own house in order. The Council on Foreign Relations put it
this way: "So long as the United States takes only voluntary and
relatively mild actions to reduce its own emissions, it can hardly
argue that China and India are being irresponsible by doing the
same -- indeed, it might suggest just the opposite."
In other words, we need to lead by example, which, in the long run, is
the only kind of leadership that works.
©2009 Scott Bittle & Jean Johnson,
authors of Who Turned Out the Lights: Your
Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis
Author Bios
Scott Bittle, co-author of Who Turned Out the Lights: Your
Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis, is executive editor of
PublicAgenda.org, where he has prepared citizen guides on more than
twenty major issues including the federal budget deficit, Social
Security, and the economy. He is also the website director for Planet
Forward, an innovative PBS program designed to bring citizen voices
to the energy debate.
Jean Johnson, co-author of Who Turned Out the Lights:
Your Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis, is co-founder of
PublicAgenda.org, and has written articles and op-eds for USA
Today,
Education Week, School Board News, Educational Leadership, and the
Huffington Post Website.
For additional energy resources and supplemental material, please visit www.whoturnedoutthelights.org