Experts Say China Could Help Produce A Greener World

By Julianne LaJeunesse- University of New Mexico

Experts at a Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholar's forum Friday said that if China is given adequate financial and political support, the country could go from being one of the world's biggest polluters, to one that produces more green technology using less environmentally unfriendly energy.

Barbara Finamore, the director of the China program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, made it clear that China's capacity to create green technology with better uses of energy would not be a "Sputnik race," rather every country would benefit from investing in a clean-up of China's energy use.

"This is a race where the opening up of the Chinese domestic market for renewable energy is also a major opportunity for U.S. companies to that are well-positioned... to take advantage of it and understand it," Finamore said.

Finamore, who just returned from China, said in order for China to become more environmentally accepted in the international community, cleaning up their energy consumption must occur provincially.

"What we've been able to do... is work in the pilot project level," Finamore said. "That's where the rubber meets the road, that's where you need to make a difference if you're really going to be able to achieve whatever climate agreements China makes. But we also help to translate them into national policy... in both China and the U.S. and into international policy."

The pilot project level Finamore referred to is a province-based test run of energy standard implementation, which if successful, could change national policy because, according to Finamore, China's pricing bureau "is never going to agree to open up the regulatory system for collecting electricity rates to energy efficiency, unless they're sure these programs already work on the ground."

David Doniger, a senior attorney and policy director also from NRDC said that it's in both the United States and China's interest to agree on a method of halting negative energy consumption that causes global warming via carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, or GHG.

Doniger noted that some American and international concerns regarding China's emissions, are relevant, including tensions regarding proposed methods to control emissions, such as: border adjustments, allowances and leakage.

He added that U.S. Cap-and-Trade legislation like the House's Waxman-Markey and the Senate's Kerry-Boxer bills should not be seen by China as part of a broader U.S. trade agenda, rather as a legitimate method the United States is using to change its relationship with the environment.

Doniger and Finamore were joined by Lynn Price of the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, a group who in 2007 won a Nobel Peace Prize for their work on climate change.

Dalai Lama Received By McCain And Pelosi, Not Obama

by Julianne LaJeunesse- University of New Mexico

The 14th Dalai Lama was in Washington, D.C. Tuesday to receive a Lantos Foundation award for his human rights service, and despite a missing President Obama, the religious leader still offered kind words and advice for "America... the greatest democratic country."

"I think American weapons, military forces, of course, is to some people... you can take seriously," the Dalai Lama said. "But the real greatness of America is your ancestors, or the principles. These are, at any cost, you must preserve these principles. That is important."

Some of those principles could be in question with the Obama administration's decision not to receive the Dalai Lama this week. The White House says Obama will meet with the leader after a November session with China's President Hu Jintao in Beijing, a decision which the Dalai Lama says he understands.

At the Lantos Foundation ceremony, which was created to further late Rep. Tom Lantos' work on human rights and justice issues within U.S. policy making, John McCain (R- Ariz.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the work of both Lantos, who died in 2008, and the Dalai Lama's humanitarian efforts. McCain called the Dalai Lama "an example of a moral leader."

McCain called the Dalai Lama, who won the Noble Peace Prize in 1989, a father to Tibet, despite the tensions between the exiled ruler and the Chinese government.

"For over half a century, he has led their struggle, petitioning governments and people of conscience throughout the world to lend their voice to the just demands of Tibetans," McCain said. "He has endured the long trying years, and every setback for their cause, with an unyielding determination that is singular because of the patience, humility, and kindness that are his most admirable qualities."

If Obama and the exiled leader don't meet this year, it will mark the first time in 14 years that a U.S. president has not received the Dalai Lama. In 2007, the Dalai Lama received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal, a ceremony attended by President George W. Bush.

Non-Profit Aids Chinese Mayors In Going Green

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

The Joint U.S.-China Cooperation on Clean Energy, a non-profit aiming to reduce China’s carbon footprint, is collaborating with Chinese mayors in a training program that teaches city leaders to reduce their environmental impact.

“China is developing so quickly and at such scale,” said David Mohler, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Duke Energy. “We saw a real opportunity to work with our Chinese counterparts.”

According to JUCCE China’s urbanization rate rose from 20 to 44.9 percent between 1980 and 2008. JUCCE said maintaining a clean national power grid for China’s 600 million population is an admittedly difficult task.

“Almost no matter what China does... it is going to set the curve for what happens with climate,” Mohler said. “Being the number one and number two emitters of CO2 globally, it became clear to us that we really need to work together to address the issue.”

The JUCCE mayoral training program provides workshops that train leaders in working with companies that can assist them in implementing more energy efficient programs and technologies in their cities.

“China is at a point where they do not need to be lectured on why to go green, they know that,” said Peggy Liu, chairperson of JUCCE. “What they want is a solution handed to them on a silver platter and that is what we are trying to do.”

Fate Of World's Climate Rests On America And China Says Kerry

“Twenty years from now, folks, I do not want to be debating who lost Earth,” Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) stated Wednesday during an address at the National Press Club in Washington.

“One hundred and ninety-two nations will gather this December in Copenhagen to hammer out a new global climate treaty, but two [the U.S. and China] have the capacity to set the tone and define what is possible,” he said, citing that the two nations together produce 40 percent of all carbon emissions in the world.

Kerry said there are grave misunderstandings between the American and Chinese populations that place a souring effect on the relationship between the two countries. He argued that America underestimates China’s willingness to fight climate change, and that China unreasonably fears that the U.S. is attempting to smother China’s economic rise.

Actually, Kerry said, China has already taken much more initiative towards renewable energy than most Americans realize. He reported that China is second in the world only to Germany in renewable energy investment; China currently invests $12.5 million per hour.

“China needs to understand that we will not enter into a global treaty ... without a meaningful commitment from China to be part of the solution,” said Kerry. He argued that the U.S. must persuade China to act quickly and decisively and that to do so is in their best interests.

Kerry said that the United States’ perception of China is far different from how China sees itself. America sees China as the leading producer of carbon emissions today, and a burgeoning economic powerhouse. However, he said, China sees itself as a country with less cumulative emissions historically than the U.S. and with 500 million citizens living on less than two dollars per day.

“Our climate diplomacy depends on building a framework that is flexible enough to accommodate individual countries’ wants and needs, but firm enough to bring all of us on board and hold all nations accountable,” said Kerry.

U.S - China Relationship Will Shape 21st Century, Says President Obama

By Laura Woodhead - Talk Radio News Service

Dialogue between the U.S and China is key to solving the most important questions of the 21st century, including environmental, economic, and nuclear proliferation concerns, said President Barack Obama Monday during an address to the first meeting of the U.S - China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

"We cannot predict with any certainty what the future will bring, but we can be certain about the issues that will define our times," the President said. "Our ability to partner with each other is a prerequisite for progress on many of the most pressing global challenges."

The President said it was essential for both the U.S and China to work aggressively to prevent further economic downturn along with following the mandate of "common sense" in order to transform their energy economies.

"The United States and China are the two largest consumers of energy in the World," Obama said. "Let's be frank: neither of us profits from a growing dependence on foreign oil, nor can we spare our people from the ravages of climate change unless we cooperate."

The President also addressed the importance of U.S - China cooperation in preventing rogue nations from gaining nuclear capabilities, particularly Iran and North Korea.

"The more nations acquire these weapons, the more likely they will be used," Obama warned.

While much of the speech focused on the positive aspects of the U.S - China relationship, including respect for China's history and culture, the President did address China's human rights issues. He stressed that it was important that people should be "free to speak their minds."

"Support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America," Obama said. "Those rights include the freedom to speak your mind; to worship your God; and to choose your leaders. These are not things that we seek to impose, this is who we are."

Obama outlined his view of the countries' future relationship.

"I believe in a future where China is a strong, prosperous and successful member of the community." Obama said. "This is not fixed, but it is a destination that can be reached if we pursue a sustained dialogue like the one we commence today."

The President said that he was under no illusion that the United States and China would agree on every issue, but that this was what made discussions between the two countries all the more essential.

"[Disagreement] makes dialogue more important so that we can know each other better and communicate our concerns with candor."