Making the news today....

[sime42]

9 minutes ago, tree-fancier123 said:

 

just because China aren't as bad as US or Canada per capita, doesn't mean they are in the clear, rather being responsible for 35% of world CO2 emissions, but only 17% of world's population means China are still world climate enemy number 1. All the coal they still burn - absolutely atrocious. 

 

I agree. I didn't say that China is in the clear. Merely showing approval of your highlighting of the nuance in the figures that is often rabidly and dogmatically missed in these debates on here.

 

I'd contest the number one ranking on some metrics. For instance if you take into consideration their intention/trajectory of emissions or the fact that a big part of their energy consumption is to make crap that we are so desperate to buy from them. But, that's for another week. 

 

 

 

 

[tree-fancier123]

11 minutes ago, sime42 said:

the fact that a big part of their energy consumption is to make crap that we are so desperate to buy from them.

true enough - I'm quite happy for them to destroy the planet for future generations, as long as they will send me copy carburettors through my letterbox for £15, better than paying £100 from a local dealer.

[Steven P]

For their coal, it used to be used for 70% of their electrical generation, now it is 40% coal powered. That transition has taken about 15 years.

 

I reckon we can all find statistics to form an argument either way, China arn't perfect but all the numbers I see are they are moving in the right direction, very quickly too - away from coal power, installing massive amounts of renewable infrastructure (the wind farm I quoted above is actually about 4 all linked - very close together, but will dwarf any the UK can make once they get them fully connected).

 

So what to do? Do we look and point at China? "Look over there, they are bad, so we shouldn't bother" or should we be leading the way, install renewable power, be world leaders and develop the skills to be just that. Just to note that making the kit is one thing, but designing the installations - the hundred of windmills, cables and stuff, and the operation of the sites is still a skill we can go for. The UK is no longer a manufacturer of stuff, we are a service industry... designing stuff, operating stuff all via computers is what we do these days. So why not do it for the world, gain the skills here in the UK installing our own and then export the skills everywhere else.