China and Europe Steaming Ahead on Clean Energy, not the U.S.

3 by Zachary Shahan on March 7, 2011

China and Europe are getting more and more aggressive in their clean energy push. Meanwhile, Republicans and some Democrats in U.S. Congress and state leadership are steering the U.S. towards economic suicide with anti-clean-energy policies and proposals.

While it is widely known that a large portion of the U.S. is not very informed on what is going on in other countries, one would think (and hope) that key U.S. politicians would be aware of such things to a greater extent and would help lead the U.S. to a more prosperous future in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. From recent political moves (i.e. the U.S. Congress launching a full-out attack on clean air, the climate, clean energy, our health, and the economy; New Hampshire likely pulling out of a successful regional cap-and-trade program; and Florida Gov. Rick Scott joining the crew of Tea Party governors who have killed high-speed rail, economic growth, and jobs in their states), it seems many U.S. politicians don't have a clue.

While we seem to be going backwards, the other leading economies of the world, however, are moving forward at a faster and faster pace.

China Taking the Environment More Seriously?

The New York Times recently reported on announcements that China is going to work to more aggressively protect the environment. Why? In order to help the economy.

“In China’s thousands of years of civilization, the conflict between humankind and nature has never been as serious as it is today,” Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian wrote. “The depletion, deterioration and exhaustion of resources and the worsening ecological environment have become bottlenecks and grave impediments to the nation’s economic and social development.”

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao made similar remarks during a widely-publicized Internet chat.

“We must not any longer sacrifice the environment for the sake of rapid growth and reckless roll-outs, as that would result in unsustainable growth featuring industrial overcapacity and intensive resource consumption,” said Mr. Wen.

China's New 5-Year Plan

China is committed to reducing its energy intensity 40-45% on 2005 levels by 2020 and in its next 5-year plan, for 2011-2015, it is looking to reduce it by 16-17%. It is also reportedly going to set a cap on emissions and is likely to set up a cap-and-trade program.

As part of its new 5-year plan, it is likely to invest about $1.5 trillion in cleantech such as high-speed rail, green cars, and clean energy.

Energy Giants in Europe Pushing EU to Cut More GHG Emissions by 2020

Europe, which has been a green leader for years, is actually doing so well with its clean-energy and energy-efficiency efforts that it may soon increase its green targets. It set a target years ago to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 20% on 1990 levels by 2020. Now, however, several countries are arguing that it could up that to 30% and that doing so would grow the EU's GDP by €620 billion ($866.4 billion). A couple of dirty-energy-dependent countries, most notably Poland, where I currently live, are holding up such a change, but a compromise may be on the horizon.

EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard is going to issue a statement on Tuesday that is likely "to highlight that energy saving measures could put the EU on track for a 25 percent cut at little cost to industry." However, going even further, several of Europe's largest energy companies are pushing the EU to actually make 25% a formal target.

"As leaders of utility companies, we know that the benefits of early action far outweigh the costs of inertia or delayed action," the heads of the companies said in their joint statement. "Private investors take their signals from such targets, and more ambitious targets will stimulate more low carbon investment."

Identifying that the EU sends approximately €270 billion ($374.9 billion) a year to outside countries for oil, and €40 billion ($55.9 billion) for gas, the companies pointed out that cutting its oil and gas dependency would help improve the economy.

The companies also urged that the cap on emissions in place under the continent's world-leading cap-and-trade program be tightened as well. Imagine that.

"For the period after 2020, the cap must be aligned with the pathway set out in the roadmap," the firms said.

U.S. Congress Out of Touch with Needs of the Country

Why are China and Europe moving forward so aggressively on these "green" efforts? It's not only (or even primarily) to help the environment for the environment's own sake. It is out of a recognition that society relies on a healthy environment for economic prosperity, as well as the recognition that we have hit or will very soon hit peak oil and that, combined with the political instability in the oil-rich Middle East, means they need to move towards less oil dependency fast.

The U.S. needs all the same things. Unfortunately, a number of our "leaders" don't seem to know that,.. or just don't care.

Photo Credit: Peter Fuchs via flickr/CC license

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Gypsygirl
July 6, 2011
Alaska could be a leader the Catalyst for our countries next leap into clean energy. Alaska has the resources to do it: money, Hydro, geothermal, wind, and tidal power its all here! Help us keep our state clean and our fisheries strong.
Only problem is that we now have a Tea Bagger and oil lobbyist for Governor. known as Captain Zero! dba Sean Parnell.
please we need to Push Congress to move Alaska into the clean energy business for the sake of the rest of this country now!
Uncle B
Very oil hungry very rich Pan Eurasian Empire rising in the East, even American proven Thorium fueled LFTR-reactors with benign wastes on China’s lists, to be re-engineered for commercial uses! http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4971 tells some of the story, Google Tsinghua University, China, Pebble Bed Gas reactors for the rest of the story, and remember this of course is all the information this very secretive regime is willing to divulge. The also have a Thorium fueled CANDU reactor up and running, as well as much greater access to Russian technologies. Desert areas will not go unexploited.Solar is growing there as we speak. even more than the U.S. “controlled media” is allowed to tell us! my son rode the electric bullet train four years ago – brought home photos of the 320 kph digital display in his rail-car, spoke of great comfort, great convenience, Getting on in central Beijing, dis-embarking in Central Shanghai – no ‘bull Shiite” airport shuffle cars either. These folks certainly know how to transport their workers fast and cheap and in comfort, and by the tens of thousands per hour! Even their Wind Turbines to be best available on world markets due to superior magnets using rare earths! Goes for all their generating equipment too! The Sands of Time have shifted, left America in the lurch, super-intelligentsia now in control in China, in Asia, Even Putin re-educated, re-emerged, as a leader, speaks of ‘unity” naively misunderstood by Americans! He aims to help form the new Pan Eurasian Empire in the East. The “baton” has been passed, The American Dream ‘circus’ in jeopardy now, even as China holds “balance of power” over the U.S. fiat, “Funny money” and the “communist central planning committees” in Beijing make loaded “suggestions” as to American monetary, military, policy and are promptly obliged in hopes of loans to continue on by an American system rendered feeble by huge debt loads.