A nation that has the resources to build the Three Gorges Dam could commit fewer resources and convert China’s cities to to solar power with unified thermal districts that tapped into the geothermal heat sink. That isn’t even close to happening and it’s NOT because chinese engineers don’t understand ground-loop geothermal systems.

Coal burning is China is all about political control; count on it.

Be completely transparent about the whole deal.

Taking it from a pro-market perspective, the more open everyone is,the quicker the R&D speeds up, the quicker things get to market and the richer all those investors will be.

(and just perhaps the human race get to survive longer than this catastrophe)

Sadly, the powers-that-be will have to get their act together, but it’s not an either/or – anything we can do to not be part of the problem is worthwhile.

Let’s hope that Li Gao is only setting out an extreme negotiating position. The big question is : what (if anything) will they demand in exchange for moderating it? What do the Chinese powers-that-be want from the West?

Hopefully they don’t want to go it alone in the belief that they can adapt, because that would be crazy.

“I find it curious that China was able to be absolutely draconian with their one-child policy, which perhaps was wicked, but prescient, and now cannot seem to see their own self-destruction implicit in burning coal.”

Easily explained by “The Tragedy of the Commons” http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Tragedy_of_the_commons#Modern_commons

The benefits of burning Chinese coal accrue to China but the CO2 is everyone’s problem. Equally, not burning coal just knackers their own economy without doing much about global emissions.

Are you sure? The US is in hock to China up to its eyeballs, and it wants to continue to use China as a bank, in order, ironically, to spend enormous sums inlcuding a large percentage on green initiatives for change.

China and India are a huge worry, and I’m wondering whether some sort of grass roots action might actually make more sense than trying to sort out a tariff based on lack of investment in green energy (etc).

It does seem ridiculous for the west to continue to purchase goods bulk made in China and shipped huge distances because it’s cheaper than making it in the US/UK etc and yet at the same time attempt to set itself up as a great ethical / green campaigner attempting to force China to change its position and plow more cash in to renewable energies. Whilst I disagree fundamentally with China’s positioning, I can se why they might criticise such hypocrisy, justifiably.

In terms of a grass roots campaign, getting people to state clearly “I will not buy goods ‘Made In China’ without a substantial change in China’s energy policy” via action and petition sounds a bit raggedy but … I don’t know, you know. A concerted effort, in all countries where there’s a strong public level of concern… could make a difference?

Feels a bit useless sitting back and waiting for those in power to sort it out. Particularly given the enormously effective track record thus far.

I suspect that the one-child policy could be imposed because the dangers of over-population are cultural knowledge (so to speak) in China. It actually goes against orthodox Marxism which contends that a society properly organised can provide for its own needs. Mao held to this line; only after the Maoists fell could a vital policy be put in place.

Climate change is likely to be viewed according to Marxist orthodoxy by the Chinese powers-that-be. In which case they will try to engineer – physically and socially – around the problem. Other things being equal, of course.

This issue is going to be an enormous test of Obama. Only he has the status to approach the Chinese as anything other than a supplicant – there’s a lot on his shoulders. If anyone can give it a decent shot it’s Obama.