China Rejects Emission Caps As "Unfair", But Promises More Studies, Tree Planting - WP

[hatrack]

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"It is neither fair nor acceptable to us to impose too early, too abruptly or too bluntly measures which one would ask of developed countries," Ma Kai, minister of the cabinet-level National Development and Reform Commission, said at a news conference.

The government outlined a series of environmental goals it is seeking to meet by 2010, from speeding up research and development to raising public awareness about conservation.

But the plans included little in the way of initiatives. Instead, they appeared designed to put the best face on environmental efforts so far and to preempt criticism likely to come later this week when President Hu Jintao attends a meeting of Group of Eight leaders in Germany.

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The 62-page report released Monday calls for a variety of environmental goals to be met in the next three years. The government will promote or develop more renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind power and solar power, as well as nuclear power. It will also increase its forest coverage rate to help soak up carbon dioxide.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/04/AR2007060401759.html

[LuckyLib]

1. China can plant all the trees it wants. With the amount it is building and polluting, the planet is

doomed. Read National Geographic's latest article on China. We have no idea.

[phantom power]

2. They're gonna see "unfair" when their glaciers are gone.

[gravity]

3. It is unfair

China wants to have the same standard of living as those in the west, and unfortunately it requires fossil fuels.

Is it right to say to China that we can have a high standard of living but you can't?

[Nihil]

4. Tough shit.

The standard of living of everyone (bar the richest 2%) will soon be
coming down to that of the Chinese peasants - complete with pollution,
industrial accident rates, drought and poisoning.

The goal is not to say "We have this level and you can't", nor is it
to say "Yeah, go for it, fuck the world up even more than we have".
It is to get the wasteful elements of the world to cut back and bring
the struggling elements up using the cleanest methods possible.

Clue: That DOESN'T include burning shitloads of coal whilst crying
"But they did it first".