China is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and with no end in sight. As the country industrializes, however, it has also become the biggest consumer of oil and coal. China’s coal is mined in situations that are often unsafe and burned in manners that create large quantities of air pollution and smog.
In short, China is exporting not just toys and computers, but extraordinary levels of carbon. For the sake of China and the world, it’s important that the country move past that. One of the biggest questions is how.
Commercialization and advertising has encouraged urban Chinese to embrace a lifestyle of multiple cars and heavy energy use. Meanwhile, some in rural areas are proud of how little electricity they use. That very pride can be leverage to encourage the heavy users to make do with less. Just as it has become ‘cool’ to try and be environmentally friendly in the west, it needs to become a socially important thing in China as well. Green lifestyles can be created that work with Chinese traditions, patriotism and pride in family and work. The same methods that convince Europeans and Americans may not work, instead they have to come from inside Chinese culture and work with it.
China has become a superpower, but needs to move past that to become a world leader in sustainability, before some disaster strikes.