The Green Energy Workshop Of The World
Green energy. You hear about it all the time nowadays. The U.S. needs it. China is getting ever more involved with it. Green energy. But what does it all mean? Our newspapers tell us that it’s the wave of the future, the only way forward. Yet nothing is happening in this nation, where most eco-friendly technologies have been invented, and it is China that seems poised to dominate this industry of the 21st Century.
So what makes for green energy, and why is it so important? The term is more accurately referred to, technically speaking, as sustainable energy, energy that meets present needs with out compromising the environment upon which future generations will also depend.
To be regarded as sustainable usually means to be renewable in such a way as wind, solar, and water-generated energy is. Conventional fission power, or nuclear, energy is technically a eco-friendly form of energy though numerous environmentalists believe that its potential hazard far outweighs the benefits to be derived.
Moreover, disposable of spent nuclear fuel rods is a major challenge, with a high likelihood of leagage in most scenarios. Now how has China gotten into the issue? Well, it’s not only the world’s fastest-growing economy, but also its fastest-growing polluter, rivaling the United States.
It also happens to be the largest market for eco-friendly technologies and, as the “workshop of the world” also the single largest manufacturer of all the hardware involved. And so any conversation on anything eco-friendly must, in the end, focus on the role of China.
But what is China’s position in all of this? As it’s always been: driven by necessity. With the world’s largest population living only on a mere fraction of its arable land, the country is extremely sensitive to all kinds of issues related to the environment, energy policy, and economic growth. Going green, China’s leaders recognize, is the best chance they’ve got to not only survive in the post-industrial world but also to prosper.