The first thing one has to realize about china is scope. You can fit the entire population of Australia into one of their smallest cities. In many of their older cities, Xian for example, Cars are banned in some areas, and motor bikes are banned from the central city.

Many of their buildings incorporate SOLAR technologies, most of the highrise we saw had solar panels on the roofs. Many of the workers travel on electrically powered scooters or push bikes. Their vehicles all must pass emission control tests in the cities. So Im guessing the main area of concern is not that its citizens pollute. Indeed they are very energy conscious and everywhere you look there is evidence of recycling. Even their old tyres are cut into roof tiles. If these people were wasteful, I saw no evidence of it.

My point is that if the average chinese person in the city lived as we do, driving a car everywhere they go, burning the power with 4 or more televisions in the house often left on and not watched, leaving lights on etc, imagine what thier world would look like. No the problem is not with the people, its in being exploited by industrialists (such as your “dickhead acquaintance”) for profit. You are quite right to be angry with this, and the frustrating part of it is that the price does not change too significantly even if it is done right!!!. The labor is STILL CHEAP.

Let me tell you mate, the chinese are learning… and fast. Entire areas of Shanghai are being demolished and rebuilt. Factories are being torn down and modernised. Their power grid is being upgraded. Everywhere we went there were people cleaning the streets (with the exception of Shanghai).

They are teaching their children English in the schools, and about conservation of both their culture and their environment. They are building universities and encouraging foreign lecturers with tenure. They are all very good at what they do, even if all they do is bend a bit of wire about a pipe.

They are extremely proud of their culture and their cities. So those who are making hay while the sun shines can look forward to a stormy future.
I personally am going to encorporate rain dancing into my dance lessons.

Cheers.

While we languish under our (soon to be Level 5) water restrictions, it’s raining hard across the Pacific. In November, Vancouver residents were advised to boil their cloudy, brown tap water before drinking it. They had so much rain, that they had 37 mudslides into their water catchments in a 24 hour period.

I enjoy Stephanie MacMillan’s cartoons. She has made it her life’s work to save the planet by changing men’s hearts through her cartoons.