China Going for Clean Tech?

Michael Standaert for the SF Chronicle reports that “China has environmental policies that are eons more progressive than in the U.S.”

In March, Beijing announced it would devote nearly $31 billion of its $586 billion stimulus package to “energy conservation and environment.” China also recently announced plans to spend $3 billion to subsidize the purchase of as many as 60,000 hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles by 2012 for use in 13 major cities, including Shanghai and Beijing and provide subsidies of $8,800 to local governments that purchase electric cars for their fleets. The government has already ordered fuel-efficiency standards to jump from 36 mpg in 2008 to 43 mpg in 2009 in contrast to the current 25 mpg in the United States

“China is not waiting for anybody,” said Liu. “China has environmental policies that are eons more progressive than in the U.S. China has already made the decision to go green in full force.”

Coal, of course, is still the big killer, and despite progress of sorts being made in “clean coal” its contribution to climate chaning CO2 is enormous.

Good Article