Climate Change and China

by veeraputhiran
(Madurai,Tamilnadu,Chennai)

Hundreds of thousands of thirsty people are blaming climate change for their woes.

It almost looks like a drought, and along with that has come warmer than usual weather.

Global warming?

Possibly, according to meteorologist Qin Dahe and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).

If China improves energy efficiency, as they have planned, they hope to reduce problems like this. Good luck to them. Most of us can support the president, Hu Jintao, in the notion that development and environmental awareness need to go hand-in-hand, with the economics taking the lead role, perhaps.

Is global warming to be blamed on the more developed nations? If you ask the foreign ministry spokes person for China, Jiang Yu, that would be YES. These countries have the power to change things, but keep in mind the GHG (that's green house gas) emissions from China cannot be ignored either.

Barry's Response - Some food for thought here. Both industry and consumers will need to participate in order for this to be effective.

Try a little Imagination

You're walking down a crowded Beijing street. Smog clings to your coat. A kid eats a steamed bun on the corner. It's hard to see the sun, but you feel it. This isn't a metaphor. Aerosol suppression of solar radiation is one of China's least appreciated exports.

China leads the world in emissions, solar panel production, reforestation acreage, and (brace yourself) climate adaptation investments. Dragons blow hot, but they also build levees.

Stop pointing fingers.

Climate isn't poker. It's more like chess in a hurricane. How about China? It's like playing Go - surround the problem, encircle it with action, maybe take it over.

Science is important. Here are some factors that are often overlooked:
- Solar irradiance goes through cycles, like the Schwabe cycle and the Grand Solar Minimum.
- The Pacific Decadal Oscillation and ENSO cycles influence global temperatures.
- Cities like Beijing have amplified warming metrics by 1–2°C because of urban heat islands.

"China's climate dilemma" is the complicated stew of coal-fired heating, 1.4 billion human metabolisms, and a policy regime trying to please Confucius and Keynes.

- China blamed for climate change? Sure.
- Does the West outsource emissions? Yes, of course.
- Is climate change all human-made? I doubt it.
- Do you think it's worth taking action? That's for sure.

We don't know what the future holds.

The dynamics of aerosols don't care about politics, and satellite-based CO2 sensors don't lie. Lao Tzu said: Those who control others are powerful, but those who master data? We're invincible.

Now, Let’s Get Weird with Science:
- Luxury cars = NOₓ factories. Diesel engines emit oxides of nitrogen, which, under sunlight, cook into ground-level ozone—great in the stratosphere, but down here? Asthma’s best friend.
- Jet-set life = Cloud confusion. Aircraft contrails can trap heat like a sneaky blanket in the sky. It’s called radiative forcing, and it's a growing concern in aviation science.
- Climate solutions = Less glitter, more grit. The hard truth? Solving climate problems will likely look more like repairing storm drains, riding bikes, or rethinking suburban sprawl than inventing hover-skates powered by unicorn breath.

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