A Wakeup Call.

CHINA
A WAKEUP CALL


(Authenticity not proved)


China has 19% of the world's population, but consumes ...

53% of the world's cement

48% of the world's iron ore

47% of the world's coal

and the majority of just about every other major commodity.

In 2010, China produced 11 times more steel than the United States.

New World Record: China made and sold 18 million vehicles in 2010.

There are more pigs in China than in the next 43 pork producing nations combined.

China currently has the worlds fastest train and the worlds largest high-speed rail network.

China is currently the number one producer in the world of wind and solar power, but don't use it themselves. While they manufacture 80% of the worlds solar panels, they install less than 5% and build a new coal fired power station every week. In one year they turn on more new coal powered electricity than Australia's total output.

China currently controls more than 90% of the total global supply of rare earth elements.

In the past 15 years, China has moved from 14th place to 2nd place in the world in published scientific research articles.

China now possesses the fastest supercomputer on the entire globe.

At the end of March 2011, China accumulated US$3.04 trillion in foreign currency reserves

--the largest stockpile on the entire globe.

Chinese people consume 50,000 cigarettes every second

They are already the largest carbon dioxide emitter and their output will rise 70% by 2020.


And we think we're saving the planet?! It will not make one iota of difference what we do in Australia, Canada, the United States or anywhere else in the world; for that matter, all the politicians are doing is increasing our cost of living and making our manufacturers uncompetitive in the world market, with their idiotic carbon tax, when countries like China are growing and consuming at these extraordinary rates!


Time to wake up!

Re: A Wakeup Call.

I'm in agreement with you Michael, you need global co-operation if it was ever going to work and I can never see that happening with all the greed in the World today. Excuse me while I turn off the energy saving bulb on the landing.

Re: A Wakeup Call.

I'm afraid I've been making that same argument for years Michael. We cannot be expected to solve a global problem, if that problem indeed exists, when only 2% of the problem is of our making. It is high time our politicians realised that and started working on the problems they were hired to solve...

Re: A Wakeup Call.

Wouldn't be so bad if they used the carbon tax to make a giant machine, that would suck up all carbon out of the atmosphere and either dispose of it, or use it some way for the good of the planet.
It is certainly greed that motivates the top people in all countries. They don't really give a fig.
And I can't see any way of stopping China growing, they are going through their industrial revolution.

Re: A Wakeup Call.

I agree with all the comments above. For what difference our (costly) efforts make in this country we may all as well just pee in the wind!

As I have 44 trees in my garden, I run my heating system on (supposedly) renewable fuel (because it's cheaper than gas) and I run a 21 year old campervan plus a 30 year old Mini which are both fueled by LPG can I claim my financial share of the carbon offsetting?

No such luck I'm afraid.

I can't even get the cheap road tax even though the emissions from both of my vehicles are far less than most new cars!

I wonder if 'global warming / climate chamge' would be so popular with governments and business if it actually resulted in us all paying LESS?

Re: A Wakeup Call.

Agreed, we (on this liitle island) only contribute a miniscule amount towards global pollution, but we started the industrial ball rolling. Lol.