Introduction
Since the early 1990s, we have witnessed growing worldwide concerns on regulating global climate change. Global warming has become a common problem and, has affected environmental political behaviors among different countries.
This paper discusses global warming, a current event that is interesting and related to China’s economy. The discussion is based on an article that appeared in The New York Times issue updated on October, 25th, 2012.
Significance of Global Warming to China’s Economy
To a very large extent, China’s economy relies heavily on its industrial activities. With the increased concern about the effect of global warming, China as well as other developed nations is faced with a serious challenge of ensuring that it can carry out its operations without causing any harm to the environment.
After the United States, China is currently ranked second as the largest source of pollutants that are warming the global atmosphere. This is mainly due to its high economic development and low energy efficiency industrial structure. While China has risen to become the world’s pre-eminent economic and political force, it has simultaneously taken on the role of being a big polluter. The greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of carbon dioxide in China caused by fossil fuel burning are quite enormous.
As explained in The New York Times article, China is one of the emerging super powers opposed to a decision by other stake holders to control the emission of green house gases into the atmosphere. Considering that a greater portion of China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from its industrial activities, the reasons for its resistance to such a decision are quite obvious. However, a rigorous transition to an economy that produces fewer carbon emissions is the road that China must choose.
Comment on the Issues Discussed in the Article
When China was showing stronger interest to engage in both international and domestic environmental activities during the late 1980s and early 1990s, two critical environmental issues, ozone depletion and climate change, occupied the media headlines due to their potentially devastating threat to the ecosystem and humanity in general. Clearly, this demanded global collective actions by sovereign state.
Although China’s relatively late industrialization process made it bear less responsibility than the developed world for the historical accumulation of green house gases and ozone depleting substances in the atmosphere, its sheer size, as well as the speed and magnitude of economic development since the early 1980s, has made it a major contributor and thus put the country’s environmental and industrial policies under intense international scrutiny at the time of early negotiations.
Bearing in mind that global warming is such a threat to livelihood, it is imperative for China to start looking into ways of reducing its industrial activities for the sake of others living on planet earth. The country should join forces with other developed nations to work towards ensuring that the environment is not destroyed. Future generations deserve to live in a beautiful environment, and the present generation has a huge responsibility to keep it safe for their sake.
Comment on the News Coverage
In my opinion, the journalist did a good job enlightening people about the dangers associated with global warming. Despite its strong desire to continue growing as a power house, all countries should stop and think about the repercussions of its activities. It is selfish for China to only concern itself with how it can stay ahead of other countries without caring about the lives of many innocent people that are at stake as a result of global warming.