On Clean Energy, China Skirts Rules

In the book Hot, Flat & Crowded, one of the author Tom Friedman's focus is on China and green energy.  This is a great approach to what many people including Friedman wants: the greener world and industries.

CHANGSHA, China — Until very recently, Hunan Province was known mainly for lip-searing spicy food, smoggy cities and destitute pig farmers. Mao was born in a village on the outskirts of Changsha, the provincial capital here in south-central China. 

Now, Changsha and two adjacent cities are emerging as a center of clean energy manufacturing. They are churning out solar panels for the American and European markets, developing new equipment to manufacture the panels and branching into turbines that generate electricity from wind. By contrast, clean energy companies in the United States and Europe are struggling. Some have started cutting jobs and moving operations to China in ventures with local partners. 

According to the article, Changsha used to have a "smoggy" stratosphere. Now Changsha, or China is changing. The big red country of manufacturing and monster factories are slowly becoming more friendly with the whole earth. At this rate, China might catch up with U.S. and out run the green energy race. I am eager to see China reforming their cities to be more green. Because it is China, that would be a great, big step to the greener earth and world economy.

Germany Extends Nuclear Plants’ Life

In the book "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas L. Friedman, Friedman demands the alternative, and greener energy in order for better life on earth, and to reduce our "addiction" of gasoline or "fuel from hell."

  

BERLIN — The German government has decided to extend the life spans of the country’s 17 nuclear plants while alternative energy sources are developed, a move that is also likely to create windfalls for both power companies and strained government coffers. 

The decision comes at a time when several European countries, including Italy and Sweden, are reconsidering long-held policies against nuclear power, not only to develop new sources of energy but also to combat climate change.

The greener energy, eco-friendly culture is not only the common people's pop culture but it is the newest international solution to many problems we are facing today and we will face tomorrow. In Europe, this new culture seems to flourish, and the government is very cooperative. One of the new green energy with many potentials is the nuclear power. It is the energy that was once rejected by the U.S. government. As the nuclear power spreads more, there is a possibility that the U.S. government will think twice about this type of energy. Although, Italy and Sweden are considering a long held policies against the nuclear power, the nuclear power has no carbon amission. It is something definitely better than gasoline yet it is something that should be strictly controlled.