Energy in Beijing

With climate change, renewable energy, and emissions control all the rage in the western media these days, China has been receiving a fair share of focus regarding its development and energy policy. The arguement that it and India are making revolves around the fact that the western world has polluted the whole globe into this mess and that it should be ones making the biggest changes in carbon emissions as it is the most developed and able to do so. The implicit corollary to this stance is that India and China should be allowed to pollute just as agressively as the the US and Europe did in the past so that they too can bring about industrial and economic development without the undo burden of trying to do so in an environmentally sound manner.

With oil prices having risen dramatically in the past decade or so and all the industrial development in China I would have expected energy costs to be at a premuim. Based on talks with my hosts, I would have to say that I am very wrong. They say that their utility bills are a negligible cost in living here in Beijing. Last night I learned that $60 (US) is sufficient to cover electricity for three months or so. (Fun fact for the day: in this apartment complex, the electricity is pre-paid. There's a little card reader next to the meter and you "charge-up" the meter with a special card loaded electricity credits.) We've been told that there is no need to worry about leaving lights on, using lots of hot water, or turning the heat up when it gets cold at night. Granted, their apartment isn't very large (I'm going to guess 500 square feet) and there are only two of them but a similar living situation in the US would not lead to such a care-free atitude when it comes to paying the power bill.

The cause of low energy costs is both mysterious and obvious. The obvious part strikes you immediately upon landing in the city: the air is very polluted nearly all the time. China has abundant coal resources and does whatever it takes to provide the power to keep the industrial wheels turning. Vendors on the street burn charcoal and coal to keep their food warm and smokestacks in the area seem to almost always been emitting...something.

The mysterious part (or maybe "perplexing" would be a better word) is that, without outside information, you would never guess that the world is growing more concerned about the need for clean energy. Something that is so pressing and important in my life back in the US doesn't seem to bear any notice here. I would guess that Beijing residents here would prefer to have cleaner air (and may downright enjoy the improvement during August when the Olympics are here) but I don't know what price (not just financial) they would be willing to pay to have clear skies. Or, more specifically, I don't know if anybody really cares right now as the rapid economic development seems to be bringing welcome improvement in lifestyle.

I don't know what the implications of this is, but I would feel safe in saying that the citizens of China are probably not the ones who will be leading the charge toward a change in energy policy. I'm also going to guess that the Chinese government is more concerned with modernization and is willing to deal with the pollution problem later. We'll see in the long-term how all of this shapes up; right now I'm not optimistic.