Comments on: Tomorrow’s eco-city is in…China http://liftlab.com/think/marc/2007/09/21/tomorrows-eco-city-is-inchina/ Time to look East... Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:50:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: Pierre http://liftlab.com/think/marc/2007/09/21/tomorrows-eco-city-is-inchina/#comment-6 Pierre Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:25:43 +0000 http://liftlab.com/think/marc/2007/09/21/tomorrows-eco-city-is-inchina/#comment-6 On the same topic, from Thomas Friedman: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/opinion/19friedman.html?_r=3&n=Top/Opinion/Editorials%20and%20Op-Ed/Op-Ed/Columnists/Thomas%20L%20Friedman&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin" rel="nofollow">Doha to Dalian</a> <em>If you want to know why I remain a climate skeptic — not a skeptic about climate change, but a skeptic that we’re going to be able to mitigate it — it’s partly because of Doha and Dalian. Can you imagine how much energy all these new skyscrapers in just two cities you’ve never heard of are going to consume and how much CO2 they are going to emit? I am not blaming them. It is a blessing that their people are growing out of poverty. And, after all, they’re just following the high-energy growth model pioneered by America. We’re still the world’s biggest energy hogs, but we’re now producing carbon copies in places you’ve never heard of. Yes, “Americans” are popping up all over now — people who once lived low-energy lifestyles but by dint of oil wealth or hard work are now moving into U.S.-style apartments, cars and appliances. Our planet cannot tolerate so many “Americans,” unless we take the lead and change what it means to be an American in energy terms. Attention Kmart shoppers: the world consumed about 66.6 million barrels a day of oil in 1990. We’re now consuming 83 million barrels a day.</em> On the same topic, from Thomas Friedman: Doha to Dalian

If you want to know why I remain a climate skeptic — not a skeptic about climate change, but a skeptic that we’re going to be able to mitigate it — it’s partly because of Doha and Dalian. Can you imagine how much energy all these new skyscrapers in just two cities you’ve never heard of are going to consume and how much CO2 they are going to emit?

I am not blaming them. It is a blessing that their people are growing out of poverty. And, after all, they’re just following the high-energy growth model pioneered by America. We’re still the world’s biggest energy hogs, but we’re now producing carbon copies in places you’ve never heard of.

Yes, “Americans” are popping up all over now — people who once lived low-energy lifestyles but by dint of oil wealth or hard work are now moving into U.S.-style apartments, cars and appliances.

Our planet cannot tolerate so many “Americans,” unless we take the lead and change what it means to be an American in energy terms. Attention Kmart shoppers: the world consumed about 66.6 million barrels a day of oil in 1990. We’re now consuming 83 million barrels a day.

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