I'm Heading for China...

Is China a beacon of the environmental future - or a reminder of its past? What are we to think, when in the same conversation, we hear that the country is building one new coal plant a week - at the same time that it is churning out wind turbines faster than any other country on the planet?

I hope to find out during an eight-day trip I begin later this morning. I'm heading first to Beijing to meet with environmental groups there who are trying to clean up manufacturing and promote renewable energy. In particular, I'm hoping to meet with representatives at Greenpeace who have been studying the impact of manufacturing on Asia's air and water. I also hope to connect with researchers at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs - they're intensely involved in research and policy efforts to reduce pollution in China's waterways and green manufacturing along the way.

Then I head to Xi'an, the home of China's famous Terra Cotta Soldiers, to speak to the International Forum on Women and Green Living, sponsored by the Shaanxi Women's Federation.

Along the way, I'll report back to you on what I'm seeing and hearing.

What would you most like to know?

Comments

[Nesha]

I just came back from there. I would like to know how you thing the air quality can be improved.

[Diane MacEachern]

Well, one thing that would certainly help would be to figure out a system to get cars off the road. The traffic is unbelievable! And there doesn't seem to be much carpooling going on, either There is a good subway system, but it's already very crowded. Maybe Beijing could do what London and Mexico City are doing, and limit traffic to the downtown area based on days of the week or license plate numbers or something. More people could bicycle in the summer, but in the harsh winter, that's probably not an option.

[Mary Hunt]

Wal Mart says that they are working with 30,000 manufacturing plants in China to help them have less of a carbon footprint. What do the Chinese think of Wal Mart?

[Jacqui MacNeill (Escents Aromatherapy Bath and Body)]

Have a great trip! I, for one, would love to hear about what China is doing to help the environment on a grass roots level.