Shanzhai Electric Car Revolution 山寨电动汽车革命
reposted 12/18/2010 (Originally posted on 1/4/2010) Produced by Jimmy Wang from Asia Society Blog
To embed this video, find code on this page."While Warren Buffet’s investment in the Shenzen-based BYD electric car company put the world spotlight on China’s inroads into producing larger hybrid and all-electric cars, these automobiles, costing around $25,000 to $50,000, depending on the model, are not affordable for the average Chinese family.
Jimmy Wang and Lin Yang traveled to remote areas of Shandong Province and discovered a new phenomenon is already beginning to radically change the landscape of Chinese roads in second and third tier cities: small, 4-seat all-electric passenger vehicles that cost as little as $2000-$3000, can be charged in a normal household outlet, and emit 0 greenhouse gases...." >> Continue Reading
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From L to R: Beijing air on June 19, 2009
and on June 22, 2009. (Asia Society Center on US-China Relations) |
November 23, 2010 by Rafaya Sufi on Asia Society Blog
How bad was the air quality in Beijing last week? "Crazy bad," according to senior US officials monitoring air quality in the Chinese capital. The Associated Press reports they admitted running out of conventional adjectives to describe the increasing pollution, but promised to review their language.
But, inappropriate language or not, the air quality index in Beijing sometimes goes above 500, its highest point and a level considered quite hazardous by US standards. The complex problem is caused by a growing number of cars and trucks (1200 new cars hit Beijing's roads every day), coal burning for industry and even desertification many miles away. >>Continue Reading
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See also: A weekly air quality journal of Beijing and New York here
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China's Green Leap Forward
November 24, 2010 from China Bystander
November 24, 2010 from China Bystander
China has a goal of meeting 15% of its energy consumption from non-fossil fuels by 2020, and the five-year plan that starts next year calls for a large expansion of hydropower for electricity generation. The World Bank, in a policy note on the Great Green Leap Forward, says China needs to do four things to hit its goal:
Develop hydropower faster. Hydropower rehabilitation and more rapid and environmentally and socially sound development could achieve the target at a lower cost because hydropower is already competitive with coal. Developing hydropower more quickly would allow for increasing the renewable energy target above the envisaged government target without increasing the incremental cost of the program.Improve the performance of wind power rapidly. China’s experience has been less than optimal in planning wind farm, operational integration and coordination between developers and grid operators. This considerably reduced the performance of the wind program. If not addressed adequately, the high level of inefficiencies could increase the cost to the nation of the envisaged wind program, which could become prohibitive.Promote trade. With trade, provinces could achieve their mandated targets. Renewable energy transactions would amount to about 360 terawatt-hours, 42 percent of the total of the envisaged government target. And more important, trade would reduce the discounted cost of the envisaged renewable energy target by about 56-72 percent.Develop green electricity scheme(s). Green electricity has been well studied in China and piloted in Shanghai municipality. Deploying green electricity schemes at the national and regional levels should be considered among the options to pay for the incremental cost resulting from the development of renewable energy.
All in all, an off-to-a-good start report with some could-do-betters, particularly with wind power, where approaching a third of the power generated is off-grid, and much, much still to be done.
