1. China goes big time green with new Five Year Plan You may
know that China has overtaken the US, EU nations and other
countries in production of solar and wind renewable energy
technologies; but may not have heard that China, which will use
15% renewables by 2020, is committed to greening far more than
its energy (note: the US has no goal for renewable energy).
China’s Five Year Plan for 2011-2015 demonstrates that it is
serious about tackling its rampant air and water pollution. This
recently announced plan also shows that China will be designing
scaleable new technologies and approaches for everything from
greener urban development to more fuel efficient vehicles,
including nationally subsidized electric cars. Nowhere was this
more evident than at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, a six-month
affair that I attended at its close in October (see photo
above). Climate change, sustainability, environmental management
and the role of citizens in reducing their impact were major
themes in the China Pavilion and in