When it comes to the topic of pollution and climate, many people are unfamiliar with what lies behind many of the more attention-grabbing statements. Whether it is reading headlines or listening to talking points, those statements often get repeated by others, over and over again, despite that a few sentences have never been sufficient at describing the totality of anything.
One such example is how people contrast Canada’s position on the matter with what polluting giants like China are doing, and how China is increasing their polluting while Canada works towards reducing emissions. They argue things like, “China continues to pollute and has been increasing its pollution over the years. They are benefitting from dirty energy. We are burdening our economy trying to reduce our carbon footprint despite not being the biggest emitters of carbon.”
The sprinkle of truth in such statements, such as China having increased emissions, is the only thing that keeps such statements from being the equivalent of, “The world is going to end in twelve years if we do not do something about climate change.” The reality of the situation is far more complicated, because China has not abandoned its transition toward becoming green. In fact, most countries that have rising emissions are doing far more than a single emission “statistic” highlights, and it is something that is worth getting acquainted with.
China’s Emissions will Continue to Rise Until 2030.
China does have rising emissions, but that is only a small part of the story. The full story highlights how China is pacing and positioning itself to win the race to becoming green and is aggressively pursuing innovation and adaptation to eventually phase out dirty energy and curb carbon emissions. That said, China’s emissions are expected to rise until 2030, at which point they should start falling, with China becoming a net zero emissions country by 2060.
China does not need anyone to remind it that increasing rates of pollution have a negative impact on people and land because they have seen the impacts on both. Air pollution was so bad in Beijing during much of the 2000s and 2010s that the city earned the title of being the “most polluted city in the world”. As a result of the pollution, respiratory illnesses and other diseases associated with pollution spiked, and the population health of residents started to deteriorate.
In other parts of China, like the Shanxi, Henan, and Heibei provinces, the heavy reliance on coal burning and industrial activities contributed to such high levels of pollution that it resulted in acidic rain. The resulting impact degraded the quality of the soil and, eventually, much of the land became acidic, infertile, and the soil eroded. Prior to these pollution-induced effects, agriculture was a big part of these provinces, and they were known for their grains, vegetables, and fruits.
China actually leads the world with some of its “green” endeavours.
In the Qinhai province, there are major endeavours being undertaken as it relates to green energy. There are major solar systems, dams, and wind installations. By 2030, China estimates that the region will be capable of generating 1.2 terawatts (1,200 gigawatts), which is approximately the annual amount of power that the US has been using in recent years.
The biggest challenge for today’s China, and why it has to resort to using dirty energy, stems from the size of its population and that further infrastructure is required to ensure the flow of clean energy across the country. As result, China has undertaken the construction of super efficient power lines to transport energy with minimal energy loss. These power lines are often referred to as ultra high voltage power lines that have specialized current lines, and they are seen as a vital component for decarbonization. China has constructed thousands of kilometers of these ultra high voltage lines, so much so that they far surpass the combined length of ultra high voltage lines around the world. It is also why China is seen as a world leader in the development and deployment of ultra high voltage technology.
Around 75% of the world’s supply chain for solar systems are in China, and it is directly involved in working with underdeveloped nations, places that have long been without power, to provide them access to energy. Additionally, China is a world leader in the processing of metals and transforming them into components required for usage, like with modern batteries used for phones and cars, and its processing capabilities far exceed that of the rest of the world combined.
When it comes to nuclear energy, which has been identified as the single-strongest source of firm clean power that is not dependant on the sun or wind, China’s goals are set to make it the leader in nuclear reactors. A recent target was set out that outlined the development of 150 new nuclear reactor over 15 years, which would be more than the 126 that the world has built in the last 40 years.
As one of the biggest users of dirty energy over the past few decades, China understands the economic, political, and environmental costs of such energy. That their emissions have been increasing can be a misleading statistic when it is cited a standalone fact. China has not abandoned its transition to becoming green, rather it may have one of the most aggressive approaches to becoming green seen anywhere in the world.
Bonus: Small Modular Reactors – A New Approach to Nuclear Power
One of the biggest points of contention around nuclear energy in Canada is that there are major disagreements on whether building nuclear powerplants is worth the risk. These may stem from what happened in Chernobyl: seeing the fallout from the meltdown of that nuclear powerplant and how the surrounding land became uninhabitable. Or it might have to do with how a US Navy man by the name of Jimmy Carter helped prevent a nuclear meltdown at Chalk River in Ontario back in 1952. Whatever the reason may be, new thinking around nuclear power is shifting away from a single nuclear powerplant that provide power to a large area to smaller nuclear facilities that provide region-specific power, through small modular reactors.
What makes small modular reactors so unique is that they are built in small increments and around specific needs. This makes them easier to assemble and to transport, and the costs associated with them are far less. Additionally, small modular reactors have advanced safety features like passive cooling systems and containment structures that enhance safety and reduce the risk of accidents. The nature of small modular reactors enables them to distribute power to more remote areas and they can be adapted to meet the energy needs of an area and its facilities.
Historically, the process to build nuclear energy powerplants has involved high start-up costs, and been time consuming processes. Time consumption has also been the leading reason as to why the costs accounted for were not realized until years later and resulted in a significantly more expensive project. All of that may change thanks to small modular reactors. Ultimately, nuclear energy is the energy of the future, it is the only source of firm, clean power and there is no avoiding it because no country become carbon neutral without it.
