Obama in China and Why We Should Care

I may harp on the United States for our climate change denying senators or the fact that pipelines continue to sprout up in multiple states, but you know who really is a mess?

China.

I'd like to think back circa 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where multiple articles detailed the ridiculous amount of smog and air pollution that almost kept the olympics from happening.  There was an official decree to stop all manufacturing plants, construction sites, and chemical plants in order to keep spectators and athletes from experiencing the horror that is Beijing's air pollution.  

In total, for the olympics, Beijing spent $17 billion in efforts to clean up their act from making apartments energy-efficient to installing better subway systems etc.  The photo to the left shows tourists at Beijing having to get their photos taken in front of a poster instead of the actual skyline because of how thick the air is.

Anyway, so Obama goes to China this past week and suddenly there is a huge media storm about China and American and climate stuff.

So here's exactly what went down.

There's a treaty currently in the works through the UN that sort of "makes-it or breaks-it" for our planet's future.  Basically it says that all countries need to start giving a crap about this earth because if anything can unify every continent, it's our need for this planet to survive.  So Obama heads off to meet with President Xi Jinping in order to make some negotiations ahead of this treaty's approval.

On our end, the US announced that we would reduce pollution emissions from 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025. (Earlier in his presidency he promised cutting emissions by 17 percent)

On China's end, President Jinping didn't commit to cutting any emissions, especially as China is in the works to build multiple coal plants.  However, he set the emission peak for China in 2030.

Together China and the US create one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions.  It is a promising commitment to have both leaders of their countries discuss environmental concerns, but I personally wish they had developed more plans from this discussion. But it is something, which as an environmentalist, is ALWAYS better than nothing.

But don't forget we have Congress's leading climate change denier in charge of the environment committee. WHICH MAKES NO SENSE!  Seriously there is no sense in Congress.  Look up Senator James Inhofe and try not to cry, especially since he is planned to take over as the next chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.  Hopefully he decides to not stand in the way of the president's goals for the future of the United States.

Anyway, I basically wanted to remind everyone that though everyone is really excited about this agreement between China and the United States, they aren't perfect and I'm not ready to celebrate just yet.