" China, India Seen Setting Stage for Environment-Friendly World"

[GreenPartyVoter]

Energy guzzlers China and India are often blamed for some of the world's environmental problems, but a new study says the two most populous nations may well set the stage for a clean and green Earth.

The two countries are mastering energy-efficient technologies, implementing cheap and environmentally-responsible transportation systems, and adopting new water harvesting techniques as models for a sustainable economy, says the annual report of the US-based Worldwatch Institute.

"China and India are positioned to leapfrog today's industrial powers and become world leaders in sustainable energy and agriculture within a decade," the president of the environmental research group, Christopher Flavin, predicted at a news conference.

"We were encouraged to find that a growing number of opinion leaders in China and India now recognize that the resource-intensive model for economic growth can't work in the 21st century," he said.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0112-12.htm

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. kick

[Lisa]

2. I've met a number of students from both those countries ...

... who are doing graduate degrees in North America. Most of them have expressed disapproval of our way of doing things -- excessive use of resources, and unfairness in distribution. These particular visitors do not want to "develop" in that direction. They feel that they can be more equitable and efficient. One woman kept saying how disappointed she is, that our local politics seem to be just as corrupt and inaccessible as some of the worst places she's lived in overseas, even though we claim to be advanced and democratic. (She was helping us with an attempt to make a local developer re-do a building in our neighborhood, which was overshadowing people's houses ... not easy when the developer goes golfing regularly with the town planner and 2 councillors.)

By the end of the century, I wouldn't be surprised if we have to import technology and expertise from China and India, to cope with our own dwindling resources.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Wouldn't surprise me either. We are headed into the dark ages after having

once set foot on the moon. :cry:

[Johonny]

4. I doubt it

Both countries suffer from overpopulation and poverty. It's seems unlikely that these two stresses will help flower an environmental friendly future for either place.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. "Necessity is the mother of invention" Overpopulation may actually

be the stressor that causes nations to wise up.

[Johonny]

6. Once again I doubt it

The reason the region is overpopulated has a lot to do with it’s environmental carrying capacity. In other words an overpopulated area is by definition not going to do very well environmentally.