Environmental
Environmental Aspects include geography and access to resources, pollution, exploitation of natural resources, etc., in China and how those things affect the problem of unsustainable energy. Evidence indicates that the environment of China affects unsustainable energy in the following major ways:
1. Coal Availability
China is the top producer of coal in the world, with 3874 million tonnes per year. Much of this coal has been mined from reserves below the north and north-west regions of the country. Coal accounts for 75.6% of China’s energy production and 68% of its consumption, making it the country’s most significant energy resource.
Though coal production has slowed, it is still the energy source that many of China’s citizens rely on. A Chinese coal engineer told the New York Times:
"We are a developing country and we started without a very good foundation. We have so few choices and no funding, so our industries are going to rely heavily on coal for a long time to come"
China is beginning to look towards natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric power. Natural gas will likely supply 10% of the nation’s energy supply by 2020, though it is yet another hazardous fuel. However, Chinese authorities see natural gas as a lower-polluting and less carbon-intensive alternative.
2. Industry and Corporations
China is known to be a center of industry, being one of the world’s top three exporters of goods, along with the United States and the European Union. The country specializes in many product categories including electrical machinery, clothing, automobile parts, and furniture. China is also among the world’s leading producers of fertilizers.
But where does all of the energy required to sustain the industry come from?
“The hidden issue that has the power to hold back economic growth is an
inadequate supply of cheap energy. China is a country that bases its economy on manufacturing, and manufacturing depends on an adequate supply of affordable energy, typically inexpensive and only accounting for a small amount of the total cost. The primary source of this affordable energy is currently coal…”
-Jianliang Wang, Lianyong Feng, Gail E.Tverberg
The primary source of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the country.
3. Massive Population
China is home to 1.3 billion people and over 455 million households. The five largest cities and their populations are listed below. In most cases, the larger the city, the larger the energy it consumes and requires to function. With China’s massive population, the area is in need of a lot of energy, usually in whatever form is cheapest and most convenient.
