Think Again: Green China

"Is China the green model of the future - or an industrial polluter on a massive scale?" So begins this intriguing article on relative pollution and "greeness," for lack of a better word. Think Again: Green China addresses the rumor that China's enviromental-friendliness and alternate sources of energy surpass the rest of the world. This is partly true, and partly not. On one hand, China is truly advanced in its technology. They have spent much time and money developing more efficient ways of harvesting wind and solar power, and are currently pursuing alternate forms of energy as if it were a top priority of their country. On the other hand, China is already terribly polluted and could hardly be considered "green." Beijing's air is so polluted it can be hard to see the sky, and hundreds of thousands of people die prematurely because of impure air and water. So although China may be ahead of us in its search for Earth-friendly energy, it is already way behind when it comes to keeping our world clean and happy.

This article focuses on China, but it really relates to how other countries view each other. Instead of the USA hoping that any advances or breakthroughs China makes could be great news for our dying planet, we immediately resort to competition and wonder where they are in comparison to us. All of the articles about China focused on whether or not they were a threat to us - if they created more pollution, if they would take our citizens' jobs, if they would make more money than us. The instinctual competition between countries couldn't be more obvious if it was openly spoken about.

Competition and rivalry between countries is not a new theory. During the French Revolution, all the countries surrounding France immediately became suspicious and nervous of France's power and tried to stop them from gaining any more. All countries want to be the undisputed power force in their regions, and this often causes unncessary tensions between countries that could otherwise help each other achieve a common goal.