It was but a few years ago that China was known all around
as one of the big three world polluters, spewing tons and tons of carbon into
the air, primarily through its coal-powered electricity plants.
China, responsible for about 17% of global greenhouse gas
emissions, closely followed by the US (16%) and the EU (12%), has become the
world's biggest carbon emitter. The Chinese use of coal-fired power plants is
mirrored by the US in its pursuit of cheap electricity. Whereas the Chinese are
forced to call upon Australia for coal imports, the United States is home to
the largest coal reserves in the world, and in 2010 half of America's energy
was still produced using coal power plants.
