“Outrageous!” Several days ago, a friend complained about the sizzling weather in Shanghai, “It’s getting hotter and hotter these years!”

Whether you are willing to admit, global warming seems to be the truth. And not only does such phenomenon force us to stay indoors rather than play outside; more importantly, it does generate much severer problems. I hereby do not want to restate the clichés, a simple graph below shows the relationships between global warming and natural disasters. (And if you’re really interested in the catastrophic effects, please refer to the websites I list below). Global warming is as important as, if not more than, HIV Dispersion, Wealth Inequity and Facebook-Poke!

(Pic: Global Warming & Natural Disasters, Swiss Re)

In China: Challenges and Potentials

With the emission of 6,200 million tons of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels and making cements last year (NEAA), China now overtakes the US as the world’s biggest emitter of CO2, the green house gas. (see article) The reality is severe. Luckily, our great government now acknowledges such plights and decides to improve. On June 4, 2007, China released its first national climate change plan, outlined China’ s strategy for addressing climate change through national programs aimed at mitigation, adaptation, SciTech research, and increasing public awareness.
Admittedly, we are somewhat lagging behind. There are many obstacles in the way, and the shift to climate energy cannot be easy. (related article). Yet such deficiencies imply huge potential opportunities:

Emission Market: EU’s Emission Trading Scheme grants companies allowances that authorize them to emit certain quantities of green house gases. If a company’s emissions are higher than allowances, it has to buy additional allowances from other companies. If its emissions are lower than its allotment, it can sell its unneeded allowances on the market. And the US has similar system to create a “Carbon Market”. Such system might give companies more incentives to control their emissions and reduces the total greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. China hasn’t such system yet; however, it’s considering setting up an emission quota system and a carbon trading exchange to curb the exacerbating of climate change. (read news). – Promising news.

Local Business Seize Comparative Advantage: Corporations will face increasing climate-change risks: Tougher emission-reduction legislation, damaging backlash from environmentally sensitive consumers, and the climate-related limits on physical assets. Several pioneering multinational firms have already developed the vision for the survival in the climate-change era: GE launched Ecomagination—a set of clean technologies for the transportation, energy, water, and consumer product sectors. Ecomagination generated revenues of .5 billion in 2005, with orders almost doubling to billion. Albeit most Chinese companies currently seem lukewarm to the environmental issues, they will inevitably pay more efforts in order to gain comparative advantages in the future.

Emission Assessment: There might be more demand for experts with knowledge of environment, economics and mathematics. They may help firms with gauging the environmental-change costs and revenues, analyzing the climate-related risks and opportunities, designing and adapting strategies for corporations’ sustainable growth and supervising the implements of greener energy & technology. It is appropriate and pragmatic that schools or governments launch several educational or vocational training interdisciplinary programs to meet the market demands.

What Can Us Students Change?

Passion is a key ingredient to the life; how us youth can transform our passion into power?

Attention: Whether we will be leaders, business persons, scientists, writers, engineers, or artists tomorrow, we must be socially responsible citizens from today. Pay attentions to related news, (below this article I share some cool websites related with global climate change, and you can also visit “Resource” section at CDYF website) think about it and refresh the concept. And next time you can issue some greener policies, greener buildings or greener energies…for the sustainable growth of our nation and globe. We can save money from buying air-conditioners, eh? :)

Advocation: Viral marketing is powerful, awareness can be infected: Share the websites, stories and videos, post them on the space; discuss global warming on Facebook; introduce the ideas to your friends; add “I’m” prefix on your msn. Global warming and cleaner energy are definitely the issues of our times, and our duties.—it’s better for everyone to have such sensitiveness.

Action: Take the initiatives, and many of them are quite simple. Grow a tree. Walk or bicycle to school—you will be healthier, and so will earth! Purchase cleaner-emission cars or try more public transportations, they are also cheaper. :) Suggest schools to use cleaner fuels for campus transportation and adopt greener lights. Initiate some study groups and discussion sessions; propel the “Global Warming Accountant Association”. Take some relevant research. The more actions you make, the more rewards you will get.

Global warming can either be the threat, or the opportunity, of our generation. Those who save the climate save the world, and themselves. So why not be a Generation Green, grab the chance and foster a cooler China, and a better universe? :)

*Carly Chen Li is a student at University of Michigan. She is  a senior partner of CDYF.

Some Insightful Websites:

CDYF Resource (Direct to Multiple Links)

Earth News

China US Climate Conference

China Dialogue