Green Energy in China

China is one of the fastest growing countries in almost any measurable category from population to economic growth. In order to make this growth happen China demands more and more power every day. Until recently China has been obtaining this energy by building a new coal fired power plant every week. This means that China currently has a huge potential for green job growth. Recent reports urge China to replace these dirty coal fueled power plants with renewable technology and other green businesses. According to this report China can make a net gain of 9.5 million jobs over the next five years if it phases out its dirtiest, energy intensive industries and replaces them with the aforementioned renewable technologies and other green businesses. The current environmental situation is one of the most unique in the entire world. Currently China is both the world’s biggest investor in new energy as well as having the most dangerous levels of pollution.  The current path that China is on is simply not sustainable. While its per capita emissions remain relatively low, China’s total emissions are among the highest in the world. China is in a critical stage to determine whether it will get ahead of the energy curve or stay in the age fossil fuels. As a still emerging economy China can make the decision to go ahead and swap over to green energy while their infrastructure can still be easily transformed to suite that style of life. Hopefully China will make the correct environmental decision.