Zhang Kejia, a reporter for China Youth Daily, says that consumers in China have become concerned about carbon emissions, which are related to global climate change. Zhang pointed out the relationship between lifestyle and environment and that “no one wants to return to poverty. But changing our lifestyles does not mean lowering our living standards.” From Chinadialogue:
“Wow! My carbon footprint is over 20 tonnes a year,” exclaims Ren Yafen, vice president of BP China. Ren is calculating her carbon expenditure online, and in a time when more and more people across the world are concerned about climate change, she thinks hers is disproportionately large. The current average annual carbon footprint of a Chinese urban dweller is 2.7 tonnes.
Offices in Beijing and Shanghai see increasing numbers of white-collar workers measuring their lifestyles with similar computer programmes, which calculate their personal annual greenhouse-gas emissions. The software is a simple way for them to work out how much carbon dioxide is released into the air through their choices of living arrangements, their travel and shopping habits….[Full Text]
