China is both the world's fastest growing economy and the world's leading polluter.  As a result, the country faces the twin challenges of reducing its carbon emissions while at the same time providing more power for its people's growing energy demands.

For years, China has relied heavily on dirty coal to provide much of this energy, but as Andrew Livingstone reports, moves are underway to improve efficiency in coal fired stations.

Now it’s become a cliché to say that China is developing fast. But it’s nevertheless true - and on many fronts that rapid development has meant overtaking the U.S. That’s often a source of some pride in China. But with today’s concerns about global warming, new claims that China now uses more energy than the U.S. have been less welcome. To get an idea of what the trends are in China’s use of energy, and importantly, where that energy comes from, BON’s Katie Fischer spoke with Wu Chanhgua, director of The Climate Group.

Dr. Chu spoke at the 23rd Forum at Tsinghua, the university from where both of his parents had graduated. His appointment as Energy Secretary earlier this year was part of a marked shift in US energy policy. In his speech, Chu used several scientific examples to outline the potentially catastrophic effects that could lie ahead.

Ancius introduces the Chinese character for “energy”, and explains how it is used as a radical.

Well last week we looked at China's power dilemma, of how to provide for the country's growing energy demands without increasing carbon emissions through coal, or destroying wild rivers to produce hydroelectricity. Today BON’s Andrew Livingstone looks at an energy source that’s not just saving on fossil fuels; it’s helping ease another environmental concern at the same time.

China faces some huge environmental problems, from polluted air and toxic rivers to finding enough space for landfills. But efforts are underway to turn the tide by cleaning up heavy industry.

As China's economy continues to expand, the demand for energy grows. China is the world's fastest growing consumer of power. The country produces almost 45% of the world's total coal output, using more than half of this to produce electricity. And that plays a big part in China's pollution problems.

But initiatives on a local level are starting to have an impact. At a recent conference in Gansu province, in the North West of China, officials claimed that energy saving projects were already starting to bring benefits to the region. The announcement came following a conference on Resource Saving and Environmental Protection.

Where Fiction And Fact Meet
To What Lengths To Save Energy?