Over 2,000 steel mill, cement works and other energy-intensive factories have been ordered to close down by the end of September.  This announcement comes on the heels of another made by the powerful National Development and Reform Commission last week, which forced 22 provinces across China to stop providing discounted electricity to energy-intensive industries such as aluminum production.

Energy efficiency has become increasingly important in Chinese economic planning.  The nation’s current five-year plan targets 20% less energy usage per unit of economic output this year compared with 2005.

However, high industry output since last winter has driven China’s energy consumption to sky-high levels, producing the single largest surge ever of greenhouse gases by a single country.  According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), China surpassed the United States last year to become the world’s largest consumer of energy after becoming top global carbon emitter in 2006.  These rankings, combined with continued high expectations for economic growth, lead many to doubt China’s ability to meet its stated energy intensity goals.

Nevertheless, China is forging ahead with plans for major new investment in energy efficiency, including $15 billion into energy efficient vehicles.  $8 billion of this proposed funding would be set aside for development into pure energy efficiency techniques.  The remaining funding will be funneled towards infrastructure construction, potentially including electric vehicle charging station.

China is currently pushing to put 4 million eco-friendly vehicles on its roads by 2012.

Read more about energy efficiency here and proposed vehicle investments here

“They are closing in on the last 30-40 feet,” said retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the government’s lead point person on the scene.  He expects to intercept the remaining space between the well shaft and the surrounding rock  “sometime before the end of the week,” depending upon the path of a developing tropical storm moving across the Florida peninsula.

Carol Browner, the energy and climate change adviser to President Obama, says approximately three-fourths of the spilled oil has been recovered from the Gulf of Mexico waters. Deliberate burning, skimming and direct recovery accounted for about 25%, while natural evaporation, dispersion and other processes took care of about 50% of the volume.  The remaining oil has either congealed into tarballs, been embedded into sediment, or remains as a sheen on the water’s surface.  “The good news is that the vast majority of the oil appears to be gone,” Browner said during a recent television appearance.

So far, BP has spent $6.1 billion dealing with fallout from the Gulf spill, the worst in United States history.  BP has already paid $319 million in compensation to businesses and individuals that have been affected by the spill, and will likely continue to face high costs as it continues environmental cleanup operations in the afflicted region.

Read more here and here….

This month’s newsletter analyzes the response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, solar energy developments in Europe, growth in Chinese and Indian carbon emissions as well as growing corporate awareness of sustainability and the business bottom line.

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The drought in China’s industrial north is reaching dangerous levels – the area is home to 44% of the population, but only 14% of the water.  As industrial production increases, Chinese power plants in the north will need 82 million ML of water each year by 2030.

This project will transport 44.8 million megaliters of water every year through a complex, three-pronged plan which consists of an eastern, western and a central route.  Encompassing nearly 1800 km of pipelines, 23 pumping stations, up to 7 dams and 2 giant tunnels beneath the Yellow River, the project will drain one river to fill another and pump water flow against gravity.

Although officials say this project may “ease the water shortage in the north” in the short term, conservation and new efficiency measures are the true long-term measures to solve China’s water woes.

Read the full article here…

Deforestation is a worldwide problem which contributes mightily to global greenhouse emissions.  It is estimated that one-fifth of all carbon dioxide emissions result from chopping down forestland, especially in tropical zones.

Land preservationists and climate change advocates want to end this environmentally harmful practice, saying doing so will benefit not only the atmosphere, but the U.S. farming economy.

A recent study by the National Farmers Union and Avoided Deforestation Partners estimates if global deforestation were stopped, the U.S. agricultural sector could boost its revenues from $190 billion to $270 billion through 2030.

U.S. crops  have long been undercut by unfairly cheap commodities harvested on “slash-and-burn” cleared land.  Stemming this practice would slow the spread of these artificially cheap commodities into the global marketplace.  The report says U.S. timber, soybean, oilseed and beef industries stand to enjoy particular gains.

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This month’s newsletter takes a close look at the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, recent solar investments in Asia and the Middle East, the U.S. climate bill as well as the worsening global water crisis.

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Warmer than usual conditions were noted in many parts of Canada, Alaska, eastern U.S., Australia, South Asia and northern Africa, whereas China has experienced its coolest April since 1961, but its wettest since 1974.

NOAA believes the emerging El Nino weather pattern may be contributing to the warm temperatures.  Scientists attribute 2009 being the fifth warmest year on record in part to the presence of an El Nino system.

Read more here…