The reality behind China's 'green power'

As well as wind, these areas are plagued with water shortages. The 10MW Stage I component of the Shizuishan array will consume a substantial volume of water for regular cleaning. What water is available is unsuited for cleaning solar panels without pre-treatment. When completed, the array will increase Phase I water consumption by 400 per cent.

Bringing this hi-tech energy to remote communities comes at a cost - the lifeblood of the region - their precious water.

Site selection needs more serious technical input and less political interference with over simplistic plans to bring alternative energy to the poor rural regions to score cheap political points.

It is China’s intention to have 1GW of installed solar power generation by the end of 2011 and 10GW by 2020. That is a lot of cleaning water. Beijing will have to carry out a fine balancing act in deciding which has the higher priority - popularity, solar power, or water.

Where to at Copenhagen

China faces two problems at Copenhagen.

The first problem is its unacceptable and unworkable proposal to use energy intensity as the criteria for China’s emissions. Even using 2005 as the benchmark, the adoption of such a scheme grants China the right to proceed with business as usual and continue to increase its existing high emissions rates until 2020. That will effectively negate the reduction efforts and economic sacrifices of other nations.

China’s massive coal fired energy expansion program is still in progress and these additional “back up” plants will increase the overall number of base load plants and contribute to an additional major increase in carbon emissions.

The second problem is the net effect of China’s renewable energy footprint. The proposed installation of base load coal-fired backup systems will seriously discount the 15 per cent claim by 2020.

For our politicians

It is time for our politicians to get down and work for their pay, and forget about photo ops and self-aggrandisement. It is time to face the reality that climate change cannot be ignored, nor can it be considered as another purely commercial opportunity for the finance sector. It is time for hard and non-politically biased decision-making, genuine separation of political ideals and learn from China’s mistakes.

It is also time to realise that despite the rhetoric, neither Mr Rudd nor Mr Turnbull has the family tree to venture forth and walk on water without water wings.