Out with a friend for one of those 'catch-up' dinners typical of busy people.
The restaurant is modernist, the food decent, the ambiance soothing. Taking it all in, it's easy to imagine you're in a cutting edge, Reykjavík eatery before Cashpocalypse.
I'm sipping a mojito...to forget.
My friend is a serious leftist, passionate about the usual conceptual suspects: the false leftism of the Dems, the ravages of neoliberalism, climate change.
It's that last one which provides a segue into the topic of today's show.
The argument:
Once the conversation moves to climate change it's only a few minutes before China is brought up. "We might make some progress...if China doesn't spoil it." Followed by "I hope the Chinese realize how serious this is and take the right steps." And my favorite, "we have to help the Chinese understand that they're hurting the planet."
Let's start with a disclaimer: I realize that China's development has global, Co2e consequences. So yes, concern about "China" is warranted.
But Jesus H. Moosekillin Palin! From the finger pointy *tone* of this China chit and chat, you'd think the U.S. was motoring with hydrogen, HVAC'ing our homes with solar and flying algae fueled, next gen airships to our sustainable weekend getaways.
In other words, you'd think we had a comprehensive, in-motion *plan* for de-carbonizing our infrastructure (which, ideally, could serve as part of a globally open sourced template for non carbon emitting tech) instead of fiefdoms of denial-ism, activism, lofty speeches, dark laments about our kids' futures, apocalypse-philia, doomerism, do-it-yourself-isms, and Cory Doctorow.
I mentioned as much to my dinner companion.
"What you're missing" he replied "is that our consciousness about the critical issues is higher than in many other parts of the world -- including China."
We fretted about it more and therefore, were further down the road towards action than the stubborn, coal plant loving Chinese.
Now cousins, if this was just a one-off -- a singular example of a blind spot -- I wouldn't mention it but it seems to be a popular talking point on the left end of the dial.
Magazine essays, radio interviews, etc, etc, all seem to get around, sooner or later, to the China Hand-wringing Moment.
Which, as I mentioned earlier, is not without justification but seems a bit odd when our own house is still a hunk a hunk of carbon burning love.
.d.