But significant progress is being made, "China has not been vigorously promoting fusion | experiments | China
On July 5th, the website of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong published an article titled "China's Quiet Progress in Coping with Climate Change is a Role Model for Everyone", written by Hong Kong University astrophysicist Quentin Parker. The full text is excerpted as follows:
The world needs bold leadership and exemplary initiatives for people to emulate now, rather than waiting until tomorrow. We need some practical examples of efforts to stay ahead of the critical point of climate change, rather than falling far behind.
In my opinion, China can shoulder this heavy responsibility. At a time when the world is roasting in high temperatures and countries are constantly debating, shirking responsibility, and being self righteous, China has implemented a series of projects to actively address its carbon footprint issues. Its approach is multifaceted, with a focus on technology, scalable and scalable, and conducted at a stable and sustainable speed.
China is launching a wave of practical actions. For example, the recently approved 2-megawatt liquid fuel thorium based molten salt experimental reactor is located in Wuwei City, Gansu Province. The potential of this technology has been known for decades and has exciting prospects. It is cleaner and safer than uranium based reactors, with richer fuel reserves, easier access, and more efficient energy.
China has abundant thorium resources. In the future, China may utilize these resources through a large number of molten salt piles. They can be part of a multi pronged solution for this country, eliminating the need for fossil fuel power generation.
Another noteworthy project is the production of the Kola photovoltaic power station at the mouth of the Yalong River in Sichuan Province. The power station has an annual power generation capacity of 2 billion kilowatt hours and can meet the annual electricity demand of 700000 households.
Next is the research on fusion power generation conducted in Hefei, Anhui Province through the fully superconducting tokamak fusion experimental device. China has also participated in the international thermonuclear fusion experimental reactor project under construction in France. This $25 billion reactor is the world's largest international collaborative fusion project and undoubtedly the most ambitious plan.
At the same time, China is working hard to reverse desertification by planting millions of trees. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2021 pointed out that by 2020, China's forest coverage had increased from 157 million hectares in 1990 to approximately 220 million hectares. Furthermore, according to China's 14th Five Year Plan released in March 2021, one of the goals is to increase forest coverage to 24.1% by 2025.
Trees are important carbon reservoirs that help regulate the climate, filter out the water we drink, provide important habitats for plants, insects, and other wildlife, and of course, release oxygen. This cannot replace the previously lost primitive forest, but it is still a good thing.
Finally, China is rapidly popularizing electric vehicles. It leads the development of this field and conducts research on key battery and solar panel technologies. This means that particulate pollution in Chinese cities may decrease, air quality may improve, and demand for gasoline may decrease.
Therefore, in addressing climate change issues, China has not made significant and increasing progress both domestically and internationally, but rather through careful consideration. The rest of the world should pay attention to and emulate these bold and far-reaching measures.