China ‘Green Olympics’ Are in Danger of Self-Destructing
China made an ambitious pledge to power the 2022 Olympic Games using only wind, hydroelectric, and solar energy. As the Science Times notes, much of that renewable energy generation is expected to come from the city of Zhangjiakou, which put up wind farms across hundreds of acres of land capable of generating around 14 million kilowatts of electricity. In addition, solar panels have been added to several nearby mountainsides, new additions that are expected to generate even more electricity.
A successful event relying only on renewable energy would mark a symbolic victory for China, which, despite having a bustling renewable industry, is still the world’s largest carbon polluter. The country also relies heavily on coal, which makes up more than half of China’s domestic energy generation in 2020.
