His appeal to reduce dependence on fossil fuels came as China continued to make headlines with exploding coal mines, rising oil imports and even news from General Motors, which announced plans to expand its Hummer dealerships in China. As a gas guzzler, the Hummer has no peer, and it seems unlikely China will ever see its president tooling around in one.
Indeed, just last month President Hu Jintao presided over a government seminar on population, resources and the environment and took the opportunity to urge fellow leaders to get with the program: Hu said China had to be more aggressive in establishing recycling programs, enhancing pollution control mechanisms and minimizing energy waste, which required making production systems more efficient. In February, China promulgated its Law on Renewable Energy, legislation that provides a framework for government initiatives in areas such as bio-gas, solar energy, wind power and geothermal energy.