Climate One: 'Will China Save the Planet?'

Shanghai, China
Shanghai, China
Bill Catlin | MPR News 2013

China is the global leader in carbon emissions - but that tide may be turning. In her new book "Will China Save the Planet?" Barbara Finamore says China may well take the lead in saving the world from environmental catastrophe.

How? By phasing out coal and investing in green energy to power its factories and keep its cities moving. With the US federal government cutting efforts to curb carbon pollution, is it possible that China is our best hope for saving the planet?

Greg Dalton of the Commonwealth Club of California interviews two guests:

Barbara Finamore, senior attorney and Asia Senior Strategic Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She's the author of the book, "Will China Save the Planet?" Finamore leads NRDC's Green Ports project in China, which aims to reduce air pollution caused by shipping and port-related activity.

Before joining NRDC, Finamore worked for the United Nations Development Programme, the Center for International Environmental Law, and the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior. She is the co-founder and president of the China-U.S. Energy Efficiency Alliance.

Carter Roberts, CEO of World Wildlife Fund in the United States. Roberts is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Finance Corporation's Advisory Panel on Sustainability and Business, and also serves on the Advisory Board of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

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