China: Cheating bastards on #carbon emissions, #climatechange

Early this year, I was skeptical about what was billed as a groundbreaking agreement between Dear Leader and Chinese President Xi Jinping. I called it "relatively toothless" because of how far out it punted a lot of things, the "convenience" of China estimating it would hit peak carbon the same year as peak population, and more.

A street sweeper in Beijing last month amid heavy smog.
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images AsiaPac via New York Times

And, lo and behold, I now have proof I had good reason to be skeptical, or even cynical.

Skeptical over claims; cynical over Obama fellators like Jon Chait and his turd-polishing on this issue.

The reality is far different than Chinese lies (nothing new on Chinese lies) or Jon Chait's claims (nothing new on his fellating or turd-polishing).

Instead, just in time for upcoming Paris climate talks, we learn Beijing isn't even close.

China has emitted as much as 17 percent more carbon dioxide than claimed.

Here’s just how bad it is:

The sharp upward revision in official figures means that China has released much more carbon dioxide — almost a billion more tons a year according to initial calculations — than previously estimated. 

The increase alone is greater than the whole German economy emits annually from fossil fuels.

Just. Wow.

As I said on Twitter, China’s been cheating like Volkswagen.

And, again, this is not surprising to me, though it's nice to see the details.

So, if you believe this:

The Chinese government has promised to halt the growth of its emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse pollutant from coal and other fossil fuels, by 2030.

I’ve got some clean air in Beijing to sell you.

That said, it’s unclear how much of this was conscious cheating and how much of it was “falling through the cracks” stuff in a massive, likely understaffed, government bureaucracy for a nation of 1.3 billion people:

The new data, which appeared recently in an energy statistics yearbook published without fanfare by China’s statistical agency, show that coal consumption has been underestimated since 2000, and particularly in recent years. The revisions were based on a census of the economy in 2013 that exposed gaps in data collection, especially from small companies and factories.

Part seems “falling through the cracks,” based on length of time. But, the fact that it’s gotten worse in recent years makes some of it deliberate.

Meanwhile, are the “exposers” being marched to some Chinese gulag for their sins?

And, speaking of “buying,” I hope the more naïve about climate change aren’t buying the new round of (carbon-inducing) horse manure from the mouth of Xi Jinping:

When President Xi Jinping proposed that China’s emissions stop growing by 2030, he did not say what level they would reach by then. The new numbers may mean that the peak will be higher, but they also raise hopes that emissions will crest many years sooner, Mr. Yang, the climate adviser, said. 

“I think this implies that we’re closer to a peak, because there’s also been a falloff in coal consumption in the past couple of years,” he said.

Yeah, right. Why should we trust your data on coal consumption, either? Because, as the story shows, your country’s lied about that before.

I wouldn't believe Xi if he said it was daylight outside. I'd go outside (putting on an air mask if we were in much of China) and take a look, assuming I could even see the sun.

Speaking of, this is not just about carbon dioxide and global warming. Dirty coal is worsening Chinese smog, acid rain in China and neighboring Japan, Taiwan, North Korea and South Korea, and more.

Speaking of Taiwan? In the summit between the two Chinas, a note to Taiwanese President Ma Jing-Yeou. Wear a cup. Wear a jockstrap. Wear anything you need to protect your personal and national "family jewels."