China's Development Will Be Major Factor in Climate Change

The Economist recognizes the "Green Metropolis" idea: that "urban living can be greener than other ways of life."

But, they write, "The practice is not so simple. Most poor people coming to the city aspire to higher standards of living and consumption. Ill-planned public transport reinforces car use. Most striking, putting up and using buildings accounts for a big part of developing Asia's carbon emissions-perhaps 30% in the case of China, where nearly half the world's new floor space is built each year."