China leads the economic recovery

China is beating its growth estimates for the past few quarters coming out of this economic recession.  According to the article linked below, China's economic growth rate is about 8% per year.  I've read that in "normal times" China has grown 10% or more per year.  This is a phenomenal rate, which would double their GDP every 7 years.  (An interesting video on the power and consequences of exponential growth is shown here).

As I mentioned in a recent post, more people in developing countries can now afford cars, adding to the global climate problem and regional air pollution:

China's car market has become the world's largest, with sales up 34% to 9.66 million vehicles in the first nine months of the year.- China economic growth accelerates - BBC News

But why should we in the developed world impose limits to growth and prosperity to those in the developing world?


Families in India and China watch TV.  They work hard and strive to achieve the "Western Lifestyle".  The problem is, if everyone lived this lifestyle we would need about 5 Earths to live on.  There just aren't enough resources (renewable or not) to support 7 Billion people with North American appetites.  If Copenhagan is a failed process we will blindly proceed to this scenario where consumption and energy waste continues on a large scale, and the environment continues its tumultuous path.

One solution some experts suggest is to put a price on carbon.  This would factor in normally neglected costs (externalities) like health care and air/water/land pollution.  Then the real price of goods and services can be derived and ultimately passed on to consumers and taxpayers.  Who will be bold enough to propose this internationally?