The U.S and China recently signed an environmental agreement that could potentially change the rules of engagement between world super powers. The agreement is a form of rehab between the worlds number one and two green house gas emitters(45% of the worlds emissions combined), and a promise to sponsor each other in their respective recoveries. Like so many rehab scenario's, the road to sobriety is bumpy, and demands clear goals and firm commitments. The motivation behind the accord is the 2015 climate summit in Paris were world leaders will finally hope to adopt binding agreements between nations on reducing CO2 on earth, and seriously dealing with climate change and the dependence of fossil fuels. The U.S. and China hope to inspire developing nations(India)to not only reduce their carbon emissions, but help develop and utilize sustainable technology.Some scientist say even if the U.S. and China meet their goals, the earth's temperature is doomed to rise another 2 degrees and the die has already been cast. Others say the worlds dependance on oil is too great and the weening could have negative effects on global economies. The real test will be how this agreement plays out in the institutions of the U.S.(capitalism)and China(communism). Capitalism and Communism both have components that could make or break the world view of sustainably. China and the U.S. are home to some of the largest and densest cities on earth, and these cities will house the systems designed to help reach the goals of the historical agreement.
When you mention the word institution, it usually is followed by a negative word(racism,sexism,discrimination...)or negative association(jail,rehab,marriage...), however, the systematic order and rigid enforcement of discipline may be exactly what is needed to accomplish goals like getting clean and becoming sustainable. The institution of capitalism is ruled by the free market and democracy. The current state of democracy in the U.S. has promoted sustainability as high end luxury item designed for affluent liberals living in progressive metropolis's. Choice is a key component to capitalism and has stifled efforts institutionalized sustainable efforts in the U.S. Politicians on both sides of the U.S. government isle balk at CO2 emission regulations claiming they are job killers and the economy will suffer if we switch to renewable sources of energy. Some republicans closely associated with U.S. coal and oil industries deny climate change all together and manipulate statistical data to convince their constituents that sustainability is just another form of government encroaching on 'civil liberties'.
China is under communist rule which is the ultimate definition and manifestation of Institution. Its still hard to see through the iron curtain, but China's quest to be a major player on the world stage has forced it to become more transparent to the rest of the world. China is the worlds number one polluter, and the world has taken notice. The U.S. has used fossil fuels to achieve economic prosperity and world dominance in the past, and China and other countries have used that formula to follow suit to become on par with the U.S.Now the rules are changing, and sustainable technology could be key to social and economic leadership in the future. Communism cuts through the 'red tape' associated with U.S. institutions, and some say the sustainable choices we in the U.S. make could easily become laws enforced through daily practices in China. Some daily practices in China are influencing the governments attitudes in ways that are more democratic than some would admit. Images of Beijing citizens wearing masks to combat its legendary pollution is not look China wants to promote globally and pressure within by local communities to clean up the air is mounting. China is learning that you must struggle in order to progress as a nation, and the environmental struggle behind the iron curtain is getting louder.
Some say the U.S. China agreement doesn't mean much in terms of stopping the Earth's temperature from rising significantly(two degrees) in the coming future, and it wont curb the burning of fossil fuels by other countries enough to stop the current effects of climate change. However, it could start to spur the much needed environmental institutionalization the planet needs in order to stop and potentially reverse the harm CO2 burning has on our atmosphere. Humans have proven for thousands of years that for better or worse, developing and enforcing societal rules through governmental programs and regulations is a sure fire way to produce change and results on a massive level. Whether it's a Prime Ministers vision of China, or a Presidents vision of America, both nations have used their respective institutions to prosper, fail, and compete. I hope the citizens of each nation inspire their leaders and governments to use their competitive natures to spur positive institutional changes that involve sustainable infrastructure based on renewable energy systems. Falling oil prices may hinder the efforts to break the dependency on fossil fuel energy systems, but the more nations invest in and utilize environmentally sustainable systems in municipalities and government institutions, the more other nations will do the same. Superpowers of the world love to keep up with the Jones's, and if the Jone's swap thier martinis and Cadillac's for smoothies and Prius's, well you get the picture.
