Green Options

Michael Phelps’ seven eight gold medals are impressive. But with an Olympic gold medal’s actual value at around $220, he would have to win 1,204,545,448 (7) more of them to raise the money China will need to meet its aggressive alternative energy goals of 137 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2020. Or, put another way, if China were to pay for clean energy with Olympic gold medals, they’d need another 172,077,922 Michael Phelps on their side.

By 2020, China’s bill for ramping up renewables to 16% of the nation’s total energy will come to $265 billion USD (2 trillion yuan). Then again, with the second largest economy in the world, China should have little trouble funding this investment — even without the mighty efforts of Phelps.

Choi Seung-kuk, the Secretary General of Green Korea, one of South Korea’s largest environmental organizations, has officially bowed out as an Olympic torch bearer. In a press interview this morning, Mr. Choi cited China’s aggression in Tibet as his main reason for refusing to carry the Olympic torch when it arrives in Seoul, the capital city, on April 27.

For China, having one of the leaders of Asia’s environmental movement refuse to carry the Beijing Olympic torch must sting. After all, China is jumping through hoops to carry out the Beijing Olympics as the Green Olympics. They are decreasing pollution by planting trees, recycling wastewater, paying car owners not to drive, and more. In addition, the games themselves will be carbon neutral.