An informative article in the South Chna Morning Post of 18 March 2014 shows Beijing's war-like determination to fight China's choking smog by accelerating the development of a new generation of hopefully much safer nuclear reactors using thorium instead of uranium. The original lead time has been ordered to be shortened from 25 to only 10 years.
This supports the latest State Council action plan to fight air pollution issued in September 2013, supported by an array of technological, administrative and other measures involving a state-driven smart-grid development program and the engagement of government, business, citizen and other stakeholders. Click here and here
Moreover, the National Energy Administration (NEA) is reported to seek to put geothermal energy on the fast track. China's geothermal energy potential is estimated at about 853 billion tonnes of standard coal, with a vast potential to replace coal in energy consumption. Click here
While the jury is still out on whether blue skies will ever return to China's cities, the above developments are perhaps promises of early twilight in the middle of the darkest night.
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