For a greener tomorrow – combining energy conservation with transformation

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Starting with chemistry, the environment, and energy, the process by which humanity transforms nature should be one that fosters harmony between humans and nature and contributes to the sustainable development of future generations. However, for a long time people have pursued economic growth merely for the sake of survival, with decisions often tilted toward economic interests. It is under this purely economic development mindset that comprehensive pollution of the Earth’s environment and severe disruption of ecological balance have occurred: air pollution, ozone layer depletion, global warming, marine pollution, shortages and contamination of freshwater resources, land degradation and desertification, a sharp decline in forests, reduced biodiversity, environmental hazards, and the dangers posed by toxic chemicals and solid waste. Of these top ten global environmental problems, at least seven are directly related to the chemical industry, while the other three are indirectly connected to it as well. According to U.S. TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) statistics, the chemical industry is the largest industry in terms of toxic substance releases, exceeding the total emissions of the other 9 industries in the top 10. In China, according to experts’ predictions, oil consumption will exceed 400 million tons by 2020, with more than half of that amount relying on imports. The demand for natural gas will reach 200 billion cubic meters; in other words, more than 10 additional \"West-East Gas Transmission\" projects will be needed to meet this demand. The demand for wind power and nuclear power has reached 125 times and 19 times the current levels, respectively. Faced with this rather bloody reality, we must be prepared for potential dangers even in times of peace. Energy serves as fuel, power, and raw material for the chemical industry; the annual energy consumption of this industry accounts for about 10% to 12% of the country’s total energy consumption. Energy accounts for a large proportion of the cost of chemical products; it makes up around 20% to 30% for ordinary products, while for those with high energy consumption, this figure can reach 60% to 70%. Currently, the chemical industry consumes 130 million to 140 million tons of various energy sources, converted to standard coal, each year, accounting for 17% of the country’s total energy consumption. Its annual electricity consumption accounts for around 15% of the total industrial electricity use in the country. Since the energy consumption of the chemical industry exceeded 100 million tons in 1993, it has been growing at an average annual rate of 4.8% over the past decade. The energy consumption and composition of the chemical industry and its various sub-sectors in 1990, 1995, and 2000 are shown in Table 1. The chemical fertilizer manufacturing industry is the sector with the highest energy consumption in the chemical industry; in 1990 it accounted for 58% of the total energy consumption in this industry, and this figure dropped to 49% by 2000. Among various types of fertilizers, nitrogen fertilizers accounted for 54% of the total energy consumption in the chemical industry in 1990, while in 2000 they accounted for 42%–45% of that total ； In 1990 and 1995, energy consumption in the manufacturing of basic chemical raw materials accounted for 17% to 19% of the total energy consumption in the chemical industry; by 2000, this figure rose to 25% ； Organic chemicals account for about 10%. The energy crisis, which cannot be ignored – an term we hear frequently in recent years. In 2003, the term \"power cuts\" – a phrase that appeared frequently in the media – kept reminding us of the energy crisis we had to face: shortages of electricity, coal, and oil followed one after another. Various signs indicate that as China has become the world’s largest consumer of coal, steel, copper, and other such resources, as well as the world’s second-largest consumer of oil and electricity after the United States, rapid economic development has led to significant changes in the supply and demand dynamics of the country’s key energy sources and primary products. The constraint posed by resources on economic development has become increasingly apparent, with the gap between supply and demand widening further. From the power shortage in the Yangtze River Delta to the coal shortages and oil deficits in regions such as the Northeast, East China, South China, and Southwest China – is this a sign of an energy crisis in China? China seems to be in a state of chaos, and people can’t help but wonder whether it is already facing an energy crisis The ongoing energy shortages highlight once again that China is not an energy-rich country, and it is crucial to save energy and reduce consumption. Chen Qingtai, deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, even proposed that in order to establish energy conservation as a strategic priority, resource conservation should be elevated to the status of a fundamental national policy, with \"population control, resource conservation, and environmental protection\" being regarded as the fundamental national policies for the new era. “In China, where the economy continues to grow, a large amount of energy is required. What would happen in the event of power or coal shortages? Who will supply the energy needed for China’s economic development? This will be another major challenge we face. ”On November 29, Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director of the World Trade Organization Department at the Ministry of Commerce, revealed this to China Economic Weekly at the 2003 China IT Fortune Conference. Civilizational transformation – toward an ecological industrial civilization. Industry, especially the chemical industry, consumes a large amount of energy and causes significant environmental damage. However, since the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, humanity has for the first time become aware of environmental issues ； Secondly, the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Conference on Environment and Development introduced the concept of sustainable development; did cultural transformation and green industry truly make their appearance on the stage of human history? Ten thousand years ago, under the pressure of population and resource constraints, humanity shifted from a hunting-and-gathering civilization to nomadic and agricultural civilizations; the key technological breakthroughs were the emergence of bronze and iron tools. In particular, the widespread use of iron made it possible to organize small-scale peasant farming, greatly enhancing humanity’s ability to utilize natural resources. More land was developed, and more children could be raised; thus, the contradictions related to population and resources at that time were resolved. As a result, the kinship-based tribal organizations of that era collapsed. Due to significant changes in production technologies and social organization patterns, the relationships between humans and nature, as well as among humans themselves, along with the associated cultural value systems, have undergone fundamental changes – this is what constitutes a civilizational transformation. Every civilizational transformation in human history has been accompanied by war and bloodshed, by intellectual confusion and social unrest, as well as by **significant changes in ethnic relations. More than two thousand years ago, after over five hundred years of chaos during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, China underwent its first civilizational transformation; the traditional Chinese civilization characterized by \"iron farming tools + a small-scale peasant economy + a monarchical-bureaucratic system + Confucian, Taoist, and Legalist ideologies\" finally took shape. Chinese agricultural civilization is the most mature agricultural civilization in the world. Although the small-scale peasant economy is highly dependent on the natural environment, the advanced iron smelting industry – such as iron plows, hoes, sickles, and water management systems – still reflects human creative power. For this very reason, ancient Chinese thinkers put forward the ideas of \"unity of man and nature\" and \"allowing all things to follow their natural course without interfering\", as well as the concept of \"controlling the will of heaven and making use of it\". Over the two thousand years since the Qin dynasty unified China, the population has grown from 10 million to 400 million by the early 19th century, and it has consistently faced the conflict between population and resources. Whenever conflicts intensify, it triggers a reaction from natural forces, such as various disasters, resulting in the disappearance of over half of the population. The destruction of nature by traditional agricultural civilizations was gradual and followed a certain rhythm, yet the overall trend of destruction never ceased. For thousands of years, under the constant pressure of population growth, after damaging the ecosystem along the Yellow River, people turned their attention to the area along the Yangtze River. The larger the population, the more it needs to spread, and with each spread, the ecosystem is damaged once again. Hundreds of years ago, the development of European agricultural civilizations also faced severe conflicts between population and resources. Later, the Black Death* swept through the West, causing more than a quarter of Europe’s population to perish. After the Black Death, Western civilization underwent a new transformation, giving rise to the Renaissance; the steam engine was invented, which in turn led to the Industrial Revolution and sparked a greater effort by humanity to conquer nature. Industrial civilization has extracted hundreds of mineral resources from deep within the earth, converting them into wealth available for human use, thereby supporting another wave of population growth. After several more hundred years of internal and external wars, a free **political system centered on free enterprise was gradually established. Its main characteristic is: conquering and utilizing nature in a way that destroys it ； Personal freedom and the primacy of wealth consumption ； Liberate people from the control of religion and ethics ； Restrict **power ； **The rule of law and such elements constitute the mainstream ideology of traditional industrial civilization. Throughout the 20th century, humanity consumed 142 billion tons of oil, 265 billion tons of coal, 38 billion tons of iron, 760 million tons of aluminum, and 480 million tons of copper. Industrialized countries, which account for 15% of the world’s population, consume 56% of the world’s oil, over 60% of its natural gas, and more than 50% of its key mineral resources, resulting in severe imbalances among nations and peoples around the globe. Traditional industrial civilization has a higher level of development than agricultural civilization, but its sustainability is lower. Currently, the world’s remaining recoverable oil reserves amount to just over 140 billion tons, and at the current rate of production, the static reserve life is only 40 years ； The remaining recoverable reserves of natural gas amount to 15 billion cubic meters, with a static reserve life of only 60 years. Meanwhile, the Earth’s environment has been severely polluted, ecosystems have been greatly damaged, forests are declining rapidly, species are disappearing, climate is warming, deserts are expanding, and disasters are occurring frequently – a comprehensive crisis lies before humanity. Ecological industrial civilization (green industry) – it will achieve greater harmony among people on the basis of harmony between humans and nature. Throughout thousands of years of human civilization, growth in population and progress in civilization have been achieved at the expense of damaging nature, with only differences in the pace and scale. Especially the history of industrial civilization over the past 300 years has caused the most thorough and ruthless destruction of nature. Human freedom is built on the excessive exploitation of nature’s non-renewable resources, and on the pollution and destruction of nature. To date, human technological ingenuity and social civilization do not seem to be part of natural systems; they are always in opposition to nature. If this continues, such \"unrestrained freedom\" will certainly be impossible to maintain. Can’t we find a path of hope, a way that will enable humanity to truly achieve harmony both among people and between humans and nature? Energy conservation – of utmost importance. At present, the corresponding technologies for green industry have not kept up, and the aspiration for an industrial civilization based on ecology will take some time to become a reality. But we can start by focusing on energy conservation; in fact, our country has great potential in this area. Firstly, China’s products have high energy consumption. The energy consumption per unit of China’s main energy-consuming products is 25–90% higher than that in developed countries, with an average weighted increase of around 40%. For example, the coal consumption per kilowatt-hour for power generation in our country’s thermal power plants is 404 grams of standard coal, while the international advanced level is 317 grams of standard coal, representing a difference of 27.4% ； The specific energy consumption of the main energy-intensive products in domestic enterprises in our country differs by 1 to 4 times between those that are outdated and those that are advanced. Secondly, the energy consumption per unit of output value is high. China’s energy consumption per unit of output is one of the highest in the world. In our country, the GDP generated per kilogram of standard coal as an energy source is only 0.36 dollars, compared to 5.58 dollars in Japan and an average of 1.86 dollars worldwide. According to calculations, through measures such as adjusting the industrial structure, optimizing the product mix, reducing the share of energy-intensive industries, increasing the proportion of high-value-added products, and improving the quality of energy use in household activities, the potential for energy savings in China’s national economic output is around 300 million tons of standard coal in the near term. During China’s 10th Five-Year Plan period, the total energy-saving potential was approximately 400 million tons of standard coal. I remember that in the 1980s, in many cities across our country, we could see institutions such as waste recycling centers on the streets. Such institutions were set up because of the low level of productivity in our country at that time, in order to promote the secondary and multiple reuse of resources. Today, as the level of productivity in our country has increased, such institutions have disappeared into the annals of history. However, resources are used once and then discarded, leading to an increase in energy waste. Abroad, in 1981, Denmark issued a law stipulating that beer and soft drinks could be sold on the market only if they were packaged in \"reusable containers\". This means that containers made of plastic and metal are prohibited from use, and it also means that companies must establish a system for recycling and reusing beverage packaging. Danish United Breweries responded swiftly to this decree; 99% of its bottles were recycled, with some being reused more than 30 times. In 2002, 90% of the components from domestically recycled vehicles at BMW Germany were reused. In 2000, the scrap steel recycling rate was 80% in Germany, 78% in the Netherlands, 75% in Austria, and 67% in the United States, while in China it was only 20%. Behind this set of thought-provoking figures, we can see that our time is an era full of hope, as well as one filled with crises. Humanity is facing a transformation of civilization, and policymakers around the world, especially those in developed countries, bear an undeniable responsibility for ensuring a smooth transition toward this new civilization. They must abandon the narrow worldview and strategic approaches that arose in the context of industrial civilization, which are based on the exploitation of resources, and instead approach global planning and development with an open mind and a sense of responsibility toward humanity. They cannot, at a time when industrial civilization is declining, continue to seize whatever remaining resources are available through force, as this would lead humanity to destruction. Similarly, China’s development also faces severe crises and rare opportunities. What is a rare opportunity? An opportunity for leapfrog development toward a society of ecological industrial civilization. Opportunities like this don’t come around often. Energy conservation will play a crucial role in helping our country achieve its economic and energy development goals for the new century. Through scientific budget analysis. China’s energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP will drop from 2.33 tons of standard coal in 1995 to 1.25 tons by 2010. Environmental protection – our undeniable responsibility. The Earth is the home of humanity; we have only one Earth. It is like a mother who nurtures billions of humans with her boundless compassion, and it is our undeniable responsibility to protect the environment of the Earth. In our country, awareness of environmental protection truly began in the 1980s. In 1983, the State Council declared environmental protection to be one of China’s two fundamental national policies. In the 1990s, China’s awareness of environmental protection was further strengthened, and in 1992, the \"Ten Strategies for China’s Environment and Development\" announced the implementation of a sustainable development strategy ； In 1994, China’s Agenda 21 was released, and various departments and local governments also formulated their own versions of Agenda 21, taking measures such as planning, regulations, policies, outreach, and public participation to promote its implementation ； In 1996, the \"Ninth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Outline of Long-Term Objectives through the Year 2010\" listed the sustainable development strategy alongside the strategy of developing the country through science and education as **two fundamental strategies. In the 21st century, China accelerated the development of its environmental protection industry further. In June 2001, **8 departments jointly issued the \"Opinions on Accelerating the Development of the Environmental Protection Industry\". Our country has carried out pollution control and ecological protection with a per capita GDP of less than $300, and the progress made in environmental protection remains partial. To fundamentally reverse the situation of environmental pollution and ecological degradation, the way forward lies in firmly implementing a sustainable development strategy. The environmental protection industry serves as an important foundation and guarantee for protecting the environment and implementing sustainable development strategies; it is also the most promising new growth area in the national economy in the future. The environmentally friendly industry holds great potential: as China increases its investment in environmental protection, there is significant room for growth in this industry in the future. In the early 1970s, environmental protection in China began with the management of the \"three wastes\" – wastewater, waste gas, and waste solids ； Until the 1980s and the early 1990s, its focus remained on pollution control. Over the past decade, investment in pollution control in China has been on the rise; during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period (1991–1995), it amounted to 346 billion yuan, accounting for 0.93% of GDP. Of this, the figure was 106.07 billion yuan in 2000, accounting for 1.1% of GDP, and it increased to 1.33% by 2002. (end)