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Note: it's Greenpeace that makes this claim --- not the Chinese themselves

Campbell upsets China with greenhouse gas claim.


Australia has upset Chinese delegates at the Climate Change Conference in Nairobi with claims the Asian giant is set to become the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases.
A press release from Australia's Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, asserts the Kyoto protocol fails to curb China's greenhouse gas emissions.
China has responded by pointing out Australia emits more greenhouse gases than China per head of population.
The head of the Greenpeace delegation in Nairobi, Steve Sawyer, says China has taken offence at the comments.
"It should be taken as a rebuke," he said.
"They're not going to get away with that and if this sort of thing persists then I would expect that from the Chinese side it would be reflected in a whole range of bilateral arrangements, which is something I don't really think Australia can afford to wear."
Senator Campbell denies he has caused offence.
"Australia has a close understanding of China's development goals and a close understanding of China's action on climate change and China understands Australia's position well," he said.
"Greenpeace and other NGOs are trying to cause trouble that is actually not overly useful in trying to move climate change negotiations forward here in Nairobi."
The United States and Australia are the only industrialised countries to refuse to ratify the UN's Kyoto Protocol on curbing greenhouse gases, a stance that has earned them the wrath of many environmentalists.
Carbon storage
The United States and its ally on the global warming issue, Australia, on Thursday also added new projects, including carbon storage, to a bilateral initiative on climate change, according to a press statement.
US Undersecretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky and Senator Campbell agreed on the additions on the sidelines of the conference, the US State Department said.
The five projects will "improve understanding of potential climate change impacts in the Pacific and build the capacity of Pacific Island countries to respond to climate change," it said.
They will also reduce emissions from agriculture and improve farm productivity; enhance scientific understanding of the link between climate change and biodiversity; and "facilitate effective and environmentally sound implementation of carbon storage" in both countries.
Carbon storage entails taking carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal greenhouse gas, at source from power stations and other big polluters.
Instead of letting the CO2 be disgorged into the air, it would be pumped into deep chambers underground and stored.
Several pilot schemes are already under way to test the feasibility of this idea, which is enthusiastically backed by many actors in the coal industry.
Many scientists are worried, though, about the long-term safety of storage.
The United Nations conference ends today.
-ABC/AFP
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