Thursday, May 22, 2008

China and Pollution

My neighbor, who is retired, just got back from a trip across China. He enjoyed the Forbidden City (Beijing) and the terracotta warriors in Xian. His major complaint was the pollution in China. He indicated that the sky was basically gray everywhere he went, and the farther west he went, the sky didn't get better--he just ran into sandstorms (China has deserts like many other countries). Many of the tourists with him started wearing mouth-masks and taking cough drops because they were coughing due to the pollution. As China advances, it will have to incorporate good environmental policies to continue sustainable growth. Companies, such as Cypress Semiconductor (CY), who are already wise to the opportunities in China, may be able to keep growing by investing in creating sustainable energy rather than older semiconductor technology. By some measures, China is already doing this; apparently, Shanghai's goal is to be completely electric in terms of vehicles by a certain date.

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