Did anyone just see Nova's "World in the Balance" episode?

It was a really good program about consumption, industrialization, and the environment in the United States and China. Here is a link to the campanion website for it:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/

I don't watch NOVA all that much anymore, which is bad thing, because it is usually a wonderful show.

Thanks for reminding me. You've inspired me to be sure to watch some up coming episodes, including one an Egyptology which, for reasons I can't explain, has become a subject of fascination for my son. We will also watch the one on the Tsunami since he has been covering plate tectonics in his fifth grade class.

I'm sure this was a good episode. What can you tell us about it? Any special points?

One was that in 1995 China had 2 million cars. This year they have 20 million. By 2025, they are supposed to have more than the United States. This prediction doesn't make sense to me though, as we are depleting the oil reserves too fast for China to sustain that much growth.

Another interesting statistic is about how so many people use coal in China because of how cheap it is. 70% of China's energy comes from coal. People heat their homes with coal bricks. This, along with automobiles, creates thick amounts of pollution in cities.

China wants to do something about the pollution because they figure it costs them 8% of their GDP in health related costs; however, the wealth divide is so great that if they do not generate jobs for the peasants they fear a revolution. This is especially so in that the peasants are not efficient at farming. China needs to develop to pay to import more food, but developing generates pollution which kills their crops.

China has a fine line to walk, and one mistake could cost them dearly.

The interaction between social factors, ethical factors, economic factors and environmental factors is a very difficult matter to negotiate. Personally I am inclined to emphasize the enviromental, since everything else will be overwhelmed, intractable or worse, nonexistent if the environment collapses - and there is a distinct possibility it will.

I seem to rmember watching a Nova on that subject, but it was a while ago.

It was striking. The rate of population growth in India's northern provinces is frightening. I have no idea how they can produce enough food to survive.