Case Study Reports 2
	Cooling Down the Earth and Greening Beijing for the Olympics 　- Activity Report of the Beijing Global Village Environment Education Center 　 Li Li, Project Manager, Beijing Earth Village Environmental Education Center

Major Activities of Beijing Global Village Environment Education Center

　 As now well known, global warming is related closely to CO₂ emissions. It is estimated that over the next 100 years, the Earth’s temperature will rise by 2 - 3 Centigrade. This climate change will possibly make croplands infertile, melt icebergs and glaciers, and rob people on the coasts of their houses. Localized drought, water shortages, and wetland depletion are also likely to happen as well as severe damage to biodiversity.

　 Currently, China's economy has been growing rapidly at the remarkable rate of 9% per year. The large demand for electricity has caused nationwide power shortages. 75% of China's power generation depends on coal, which has led China to become the second largest contributor to CO₂ emissions. Scientists and environmentalists have pointed out that the only solution which will remove obstacles to economic progress in China is the development of renewable energy sources. As an NGO, Beijing Earth Village aims at promoting sustainable consumption, advocating eco-life and changing the citizens' lifestyles.

1. Production of TV programs
　From 1996 to 2001, TV programs on environment including 'energy and consumption' and 'the environmental impact of climate change' were independently produced, and were broadcast by CCTV (China Central Television). In 2004, programs were made to introduce overseas environmental protection activities and to show how widely renewable energy sources are used there (in 11 countries such as Japan, Korea, the US, Germany and Canada). These were broadcast by CCTV and local broadcast stations. Our productions have three major key points: they show the background of environmental protection, they reflect NGOs' point of view and they are created by skilled professional staff.

2. Organization of Energy Journalists Club
　 Since establishing the Energy Journalists Club in 2003, we have been working to promote information exchange between journalists and specialists. There are about 70 members in the Club, most with specialized expertise. The Club has held the 'Energy Journalists Forum' eight times, and has also awarded a prize to outstanding journalistic achievement.

3. Hosting the first Chinese 'Sustainable Consumption Forum'
　 In 2002, a 'Sustainable Consumption Forum' was held where 200 specialists and representatives from citizens' organizations gathered from both China and overseas, and engaged themselves in discussions on sustainable consumption suitable to Chinese society.


Advice to Government on Decision Making

　 Through the 'Energy Journalists Forum', we could obtain a certain influence on citizens' environmental awareness and government's decision-making processes. For example, when Dangdong, Liaoning Province decided to remove solar-powered hot water generators installed on the roof for aesthetic reasons, Earth Village worked on journalists, and secured the preservation of this solar-powered equipment. After the dputy prime minister read an article written by an Energy Club journalist, he ordered to promote the policy of constructing 'energy-conservation type buildings'.
In August 2004, Earth Village accompanied senior government executive officers on an inspection of the highway transportation system in Brazil. Earth Village also sent representatives to the 'Renewable Energy Symposium' hosted by the National Representatives Convention Environment-Resource Committee.


Citizens' Participation

1. A Survey on Ecologically-Generated Power
In 2001, with cooperation of South-North Institute for Sustainable Development and the China Consumers' Association, Earth Village conducted a survey on purchasing electricity from Inner-Mongolia which was generated by wind power. In the questionnaire, Beijing citizens were asked if they would be willing to pay the higher price that this eco-power would involve. 90% answered yes.

2. "Eco-lighting" in Communities
With cooperation of the China Eco-Lighting Project Promotion Committee, during 'Energy Conservation Week in China' in June 2003, an 'Eco-Lighting Campaign' was conducted in Beijing to promote usage of energy conservation-type electric appliances. An 'Eco-Lighting' Residents Forum was also held with 'energy conservation, pollution prevention and renewable energy development' as its theme. The purpose of this Forum was to promote eco-lighting through community-based efforts to increase use of eco-lighting equipment. By monitoring eco-lighting use, the amount of CO₂ and SO₂ reduction could be calculated. For example, an energy-conservation-type 25W light bulb can produce the same quality of light as a conventional 100W light bulb while saving electricity by 75%. The local residents were impressed by this fact.

3. 'Air-Conditioning at 26 Centigrade' 　 Most high-class hotels (such as 5 star-hotels) set the air-conditioning temperature below 26 Centigrade. In Beijing, if current standard room temperature of 24 - 26 Centigrade was changed to 26 - 28 Centigrade, 400 - 600 million Kw/h could be saved, and electricity bills reduced by 180 - 270 million yuan. Thus, volunteers from Earth Village have conducted a campaign calling for ‘Air-conditioned Temperature of 26 Centigrade. Mayors of five cities agreed to be interviewed by child-reporters from Earth Village, and these young reporters introduced the ’26 Centigrade Campaign’ to the mayors and received a positive response from them. 26 volunteers both from China and from overseas participated in this program.

Award to the Hotels for Energy Conservation

Awarded hotels who had participated in the campaign and had achieved a lot, commented that the prize was a good motivation, and helpful to improve the image of the company. They said that they would continue to work on energy conservation, hoping that this initiative would be spread worldwide. 　　The second '26 Centigrade Campaign' was carried out in winter, when the electricity demand is normally at its highest. In cooperation with citizens' organizations, the campaign was well publicized, with a call to 'set the temperature 1 Centigrade lower than usual'. At the end of October, in partnership with the Environmental Unit of the Olympic Organizational Committee and the Athletes' Committee, 3,500 consent forms for the campaign were distributed at the hotels designated for Olympic-related use.

　 As a grass-root institution, Earth Village has worked on promotion of eco-life. Our motto is 'to be community-based, to gain support from the national government, and to work with other institutions and the media'. Our steady effort has been rewarded by some changes: the government now listens to citizens' voices, and new terms such as 'environmental protection' and 'eco-life' are no longer mere jargon but make sense to people. We will continue to work on environmental protection activities while taking advantage of our non-governmental status.