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China’s leaders have championed milk as the emblem of a modern, affluent society – but their radical plan to triple the nation’s consumption will have a huge environmental cost.

By Felicity Lawrence

Beijing-based film-maker Jian Yi, now 43, clearly remembers the arrival of fresh milk in his life. It was an image of it, not the real thing. “It was the 1990s, and I first saw it in an advert on TV. The ad said explicitly that drinking milk would save the nation. It would make China stronger and better able to survive competition from other nations.”

Like most ethnic Han, who make up about 95% of the population, Jian was congenitally lactose-intolerant, meaning milk was hard to digest. His parents did not consume dairy at all when they were growing up; China’s economy was closed to the global market and its own production very limited. Throughout the Mao era, milk was in short supply and rationed to those deemed to have a special need: infants and the elderly, athletes and party cadres above a certain grade. Through most of the imperial dynasties until the 20th century, milk was generally shunned as the slightly disgusting food of the barbarian invaders. Foreigners brought cows to the port cities that had been ceded to them by the Chinese in the opium wars of the 19th century, and a few groups such as Mongolian pastoralists used milk that was fermented, but it was not part of the typical Chinese diet.

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Despite record $278bn export earnings from resources sector, revenues are set to fall with coal under threat from Beijing rethink

Australia’s booming earnings from coal exports could be in jeopardy if China switches to more domestic supply and if port restrictions continue to favour competing exporters, a federal government report has warned.

The country’s energy and resources exports will rake in an extra $20bn to rise to $278bn this financial year, the report by the industry department said, creating a timely bonanza for the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, to exploit in next week’s federal budget.

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Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy announces signing of Memorandum of Understanding with Prince of Makkah Region to start developing a 2.6GW solar project.

The post Saudi Arabia announces 2.6GW solar project near Mecca appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Twelve power projects are in the running for federal government dollars: six pumped hydro, five gas and one coal. It's clear which one shouldn't be on the list, for economic and environmental reasons. Mark Diesendorf, Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

JinkoSolar has released a 2018 report with its record hit sales of 11.4GW and a massive 98% year-on-year growth in  operating profits.

The post JinkoSolar consistently captured substantial market share and profit in 2018 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

After months of delay, and accusations of "ideological" opposition, the Coalition grants a permit to developers of 2000MW offshore wind farm - but only to explore, not to build.

The post Coalition grants permit for Australia’s first offshore wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

After singing the virtues of coal as minister for environment, Josh Frydenberg is writing to voters about the importance of "addressing climate change."

The post Mr Coal, or Eco Warrior? Frydenberg’s climate hypocrisy won’t fool voters appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Each year, more than 4000 industrial facilities estimate their emissions and waste transfers of toxic substances and report them to the NPI. Now in its 20th year, this data helps communities, governments and researchers understand and monitor the...

Over just two summers, both the amount of energy lost since Hazelwood's closure, and the capacity it provided during peak demand, have been replaced largely by wind and solar.

The post It took just two summers for renewables to replace Hazelwood appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Royal Mail is introducing e-trikes but what are other delivery companies doing to cut their emissions?

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A fungus that kills amphibians is responsible for the biggest loss of nature from a single disease.

What would change if we decided that the natural world we are part of had rights of its own – the right to exist, to habitat, to be free from pollution?

The post BHP has rights; why shouldn’t the Great Barrier Reef? New paper explores “Rebalancing Rights” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The gas industry needs a new social licence strategy. It's come up with "blue hydrogen".

The post Hydrogen blues: Is this the gas industry version of “clean coal”? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

BloombergNEF data shows increasing advantage for wind, solar and storage costs over traditional fossil fuel generators.

The post Australia’s plunging wind, solar, storage costs stun fossil fuel industry appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The analysis could provide information on the animals genetics and the diseases that affect them.

America's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a new graph of record-efficiency solar modules. And guess who tops the chart?

The post UNSW tops lists of global champions of solar module efficiency appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The project is billed as “a key milestone in New Zealand’s renewable energy development” as it looks to achieve 100% renewable energy generation by 2035.

The post New wind farm to be New Zealand’s first large-scale generation since 2014 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

First all-electric vehicle assembled entirely in Australia to be launched next week in Sydney, bringing Australia a step closer to a home-grown EV industry

The post Australian made electric cargo vehicle set to be unveiled in Sydney appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The project will bring Deakin’s best and brightest students and academics together with ACCIONA’s personnel and resources to design and build a solar vehicle capable of competing at the highest levels.

The post ACCIONA and Deakin University team up for world solar challenge appeared first on RenewEconomy.