My son told me last weekend of certain China Development projects at MIT that he planned to enter. To be sure, while US is wallowed miserably in mountains of national debts, China is in the position to open her fat checkbook to lend and spend. But I always have doubt about the sustainability of this development. It bothers me each time I learn of development in China.

I read from Auto Observer news last year that China had surpassed Japan in 2006 as the world’s second largest car market, chasing the United States, with sales of 7.2 million units. China was then the third largest vehicle producer, after Japan and the United States. Three years ago, auto ownership in China was 44 for every 1,000 people, while the United States had 750 vehicles for every 1,000 people. This year, China is going to lead the market.

While it is not fair to tell China not to follow the beaten path preceded by developed countries, it is both environmentally unsustainable and catastrophic in the long run if China followed this path to the letter. Imagine what China would do in order to meet the huge craving for and the frenzied search for the limited world fossil fuel reserve? Imagine what the sky would look like if millions of cars were polluting under it?

When I first came to the States, I thought it a huge waste to drive to the fitness center and ride a stationary bike there in order to shed extra pounds. Why didn’t people use their muscle by riding the bike like the Chinese people? That was back in 1984. Riding a bike is like killing many birds with one stone — losing weight, transporting you to wherever you need, gas saving, without polluting the air. I wish Americans could do the same. Now a quarter of a century later, the opposite came true. How sad!

How I wish I could tell people the old way is still the best! Don’t follow the lead. Well, as if people listened to me.

PS. my daughter said riding bike could also save a lot when you did not need to pay for car, auto insurance and high gas price.