China starts to eliminate Green Goals...

Hey, if Greenpeace is upset, then it must be right, no?

China may be letting “green” goals fall by the wayside as it trims spending on energy and emission- reduction projects in a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) economic stimulus plan, two environmental groups said.

The decision to cut environmental funding by 40 percent in the economic-aid package is “worrying,” officials of Friends of Nature and Greenpeace China said in interviews, calling on the government to clarify its objectives.

As world economic data shows a darkening outlook for recovery, many governments have curbed plans for new environmental measures in a rush to spur growth. British lawmakers today said allocations for public transportation and home insulation in the U.K. fall short of a “Green New Deal” needed for environmentally friendly growth.

The Chinese economic stimulus plan “should be used as an opportunity to help society to transform to low-carbon and green economic models,” said Li Bo, head of Friends of Nature. “We are concerned that those projects are not properly evaluated against relevant polices and laws, so that inappropriate projects get approved.”

Chinese leaders have said that maintaining 8 percent expansion in 2009 is their top priority, compared with goals such as meeting energy-use and pollution-reduction targets.

Actually, I am for real environmental projects - like providing clean water, sewage projects, etc. Eliminating CO2 emissions does nothing for the environment.