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China's Top Weather Official Warns Of Climate Change Risks

A man wears a mask amid heavy smog on the Bund in Shanghai on November 12, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)
A man wears a mask amid heavy smog on the Bund in Shanghai on November 12, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)

China’s top weather official is warning people about the potential impact of climate change.

China’s Xinhua news agency reports that Zheng Guoguang, chief of China’s Meteorological Administration, said climate change could reduce crop yields and lead to “ecological degradation.”

The statements are considered rare, even though China is the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide emissions.

“As the world warms, risks of climate change and climate disasters to China could become more grave,” Zheng said.

Ali Velshi, host of Real Money on Al Jazeera America, joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss Zheng’s comments and what a more climate conscious China would mean for the country’s economy.

Guest

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.