If you could overlook the many stories about our own troubles here at home you might have heard that a lot of pissed off factory workers are sick and tired of making cheap crap for the rest of the world and getting paid almost nothing to do so.

Chinese workers have begun demanding higher pay and better working conditions, and even shown a new willingness to strike, as a labor shortage has given them new clout. (via)

When a government has a population with as large as China, with as much earning potential, and fairly good connectivity to the rest of the world, only one thing worries you, instability. The Chinese communist government fears a massive uprising. It is in their best interest to make sure their people are happy, as such I think some interesting things might come of this new found labor power in China.

Expect to pay more for your cheap crap, for far too long the people of China have subsidized the price of your cheap crap. They paid for it with lower wages, they paid for it in poor health (no health regulations makes the products you buy cheaper), they paid for it in environmental degradation (no rules, lower prices!). So as they demand cleaner working conditions, and better pay your cheap crap will be less cheap (but most likely still crap).

They have also recently allowed their currency to more accurately reflect the value of their economy. This will mean that things bought in China with American money will not go as far.

Stock markets surged after China loosened the yuan’s 23-month-old peg to the U.S. dollar, easing a policy aimed at steadying its economy during the global downturn and paving the way for the currency to appreciate over the long-term as demanded by the United States and other major trade partners.

The unexpected move sent the yuan up 0.42 percent to 6.7976 per dollar on Monday, both the biggest daily gain and the highest close since China revalued the currency and introduced a managed float regime in 2005.(via)

This will also make the stuff we buy from China more expensive, at least it has the potential to.

Combine all this with a surging population in China attending 4 year universities (many of them in America) and you have a population that will no longer be content to work long hours for low pay in horrible conditions.

So what does all this mean for America. Well potentially a lot of good things. For one it might drive some manufacturing jobs back to the US. This would mean jobs given to Americans that need them, as well as drive them back into American regulations on the environment, and American labor laws, all of which will mean that the products you buy will have lower carbon foot prints (don’t need to be shipped to china) and the money will stay here.

It will also mean that China’s domestic market will heat up, meaning they will start selling stuff to their own people. As a population moves towards modernity they start demanding things like clean air, clean water, higher quality products, better labor conditions, etc.

It would seem to be in America’s best interest to make sure the rest of the world is as prosperous as possible. From an economic, and environmental stand point, the real question will be, can this improvement happen fast enough.

We have a deadline, global warming is not going to wait around for us to get our act together. While China is pushing hard into the renewable energy market, and America seems like it might be getting its act together (perhaps we need a couple more coal mine cave in’s and oil volcanoes?), I fear that we are not moving fast enough.

We can’t count on China to grow its way out of this problem, as one of the largest users of energy in the world, the American government, and the American people must accelerate all of our efficiency and renewable energy programs. That means a price on carbon, a renewable energy standard, greater efficiency standards, and an American public willing to change the way they buy and sell things, and the way they live their life.

A tall order for sure, but if you are sick of things like the BP oil volcano, then call up your state rep or senator today and tell them you want a price on carbon, and you want it now.