Headlines for the story refer mostly to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s silence on human rights as she visits China.
Bainbridge Island Democrat U.S. Jay Inslee is also on the trip.
The trip has more to do with efforts to clean up energy and fight climate change. Inslee’s name appears constantly in stories related to energy and climate change. He has taken a leadership role, and under a Democratic president and larger majority in the House, has been able to see more of his efforts get passed, including incentives Congress passed for Americans to buy more fuel-efficient vehicles. For many that bill is more about propping up the American auto industry, but there are fuel savings built in.
China has become a major energy user as part of its economic resurgence. As a result, air pollution has become a big problem. You may recall there were concerns prior to the summer Olympics that the air would be so bad as to be a hazard for athletes and for tourists.
