There's some encouraging news from China where the judiciary is moving to ban plastic bags and go just a little bit greener. It goes without saying that the fate of any global efforts towards sustainability will depend heavily on the actions of countries like China, now home to much of the manufacturing capacity of the world. However, the country has a long way to go to rein in Western-style consumerism unleashed by its economic transformation and emergence of an affluent middle class. Moreover, the enormous demands of its industries for power and resources, are only eclipsed by the titanic levels of pollution that are prompting hundreds of protests throughout China's countryside. As such, China's fate will very much depend on whether the tattered regulatory mechanism of its state can effectively implement environmental policies and safeguards, and whether its leaders will have the foresight and resolve necessary to struggle with these issues beyond simply cleaning up Beijing for the Olympics this fall.

The Toronto Star also carries a detailed article on China's green leap forward. Despite the ginormous challenges, China seems to be on the move.