As countries search for creative solutions to the energy needs of the global economy, China is particularly relevant. China is the second largest consumer of energy in the world after the United States , and its energy economy is growing exponentially. In all respects, China is creating energy history-- a desperate need to secure fuel for its future is driving innovation. There is also great potential for China to become a leader in alternative means of energy production. The need to secure energy for the future is a worldwide concern, and the choices China makes foreshadow the choices the rest of the world is facing as global fossil fuel supplies dwindle.

The goal of A2E, in the broadest sense, is to make the mechanisms of energy production accessible to our everyday, biological and ethical human existence. A2E's proposals incorporate humor and familiar objects to make the issues surrounding new technologies accessible on a more intuitive level. The projects A2E undertakes are meant to encourage people to consider the implications of the choices we make, and how these choices affect our lives and our dinner plates.

The China Initiatives will explore the creative potential of the energy economy of China. The visual tools available to today's public planners allow us to give the viewer an idea of what a new energy economy might look like. A2E's proposed energy generators are not intended to solve our energy problems, but to encourage viewers to envision an energy-rich future based on the innovative use of local renewable resources.

A2E's research in China during the 2006-2007 academic year is supported by a US Fulbright Fellowship. For more information about A2E's founder, please visit the website www.christinechin.net.