FRONT PAGE: "China Far Outpaces U.S. in Building Cleaner Coal-Fired Plants," by Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 11 May 2009.

China now uses more coal than the US . . . and Europe . . . and Japan . . . COMBINED!

So the great sinner is also the most prolific peddler of partial salvation: cleaner-burning coal plants.

While we debate, China builds at a rate of one per month.

No, not exactly leap-frogging in an aggregate sense, but yeah, leading the way in its own, particularly Chinese way.