Climate-change activists are focused on Copenhagen, site in 6 months of worldwide climate discussions, and well we should.

But a couple of stories this morning further flesh out the reality that the road to success in Denmark go through China. House Speaker Pelosi is just back from a legislators' discussion tour of China, and US climate envoy Todd Stern leaves for more talks tomorrow morning. 

The Stern story, from The Guardian, quotes Stern saying that the US is seeking bilateral agreements with India, Indonesia, Brazil, and others, all of which are also important. But to me, it underscores that we're in the Sino century. We'll be going where they go, for good or ill.

Meanwhile, Al Gore says he doesn't expect China to effect carbon capture on any scale any time soon. I throw that in because it's about China and energy, but c'mon. China isn't going to do it because no one's going to do it. Carbon capture is a pipe dream (a smokestack dream?) of coal factions, supported by forces in Congress who need coal votes to pass meaningful climate-change actions.