China likes to paint itself as environmentally benign -- a nation that, while rapidly growing economically, is promoting large-scale investments in solar and wind energy -- which is true.

China also likes to herald the fact that it has recently closed down its domestic sale of ivory, the huge demand for which has driven the global decimation of African and Asian elephants.

But China as a force for environmental sustainability? That's so far removed from reality that there's only one term for it:

Pure bunk.