It never ceases to amaze me how many ways us American's, myself included, are adept at wasting resources. Over the past two years, I have encountered countless ways in which Chinese are conserving or simplifying things with a positive net affect. Meanwhile, American's constrain such talk to the subject of gas station attendance - and believe that buying a new hybrid vehicle closes the case file.

• average middle class home in China has a one bathroom. is a small room with shower, toilet and sink all sharing the same space. A very small amount of space but extremely efficient and easy to clean. You're essentially washing your entire bathroom when you take a shower.
• Unlike the American system of heating water in a massive tank somewhere in a basement or utility closet, hot water in Chinese homes are provided by small tanks mounted on the wall in the bathroom. This makes for very little plumbing work and a much smaller amount of energy required to keep the water hot. Additionally, one does not have to let the water run for a while before the temperature changes - any adjustment takes affect immediately since the water has such a short distance to travel.
• The smaller room size allows hot water from the shower to more quickly heat the entire room as a nice side affect. You're only taking a a couple steps to the sink to shave.

• Chinese do not have clothes dryers. Just hang your clothes and they are dry the next day. No energy used - other than a little human effort to do the hanging. Most commonly, Chinese will drape newly washed clothes over hot water pipes and radiators to speed up the drying process. Works quite well.
• How often does a shirt get worn before it is washed? I don't know what the average American thinks, but I find myself stretching things further and further. Chinese would be awestruck by how much laundry an American does each week. Yes, clean your underwear after one wear (though traditionally, this is done quickly by hand each day), but everything else is washed according to when it needs it.

• Most homes in Beijing are heated in the winter by hot water radiators from central city water pipes. The city turns on/off the hot water at the appropriate times. This system also seems to train people on what's really necessary. Each family is not making this decision separately... and why would you think you need it warmer than everyone else?
• Homes in China are made from thick cement structures which insulate from outdoor temperatures far far better than American wood frame houses with huge windows and two story open spaces. I am continually amazed at how little use our air conditioning units get over the entire summer season in Beijing.
• Chinese don't leave lights running when they aren't used. And generally, lights aren't turned on until they are really needed. Americans have become accustomed to turning lights on whenever you are in the room. And this is particularly strange given the size and number of windows an average American home has.
• Utility companies in China work on a pre-pay system, thereby making it much less likely for individuals to accidentally run up a huge bill.

• Sadly, the younger generation are now affected by the West and wanting cars in a big way, but generally Chinese are very accustomed to public transportation. Cramming into a bus or subway to get somewhere is just what you do. It costs about a nickel to take the bus (and they go everywhere in 5 minute intervals) and about a quarter to take the subway. Most Chinese won't take the subway if a bus is available because why spend the extra two dimes?

• Even the Chinese language is more efficient than English. Grammar is greatly simplified. Most sentences are so simplified that to the Western ear it appears rude. When you offer someone a seat, you say simple "sit". "What would you like to eat" becomes "eat what?". You get the idea.
• Just about everything in the universe is represented by two chinese characters... and word constructs are very logical. A "telephone" is literally a "talk machine". An airplane is a "fly machine".

• Americans like what capitalism provides them. A never-ending array of competing products in every configuration possible. An American would see Chinese stores as bizarrely non-unique. In China, if you want a cigarette, you go to the cigarette store. They are all pretty much the same. If your kitchen ceiling fan breaks, you go to any hardware store. They are all about the same size and have the same things. Never mind measuring your fan for a proper replacement - they have only three kinds. Small, medium and large - and as you expect, it ends up fitting perfectly. I cannot say enough about how bizarre this is from an American's perspective - and yet how much sense it makes. Why do I need a desk lamp that is different from my neighbors? If I need a desk lamp, it is because I need to add light to my desk work area. That is a common need that requires a common solution. Just imagine the amount of savings gained by factories efficiently churning out standard issue equipment. Yes, there are consequences to such extremes, but I've learned that Americans are surely living in an extreme… and don't often realize it.

• Chinese save their money. They don't have to make budgets or house rules. When they get money, they put it away for later... much later. Usually for their children. In 2005, average American savings was about 2.5... and now after huge economic problems, American's save 5.5% - about double. That's a big change. But Chinese on average save more than half. Consider the impact of that when the entire country of two billion is following that behavior. Recently the Chinese government began encouraging its citizens to buy gold with their money... and it's happening. Compare that to Westerner's stock gambling.