The local government of Shenzhen will subsidize 43 million yuan to local hotels to support their energy-saving efforts. Is government subsidy a clever move? What else needs to be done to shore up the environmental crusade? We will turn to the media for an answer.

Reporter: A comment from Guangzhou Daily hails the government's initiative in saving energy and lowering carbon emission. It argues, the benefit for hotels to switch over to energy-efficient operation is massive. It not only saves money for the hotels, but also contributes to the whole society. In a highly energy demanding city like Shenzhen, government subsidy is not a waste of money when it comes to saving power supply. It is a wise move in producing bigger profits in the long run.

The article reminds us of other smart initiatives by the government. Last year, the city of Suzhou spent 10 million yuan in upgrading 40,000 aging toilets and water taps. The move has helped save 130,000 tons of water per month. The author urges the government to pay less lip service when it comes to battling environmental problems.

However, energy-saving subsidies should not be limited to heavy energy consumers. One opinion from Xinhua online warns the government not to ignore the disadvantaged population when it comes to energy-saving campaign. People in poverty-stricken areas have no access to quality energy-saving equipments, for them, the only way to save energy and money is to switch off the lights and electricity.

The author thinks the need for poor families to save energy and money at the end of the month is more urgent than for big enterprises, and that the energy-saving campaign carried out in rural areas will reap huge benefits both financially and socially.

A lighting expert in Zhejiang suggests that the government provide low-income families with free access to quality energy-saving light bulbs. He believes this win-win solution will also help promote environmental awareness among all levels of the society.