A report by the Washington-based Earth Policy Institute says China has eclipsed the world's richest economy in consumption of four of the five basic foods, energy and industrial commodities. The reports says China's rapid growth means it is taking the main share of grain, meat, coal and steel. The country uses twice as much fertiliser as the United States and Chinese people buy many more television sets, refrigerators and cellular phones than Americans. China trails the United States only in automobiles.
