Tuesday November 01, 2005

China's Next Big Boom Could Be the Foul Air

energyresources -> nytimes.com :

China, it seems, has reached a tipping point familiar to many developed countries, that have raced headlong after economic development only to look up suddenly and see the environmental carnage. China is already the world's second-biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to surpass the United States as the biggest. Nor does China's air pollution respect borders: on certain days almost 25 percent of the particulate matter clotting the skies above Los Angeles can be traced to China, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The environmental problems are begetting social and economic problems. Violent riots have erupted in the countryside over contaminated water, stunted crops and mounting health woes. Roughly 70 percent of China's rivers and lakes are polluted. In cities, people drink bottled water; in the countryside, most people are too poor to pay for bottled water, so they boil polluted water or simply drink it.

The political and practical obstacles are formidable. Politically, the Communist Party has based its legitimacy on delivering economic growth : high growth is needed simply to keep unemployment in check, and top leaders fear that a slowdown could lead to social instability.

See also :

1. Environment Suffers Severely In China's Dash to Develop
2. China : Environmental meltdown
3. China : Limits to Growth?

(2005-11-01 17:13:43 SGT) [Env] Permalink

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