Pollution in China Today
Uploaded by Sparticus550 on Oct 30, 2001
In an article written by Mark Hertsgaard in November of 1997, he talked about how despite China’s economic peril, the real problem facing the country of 1.266 billion people is pollution. There are many reasons for this rather unfortunate occurrence, especially for a country who has already dealt with so much grief it is almost unimaginable. How can a country as big and with so much potential power in today’s world be allowed to reach the point where it is so polluted that even on sunny days one can not see the fingers on their outstretched hand when standing outside? Some may venture to say that China was very wrapped up in politics, economics and getting the whole communism thing off the ground the last thing anyone thought about was nature. The countries leaders never really considered what actions they were taking then would affect the land a couple of decades later during the mid to late 90’s.
Hertsgaard mentioned walking around the old Chongqing paper mill. It was built some time in the 1940’s and was finally all but closed so that production is lowered to almost 25% original capacity. Yet even with the lowered output, the plant is still dumping thousands upon thousands of ton's of chlorine, raw sewage, laced water among other types of wastes directly in to the river. Even still, Hertsgaard says the pollution along the Jailin River is largely contributed to the paper mill, as well as the other factories along the Jailin. There are people who live along the river and grow food between creeks black and chunky, not unlike used motor oil, and drink contaminated water because they have no choice. Over half the entire population of China drinks contaminated water and there is little they can do about it. Since most of the people in China are poorer then dirt, not many have access to Brita Water Filters.
The government got a loan from the World Bank at a total of $349 million for environmental clean up campaigns. “Scattered coal fired boilers to natural gas boilers and promoting energy conservation heating systems” (Environment News Service, http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun2000/2000L-06-21-01.html). A large reason the Chinese government has not been able to provide adequate environmental protection is because of the focus on bringing its economy ”Up to par” with all the other world leading countries such as, the U.S., Germany, Japan, and Canada. If China did concentrate...