2008 Woodie Awards
China reaches unprecedented levels of environmental damage
Nicole McRuiz
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: World Views
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Living in the United States, most of the news that you hear is naturally going to be about what's going on in America. And sometimes it seems like a lot of the news can be pretty negative.
But today, at least, Americans can give themselves a pat on the back for one sector-environmentalism! It can often appear that American are just a bunch of fat, SUV-driving, Big Mac holding slobs - especially when you throw in a sometimes less-than-patriotic media.
A recent study conducted in Beijing, China, however, shows that, contrary to what seems like popular belief (at least to me), the United States is not the largest culprit behind environmental degradation. Sure, China's economy has seen "double-digit growth rates." And sure, some environmental destruction is bound to occur if an economy wants to compete with the likes of the United States. Still, though, the costs are staggering, and appear to be ever-increasing.
Even compared with the sometimes environmentally oblivious actions of the U.S., some of what I read about China really was shocking: In highly industrialized cities, it is difficult to ever see the sunlight because the air is so thick with pollutants of all kinds. A quick Google image search shows some alarming images of the Beijing sky on a sunny day. The problem is due in large part to the fact that China, unlike most other large and developed countries today, burns coal at an alarming rate, relying on the fossil fuel for nearly all of its industrial needs.
Cancer caused, or at least agitated by, pollution is the number one cause of deaths in China - as opposed to heart disease in the U.S. A minute 1% of Chinese citizens breathe clean air. About half a billion people drink dirty water.
The conditions in China are undoubtedly less than desirable. So, what is the Chinese government doing about the problem?
Bulked up in March of 1998, the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) listed in its new set of goals to improve China's energy efficiency 20% by 2010. But, by June of this year, the country had only improved efficiency by 2.8%. In other words, China has to accomplish 85% of its goal in about 20% of the allotted time.
But today, at least, Americans can give themselves a pat on the back for one sector-environmentalism! It can often appear that American are just a bunch of fat, SUV-driving, Big Mac holding slobs - especially when you throw in a sometimes less-than-patriotic media.
A recent study conducted in Beijing, China, however, shows that, contrary to what seems like popular belief (at least to me), the United States is not the largest culprit behind environmental degradation. Sure, China's economy has seen "double-digit growth rates." And sure, some environmental destruction is bound to occur if an economy wants to compete with the likes of the United States. Still, though, the costs are staggering, and appear to be ever-increasing.
Even compared with the sometimes environmentally oblivious actions of the U.S., some of what I read about China really was shocking: In highly industrialized cities, it is difficult to ever see the sunlight because the air is so thick with pollutants of all kinds. A quick Google image search shows some alarming images of the Beijing sky on a sunny day. The problem is due in large part to the fact that China, unlike most other large and developed countries today, burns coal at an alarming rate, relying on the fossil fuel for nearly all of its industrial needs.
Cancer caused, or at least agitated by, pollution is the number one cause of deaths in China - as opposed to heart disease in the U.S. A minute 1% of Chinese citizens breathe clean air. About half a billion people drink dirty water.
The conditions in China are undoubtedly less than desirable. So, what is the Chinese government doing about the problem?
Bulked up in March of 1998, the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) listed in its new set of goals to improve China's energy efficiency 20% by 2010. But, by June of this year, the country had only improved efficiency by 2.8%. In other words, China has to accomplish 85% of its goal in about 20% of the allotted time.
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