The Terrible Results of Pollution

The most recent blog post by Mark over at Mark’s China Blog brought to my attention a photo essay on Pollution in China (WARNING: contains some graphic images).  The pictures were so heartbreaking and arresting to me that I just had to write something about it immediately.  I believe that the terrible cost of pollution enacted by the chemical and industrial companies of China should be brought to the attention of the entire world.

I’m not trying to say that China is the only perpetrator of these acts.  I am not so ignorant as to believe that this is not happening all over the world by many countries and many corporations.  The pursuit of profit and low production costs creates the results that you see in those pictures.  Unfortunately this is a world-wide phenomenon and must be acknowledged as such.  However, for the sake of what I am writing here I will only expound on my viewpoint from inside China, not the entire world.

A while back I wrote about my dirty electric kettle and how it’s bothersome to clean out the deposits from the water.  After seeing these photos I feel petty and spoiled for even considering such a matter as some kind of hardship.  I can’t even begin to fathom how terrible the lives of these unfortunate people are.  I knew that these problems existed but up until this point I was never able to put a face to them.  It didn’t effect me emotionally because it was outside of my little expat bubble.

According to the article referenced in Mark’s post, nearly 40% of the 4 trillion RMB stimulus package issued last year was allocated to “environmental and energy-efficient projects.” This is an incredible amount of money and it is heartening to see China taking some kind of initiative on these issues.  But still a part of me wonders how much of this money will actually go towards the benefit of these suffering people and future generations.  The obscenely inefficient state-owned enterprises suck up money like a wet-dry vacuum.  So how much of this money will be lost in the bureaucracy or wasted on unnecessary expenditures?  How much of the money will simply disappear?

In one of my classes last week, a student and I were having a conversation; I can’t remember exactly what it was about.  At one point the student brought up the commonly accepted point (among Chinese, that is) that the United States is a developed country and China is a developing country.  Therefore, while the US must be responsible with and for its actions, China can be forgiven for transgressions against human rights and the environment and what-have-you.

My jaw almost hit the floor.  This person has a PhD in science (I forget which exactly).  Maybe her English is poor, but she is definitely not a stupid person.  How can she be so naive as to blithely sweep away these issues because “China is a developing nation”?  And how can she even begin to support the argument that China is still a developing nation?  I almost laughed in her face.  The mind boggles.  Even if China were a developing nation, it’s not a “get out of jail free” card to be played at every turn.  China is by no means a developing nation.  It is very developed and anyone who thinks this is not the case should take a trip to Beijing or Shanghai.

Another commonly accepted attitude among Chinese is that Western countries had their chance at industrialization and rampant pollution and so China should have its turn as well.  I truly cannot comprehend where this view comes from.  Perhaps from generally high level of nationalism throughout China?  But still, I see a common theme of naivety.  We are all on this planet together and we need to learn from the mistakes of previous generations, regardless of what country or part of the world they came from.

My own country, the US, was one of the worst polluters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to the Industrial Revolution.  It continues to be a huge polluter, second only to China in total greenhouse gas emissions (not to mention every other kind of pollution that occurs).  No one is free from blame; we must all take responsibility and work together towards a brighter future.

Just because China didn’t have its full turn at industrialization without environmental consciousness doesn’t make what is going on today OK.  The technology is available to advance society and industry while being environmentally conscious.  It is possible.  China’s investment last year is a huge step in the right direction but still I have my doubts.  I hope that, sooner rather than later, the day comes when the rabid pursuit of money (by all nations and corporations, not just China) reconciles itself with a sense of responsibility for the effect this endeavor has on the people and the planet.

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