What has been presented reflects what many would find to be a very pessimistic view of a Country experiencing an industrial revolution like the World has not seen prior. The economy is growing at breakneck speed and it seems as though the more prolonged the growth, the great the environmental damage that is done. There are optimists however, believe it not.
Fred Pearce, a prolific author of environmental issues as well as a journalist and consultant, presents a case for China's progressive view towards incorporating the Green Movement into its industrialization and economic expansion. Published by Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Mr Pearce first contends that relatively speaking, what is taking place in China is really not all that bad given that proportionately, China's consumption of natural resources is equal to or less than other developed countries. Also, Mr. Pearce reminds us that much of this environmental degradation caused by industrialization in China is to produce goods to be consumed in, of all places, the United States. What follows is an excerpt from Mr. Pearce's article and I hope that it makes you a pessimist rather than an optimist because hope for the health of the Planet lies in hope that developed countries like the United States and China can be leaders in environmental reform:
We hear a lot about China building a new coal-fired power station every week. I checked the stats. It’s worse. It has recently been building two new 1000-megawatt plants each week. But last year, China also built more wind turbines than any other country. And its biogas and solar power industries are also growing fast.
China’s green credentials are surprisingly good in many respects. China has long led the world in aquaculture. By raising most of its fish in artificial ponds it has done a huge good turn for the world’s ocean fisheries.
On an island at the mouth of the Yangtze river near Shanghai, they arecurrently building the world’s first eco-city, powered by renewable electricity, with citywide water recycling and plans for a car-free transport system. Similarly, the recently completed 1,200-kilometer railway into Tibet employed “green construction” methods, according to a paper in Science last year. And the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 is devoted to green urban design.
In June, the country officially banned free plastic bags in shops. The world’s largest plastic bag manufacturer (Chinese, of course) shut down as a result. And the Chinese are now the world’s leading recyclers. (Pearce 2008)
