generalspeaking

Environmental Remediation

"I do want the government to do something to improve the air quality. If the air gets better, it is good for everyone. 
"But my life has gotten worse after the closure."
Guo Quanquan, 52, Jia Shufang village, Pingshan county, China

Beijing has diverted its focus from rapid economic development, toward the environment which, because of that rapid economic development and a laissez-faire attitude that nature would work itself into the general mechanistic scheme of things while China got on with its important work transforming itself into the engine of world production and trade, lifting millions of its people out of poverty and making China the prospective world leader in manufacturing.

And, unfortunately, fuel consumption. In the scramble to reach that position shoddy manufacturing techniques resulted, with no thought to the dreadful pollution that would ensue, with chemical runoff into streams and rivers and aquifers and lakes that people depended on for their potable water. The immense proliferation of coal-burning chimneys creating the energy to operate the factories chugged carbonized particles into the atmosphere without let-up.

Setting aside the country's corruption where poorly-graded materials were used in construction, where food products were tainted with chemicals and where leaded paint used in finishing products, and lead contained in jewellery threatened to poison the vulnerable, children and the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, the mad dash to manufacturing supremacy was burdened with deleterious fall-out.


None much more serious than China's notoriously smoggy skies resulting in lung infections, and people unable to breathe properly without inhaling dangerous-to-health pollution particles. Finally, Beijing has taken notice. And has been demolishing offending factories, particularly in its most polluted province, Hebei. Just coincidentally, the demolitions have occurred in the face of over-production. And the result has been to throw thousands upon thousands out of employment.

Rapid economic development won't necessarily be hindered all that much given redundancies in manufacturing. And, given the vast number of manufacturing facilities all over that gigantic country with its multitudinous population, all aspiring to join the middle class, to have well remunerated employment, it's doubtful whether a hundred or so factories that have been shuttered or torn down will ameliorate the environmental pollution significantly.

It will help to reduce excess production capacity in the polluting steel and cement industries. In Mr. Guo's village most of the households had been directly or indirectly dependent on the cement industry ... "now most of them are sitting at home doing nothing". China's cabinet has released an action plan to control and prevent air pollution through to 2017.

New restrictions on coal and heavy industry have since been planned in over half the country's provinces, with their own plans to clean up the air all breathe. What overall impact that will have on the country's manufacturing and trade standing is questionable. What impact the new direction will have on the country's environment is also in question. But it is about time.

Labels: China, Crisis Politics, Environment

posted by Pieface @ Friday, March 07, 2014