China Facing American-Style Pollution Problems

One might hope that China will learn some lessons about pollution by looking at the problems of American expansion for decades, but China's explosive growth has brought its industrial pollution problems to a level that requires some drastic measures to improve. That is bad news. The good news is that Chinese officials seem to be ready to take steps to reduce the country's pollution problem before they are completely free.

Pearl River

One of the most promising cleaning projects is underway on the Pearl River, the equivalent of Mighty Mississippi in China. The headwaters of the Pearl River are at the foot of the Tibetan hills, where the river begins a journey of 1,375 miles into the South China Sea. Nearly a third of all Chinese goods planned for foreign exports are made along the Pearl, which means that the river has suffered many casualties over the years. However, the Chinese government has spent billions of dollars to build new sewage treatment plants and relocate heavy industry from major cities in the country. Although there has been a significant improvement in the quality of river water, there are still roads that must be taken before Pearls conform to Western standards or other prosperous Asian countries.

Greenhouse gas

China's growth boom has a number of environmental experts predicting that the country could overtake America as the world's largest greenhouse gas producer in the next two decades. This is largely due to the rising standard of living of Chinese citizens, who are now able to afford a car for transportation. In fact, Chinese consumers buy almost 24,000 new cars every day.

Drinking water

The Chinese government has been flooded with public concern about the quality of drinking water and their agricultural land as industrial and mining growth continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Government officials are well aware that they must strive to maintain control over explosive growth if they are to remain in power. The formation of the EPA-style agency, called the National Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is intended to be a step in that direction, but so far it has the best record of success, as the real strength is at the provincial level, and most Chinese regions are more concerned with improving the living standards of its citizens from environmental protection.

The Pearl River project will give China an opportunity to show the world their commitment to clean water and water quality has improved over the last five years, but there is still a long way to go. For example, a recent study found high levels of toxic metals at the mouth of the Pearl River, including shrimp containing sixteen times the recommended cadmium.

There are some exciting developments beginning to take place, including a large number of green groups being formed on Chinese campuses. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.

Author Jeanette Fisher teaches real estate investment, staging, and interior design methods to generate more money buying, selling, or renting a home. For more information, go to https://asia.marketingtochina.com/