Unit 2: Lesson 1

Being "Green" is and issue near and dear to me, therefore it was hard to only choose one article for this assignment. The first article I chose was due to the picture near Dameisha Beach. A friend took this picture at the first of the year. Note the hazy in the air.

In addition to the poor air quality, this beach suffers from poor water conditions. But it is not from industrial pollution. It is from simply bad hygiene. This beach is open to the public, whereas other beaches charge for access.

When it comes to pollution of water at the hands of industry, China is attempting to take a stronger stance, as found in the article "China plans to raise fine on water polluters". The State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) planned to "significant raise fines" on such pollution. But on the flipside they lifted maximum fines for "accidents".

In the article "China's energy policies 'do not tackle climate change'" the Chinese government has "set an ambitious target to reduce energy". Yet, China recently surpassed the US in the emissions of carbon dioxide. It houses sixteen of the twenty most polluted cities in the world.

China has formed the National Coordination Committtee on Climate Change. Unfortunately it appears, as does the (SEPA), to be agencies with no real clout.

Bogged down in Beijing politics, there is no real substance behind the initiatives taken. The government has pledged to reduce emissions, but instead they have steadily increased in double digits over recent years. Minimal fines are easier to pay than addressing the issue at hand.

It comes to an issue of environment over economy, a comprise China does not seem to want to take. "Climate change is a cross-secctoral issue, but China considers it mainly as an economic issue."

Although recognizing a problem is the first step to addressing it, it appears to me that China is all talk and no real action.