The-East-is-grey

TheEastisgreyChinaistheworld’sworstpolluterbutlargestinvestoringreenenergy.ItsrisewillhaveasbiganimpactontheenvironmentasontheworldeconomyorpoliticsAug10th2013|BEIJING|FromtheprinteditionALLindustrialnationsonedayhitanenvironmentalturning-point,aneventthatdramatisestothepopulationtheecologicalconsequencesofgrowth.InAmericathateventoccurredin1969whentheCuyahogariverinOhio,thickwithpollutantsandbereftoffish,caughtfire.America’sEnvironmentalProtectionAgencywasfoundedthenextyear.StrictenvironmentallawspassedbyJapaninthe1970sfollowedtherealisationthatpoisonousmercuryspilledfromaplasticsfactorywasclaimingthousandsoflivesaroundthebayofMinamata.ThefetidsmogthatsettledonBeijinginJanuary2013couldjointheranksofthesegame-changingenvironmentaldisruptions.Forseveralweekstheairwasworsethaninanairportsmokinglounge.AswatheofwarmairintheatmospheresettledovertheChinesecapitallikeaduvetandtrappedbeneathitpollutionfromtheregion’s200coal-firedpowerplantsand5mcars.Theconcentrationofparticleswithadiameterof2.5micronsorless,hit900partspermillion—40timestheleveltheWorldHealthOrganisationdeemssafe.Youcouldsmell,tasteandchokeonit.RelatedtopicsBeijingJapanClimatologyClimatechangeEarthsciencePublicconcernexploded.China’shyperactivemicroblogslogged2.5mpostson“smog”inJanuaryalone.ThedeanofabusinessschoolsaidthousandsofChineseandexpatriatebusinessmenwerepackingtheirbagsbecauseofthepollution.BeijingisoneofChina’srichestcities.Beforethe2008Olympicgamesithadrelocateditssmelliestindustriestosurroundingprovinces.Ifanywhereshouldbecleaningitselfup,itisthecapital.YetevenCommunistbigwigs,openingtheircurtainseachmorningneartheForbiddenCity,couldnotavoidthetoxicfog.JourneytotheWestThe“airpocalypse”injectedanewurgencyintolocaldebateabouttheenvironment—andproducedagreen-policyfrenzyafewmonthslater.InthreeweeksfromthemiddleofJune,thegovernmentunveiledaseriesofreformstorestrictairpollution.Itstartedthecountry’sfirstcarbonmarket,madeprosecutingenvironmentalcrimeseasierandmadelocalofficialsmoreaccountableforair-qualityproblemsintheirareas.ItalsosaidChina—meaningcompaniesaswellasgovernment—wouldspend$275billionoverthenextfiveyearscleaninguptheair.EvenbyChinesestandardsthatisseriousmoney,equivalenttoHongKong’sGDPortwicethesizeoftheannualdefencebudget.IsthisChina’sturning-point?Manyenvironmentalists,bothinthecountryandoutside,fearitistoolittle,toolate.AstudyreleasedbyAmerica’sNationalAcademyofSciencesinJulyfoundthatairpollutioninthenorthofChinareduceslifeexpectancybyfive-and-a-halfyears.Theriversarefilthy,thesoilcontaminated.Thegovernmenthaslongknownthisandattemptedtocleanthingsup.Yetstillthesmogcomes.Andthereissomethingelseintheair,lessimmediatelydamagingbutwithafarbiggerglobalimpact.China’sgreenhouse-gasemissionswereabout10%oftheworld’stotalin1990.Nowtheyarenearer30%.Since2000Chinaalonehasaccountedfortwo-thirdsoftheglobalgrowthincarbon-dioxideemissions.Thiswillbeveryhardtoreverse.WhileAmericaandEuropearecuttingtheiremissionsby60mtonnesayearcombined,Chinaisincreasingitsownbyover500mtonnes.Thismakesitauniqueglobalthreat.Nonsense,sayChineseofficials.Chinaisnotresponsibleforthebuild-upofgreenhousegases.TheWestis.Thereareenvironmentalproblems,true,butChinaissimplyfollowingapatternsetbyBritain,AmericaandJapan:“growfirst,cleanuplater”.Chinagrewunusuallyfastbutitisnowcleaningupunusuallyfast,too.Itseffortstoreininpollutionareundervalued;itsinvestmentsinwindandsolarpowerputotherstoshame;itscarbonemissionswillpeaksoonerthanpeopleexpect.Chinawillonedaydoforzero-carbonenergywhatithasalreadydoneforconsumerelectronics—putitwithinreachofeveryone.Itwillnotbeathreattotheplanetbutthemodelforhowtocleanitup.Chinaisbroadlyrightaboutonething:itsenvironmentalproblemsdohavehistoricalparallels.WiththeexceptionofChongqing,thelargestmunicipality,mostChinesecitiesarenomorepollutedthanJapan’swerein1960(seechart1).ExcludingspikeslikethatinBeijingthisyear,airqualityisimprovingataboutthesamerateasJapan’sdidinthe1970s.Otherenvironmentalindicatorsareworse,however,anditisnotclearwhethertheyareimprovingasfast.A2006surveyfoundthatalmost10%offarmlandwascontaminatedwithheavymetals,suchascadmium.Whetherarecentnationwidesoilsurveyshowedanimprovementishardtosay,astheMinistryofEnvironmentalProtectionpromptlydeclaredthefindingsastatesecret.ThediscoveryofricetaintedwithcadmiuminGuangdongthisyeartriggeredpanicbuyingofThairice.China’swildlifeisunderparticularthreat.TheChinaSpeciesRedList,anofficialdocument,classifiedalmost40%ofthecountry’smammalsas“threatened”in2004.Anunusuallywiderangeofhabitats—Chinaisexceptionallydiverseinthisrespect—isbeingdegradedbyindustrialdevelopment.TheWaterMarginTheworstproblemiswater.PicturesofChinaoftenshowgreenandwaterylandscapes.ButmostofnorthernChinaisasdryasstraw.“Severewaterstress”isusuallydefinedasaccesstolessthan1,000cubicmetresofwaterperpersonperyear.ForChinathefigureisjust450cubicmetres.Thenationalaverageisbadenoughbutithidesanevenmorealarmingregionaldisparity.Four-fifthsofthewaterisinthesouth—mainlyintheYangziriverbasin(seemap).Halfthepeopleandtwo-thirdsofthec