China Background to china Phenomenal economic growth Economy - second largest in the world after that of USA with

ith a GDP of $7.8 trillion (2008) average annual GDP growth rate above 10% (USA Today, 2007). Per capita income - grown at ave annual rate of more than 8% over the last three decades drastically reduced poverty rising income inequalities Since the late 1970s, the worlds largest producer of consumer goods Price of success: expansion of heavy industry and urbanization requires colossal inputs of energy, almost all from coal, the most readily available, and dirtiest, source. But growth came at the expense of the countrys air, land and water, much of it already degraded by decades of Stalinist economic planning that emphasized the development of heavy industries in urban areas Population and Development supports 22% of worlds population on 7% of arable land 33% of remaining arable land suffers from water and soil erosion Constraints on the water supply are due to population size, expanded irrigation, small average rainfall supplies, overuse and depletion of ground water, and uneven distribution. Industrial Pollution Pollution linked directly to industrial production. Pollutants can kill animals and plants, imbalance ecosystems, degrade air quality radically, damage buildings, and generally degrade quality of life. Factory workers in areas with uncontrolled industrial pollution are especially vulnerable. Chemical Industries E.g Lake Taihu which supplies fresh water to the local population through the taps. The large concentration of chemical plants which ringed Taihu is a major source of water pollution. Untreated sewage & chemicals released into the lake resulted in eutrophication/algae bloom Thus, when the water quality reached unsafe levels, the local authorities cut off the water supply to the local population

 Steel and Iron Industries Coke production (Coke - a solid carbon fuel and carbon source used to melt and reduce iron ore) Coke production begins with coal. Pollutants such as Sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, naphthalene, ammonium compounds, crude light oil, sulfur and coke dust are released from coke ovens. Lacking in economy of scale, small iron and steel enterprises in China lack necessary equipment to treat pollutants, and they inevitably violate the law now and then. Industrial dust and SO2 emitted per ton of steel from them is several times that from large steel and iron companies. Environmental problems Introduction China has become a world leader in air and water pollution and land degradation A top contributor to some of the world's most vexing global environmental problems, such as the illegal timber trade, marine pollution, and climate change. As China's pollution woes increase, so do the risks to its economy, public health, social stability, and international reputation Water pollution & water scarcity burdening the economy More than 600 million people live in provinces under water stress Around of population lacks access to clean drinking water 70% of lakes and rivers are polluted Causes Pollutants being emitted directly into a water body, such as a pipe from an industrial facility leaking toxins directly into the water Agricultural waste Raw domestic sewage Industrial effluents (organic pollutants and other toxic chemicals) Pollutants being indirectly transported to the water such as run off from fertilizers flowing in to a larger body of water by rain. agricultural run offs

 large amount of nutrients in the water > eutrophication > algae bloom > drop in dissolved oxygen > death of aquatic creatures > decomposition > toxins released Rising levels of air pollution Endangering the health of millions of Chinese Air in china cities among the most polluted in the world Nitrogen dioxide is released by power plants, heavy industries and traffic 16 of 20 of worlds most polluted cities are in China (World Bank Annual report 2004) Responsible for nearly 40,000 premature deaths a year Largest global emitter of greenhouse gases by volume Beijing and northeast provinces of China has the planets worst levels of NO2 Worlds biggest polluter of SO2 Causes Physical Greenhouse gases (For beijing) due to confined nature, pollutants are hard to dissipate thus pollutants accumulate Dust storms from gobi desert Human Energy demands more power plants needed energy demands are increasing at individual household level due to increased affluence and mobility Burning of coal for of energy needs oil is insufficiently produced import oil is expensive Industries Many pollutive industries Vehicles 1,200 more vehicles in Beijing per day large volume of them public transport system neglected for years solution: bicycles Construction unprecedented demolition and construction

 as it happens, dust is produced Indoor heating and cooking burning of coal especially in spring and winter Desertification much of the country's land is rapidly turning into desert leads to the loss of about 5,800 square miles of grasslands every year Main cause: excessive farm cultivation, particularly overgrazing As the deforestation grows, so do the number of sandstorms increasing dust causing a third of China's air pollution Acid Rain caused by emissions from burning coal damages 30% of buildings and crops in China Causes It was very common for governments at different levels in the region to give priority to economic development while not attaching enough importance to environment protection. They even sacrificed the latter to achieve GDP increases. Impact of pollution SOCIAL IMPACT thousands of episodes of social unrest Cancer: Chinas leading cause of death Birth defects chemical waste pollution Increasing health care costs Lack of access to clean drinking water Children killed or suffering from lead poisoning Asthma High amount of birth defects 400,000 Chinese die each year from air pollution POLITICAL IMPACT Trans-boundary pollution (Chinas problem has become the worlds problem) Air pollution from the Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides results in Acid rain which is not confined to China Affected places include Russia, Seoul, S. Korea and Tokyo Affects foreign relations Foreign Investments

 Chinese manufacturers that dump waste into rivers or pump smoke into the sky make the cheap products that fill stores in the United States and Europe. Often, these manufacturers subcontract for foreign companies or are owned by them (MNCs/TNCs). In fact, foreign investment continues to rise as multinational corporations build more factories in China. Domestic Politics & Corruption Chinas leadership has stated that the economy must grow at a more sustainable, less bubbly pace as environmental abuse has reached intolerable levels. However, senior leaders have not effectively and efficiently enforced their orders or the fast-growth political culture they preside over is too entrenched to heed them. Reining in economic growth to alleviate pollution may seem logical, but a major slowdown could incite social unrest, alienate business interests and threaten the partys rule. Provincial officials, who enjoy substantial autonomy, often ignore environmental edicts helping to reopen mines or factories closed by central authorities Today, a culture of collusion between government and business has made all but the most pro-growth government policies hard to enforce. Over all, enforcement is often tinged with corruption. ECONOMIC IMPACT Heavy reliance on energy-intensive heavy industry and urbanization to fuel economic growth unconstrained expansion of energy-intensive industries creates greater dependence on imported oil and dirty coal, meaning that environmental problems get harder and more expensive to address the longer they are unresolved Need to overhaul the growth-first philosophy of the Deng Xiaoping era and embrace a new model that allows for steady growth while protecting the environment Yet most of the governments targets for energy efficiency, as well as improving air and water quality, have gone unmet. And there are ample signs that the leadership is either unwilling or unable to make fundamental changes. Government have invested US$18.2 billion over the past 10 years to improve air quality in capital

 relocation of factories at great cost installation of scrubbers (filter toxic fumes) in chimneys of factories and power plants Installation of modern heating which uses electricity instead of coal Interventions and Results Renewable Energy primary solution prioritizing hydro-power largest user of solar energy launches complaint hotline for pollution Adopting new fuel efficient technology government bonuses for having environmentally-friendly industries Improved public transport fining of pollutive industries shutting down of some industries some just relocate or operate at night

Failed Attempts to Mitigate Pollution

Green GDP

Hus most ambitious attempt to change the culture of fast -growth collapsed this year an effort to create an environmental yardstick for evaluating the performance of every official in China It recalculated gross domestic product, or G.D.P., to reflect the cost of pollution project was banished to Chinas ivory tower this spring and stripped of official influence. The government rarely uses market-oriented incentives to reduce pollution. China has no Energy Ministry. Instead has an army of amateur regulators. Environmentalists expose pollution and press local government officials to enforce environmental laws but private individuals and NGOs cant

Lack of Market Oriented Incentives

Lack of Formal Political Structure

Lack of NGOs Involvement

have been prosecuted or received sharp warnings to tone down their criticism of local officials