China is once again wallowing in the worst pollution the world has ever seen: The red alert, the highest tier of a four-colour warning system, will last from Saturday to Tuesday, according to a statement on the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau's website. It is the second time the highest level alert has been issued since the city established a pollution warning system in 2013. Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-beijing-smog-red_1.html#jCp It is ironic that the Chinese President skipped the Global Warming Summit 2015. According to the New York Times: There were indications that China might be ready with its own plan, although many experts say they will be skeptical until Chinese officials reveal the details. The decision of President Xi Jinping of China to skip the summit meeting also sent a less-than-enthusiastic message. But a senior Chinese official sent in Mr. Xi’s place said his country would try to reach a peak level of carbon emissions “as early as possible.” That suggested that the Chinese government, struggling with air pollution so extreme that it has threatened economic growth, regularly kept millions of children indoors and ignited street protests, was determined to show faster progress in curbing emissions. “As a responsible major developing country, China will make an even greater effort to address climate change and take on international responsibilities that are commensurate with our national conditions,” said the official, Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, who addressed the chamber after Mr. Obama. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/w...mmit-calls-for-vast-international-effort.html While the rest of the developed world is going to get hit where it hurts the most: the pocketbook, China is getting a free ride on the unimaginable pollution it generates. The fingers always point to the US when we talk about global warming. Why does Obama tie America to the 'whipping post' so often.
Well, considering that America is the world's second most prolific polluter you can expect a lot more finger-pointing. China, on the other hand, is investing around $300 billion in addressing their problems. It will take time but they are recognising their issues and acting. What is America doing other than avoiding the issue at every opportunity, merely for political expediency? Now, explain who exactly is getting this "free ride". http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-idUSBRE96O01Z20130725
The Chinese though have Tai-Chi which offsets or decreases any ill effects associated with breathing. If you lower your rate of respiration, you inhale less air and its pollutants, it's as simple as this. Ying-Yang, two opposites cancel out one another.
Your article is over a year old and, while there's no doubting China has some severe air quality standards, they are taking many steps to improve air quality, particularly in the past year. In no way to I say it's good, but it is getting better and there is a path ahead for them to follow.
The West took many steps on its own to lower pollution without any gov't intervention, yet they get no credit. Explain this for me plz.
No government intervention? Really? So the business of the "West" just went out and did this on their own? or acted together? or something? I must have missed those actions.
It is China's intent to be the biggest economic powerhouse in the world. They will not jeopardize this by cutting back on, or fining industries that cause pollution. If, in fact, we are 2nd in line to China regarding polluting the environment, there is big separation between the two. When was the last time you had to wear a surgical mask when you walked outside? The difference between our present day pollution and China's is grand. The point of the article was to highlight China's lack of seriousness in combating pollution. PS: Three-hundred billion is chump change for China.
Are the Chinese doing something about addressing pollution or not? How much is America spending? How about you look a little closer to home before vilifying a country which is actually doing something? https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=p...saiNsENcM:&usg=__prCa3QFarkTpBTDDoexfD_cbQlY= https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=p...HTRRER4PM:&usg=__prCa3QFarkTpBTDDoexfD_cbQlY=
LOL. In China I think they try to breathe as little as possible. Yoga probably isn't recommended on the red alert days.
View attachment 39916 Three hundred billion won't even clean up their waterways, let alone their air pollution. You are rabidly anti-US. I wonder where that comes from--snakestretcher.
Anti-US? If that includes being anti-hypocrisy I'm honoured to be a member of that club. You obviously see no problem in hypocrisy. Your defensiveness is noted, by the way. I also suggest you don't have a clue about how and where China is spending their money although please feel free to share your expertise. I look forward to you educating us.
The "red alert" part of the article is one day old. Read the first source. My, my, my. You are always bashing the US, but this defense of China is curious.
See, this is the opposite extreme which conservatives need to see. Not because we should start farting vegan shampoo and stuff, but because China shows so accurately what happens if you don't have an adequate civil judicial system to compensate for injury caused by air pollution. The people in that city should absolutely be able to launch a class action lawsuit to deal with such an externality - given they can demonstrate injury as a result of the company's actions. That's Capitalism, baby.
I agree. The lack of an adequate judicial system is one reason why China is the destination place for international business--no environmental laws whatsoever, no labor relations' law, no work place health and safety laws, etc. They literally get away with murder in China, and the Chinese government is so absorbed into being the uno number one country on the planet, it is willing to let their people wallow in the muck. The problem is that China's grotesque pollution effects the rest of the world too. I am not a big one for insane environmental laws, like having to build roads specifically for turtles. That is over the top; but there has to be some laws or we get what they have in China. International corporations want the entire world to be a race with China to the bottom. The international community should force China to play by the same rules everyone has to play by. China wouldn't' be the economic, and pollutant powerhouse that it is if it had to play by the same environmental laws the West has to play by.
Well you can start with the advancements in cleaner coal for oil for one and go from there. But hell you dont want to know anything just bash this country.
I'm aware they had a 'red alert' day just recently and read/saw it on regular news outlets. I do not "bash" the U.S., only one party in particular (you know - the ones who think states can control pollution and that more tax breaks for the wealthy are a good thing - yeah, them) because I find most of their goals would not benefit this country.
"The United Kingdom still emits about 70 percent more CO2 per person than China does." http://www.slate.com/articles/techn..._time_the_worst_global_warming_polluters.html Game. Set. Match... Have a good one buddy!
I think that the relative lack of price floors and pernicious labor laws has been very much of benefit to the Chinese people. Their low incomes have allowed them to undercut Western manufacturing near entirely, and in the process: since 2002 their purchasing power parity per capita income has grown 4 fold. There is no injury where consent is involved - by contrast pollution demonstrably affects the health of the surrounding population, it's similar in principle to if they had thrown burning fuel into their yard and caused burns and fire damage; instead they have caused disease and lowered property values. Same thing, different degree. Sue for damages. Of course, it's China's fault their civil law system can't handle that. I don't support an ETS, or many environmental regulations at all.
