Reversing Environmental Chaos

China has garnered the world's attention due to its phenomenal economic growth that has propelled it forward as an economic giant. However, the environmental consequences of development have not received as much attention. Development brought pollution and that pollution is poisoning the water and the air. The Washington Post published an insightful account as to how one city is trying to clean up pollution. The article entitled "In China, a Green Awakening" examines the challenges faced in trying to balance a cleaner environment and maintaining the industry that provides jobs and economic prosperity.

The Washington Post article provides a telling account of the environmental challenges faced by China:

WUXI, China -- One morning this summer, residents of this eastern city awoke to find that their beloved Tai Lake had turned rancid. The water was filled with a bloom of blue-green algae that gave off a rotten smell. It was not only undrinkable; it was untouchable. Few living things stirred in the water.

For almost three decades, the city had welcomed some of the world's biggest polluters. Churning out paper, photographic film, dye, fertilizer, cement and other products for the global marketplace, the businesses helped make Wuxi into one of China's wealthiest industrial cities.

They also poisoned the province's vast network of lakes, rivers and canals. In late May, when the toxic sludge reached Tai Lake, which is the main source of potable water for Wuxi's 5.8 million residents, people turned on their taps and got only sludge.

City officials decided they'd had enough. In a series of radical proclamations that sent shudders though the business community, Wuxi declared itself a newly reformed green city.

By September, the city had closed or given notice to close more than 1,340 polluting factories. Wuxi ordered the rest to clean up by June or be permanently shut down. The actions were applauded by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who has vowed to use economic incentives and punishments to aid in environmental protection and resource protection.

The city must find a balance between closing factories and keeping jobs: if too many jobs are lost, this will create social problems for the city.

Efforts are underway to clean the local environment, but these are not cheap. The central government of China is paying greater heed to the environment and cracking down on pollution. However, much remains to be done and many are still unconcerned about the problem. As the article states:

Wuxi's environmental campaign has been held up as an example of how cities should deal with polluters. But the publicity has not had its desired affect. Instead of shunning the polluting companies in Wuxi, delegations from other parts of China have been coming to Wuxi to invite them to come to their cities.

"This is impossible to understand," said Wang of Nanjing Normal University. "We keep telling them they are just moving pollution around and it isn't good for them, good for China."

If China follows the precedent set by developing countries, then in the next decades more attention will be paid to improving local environments. Economic development provides greater wealth, but this new prosperity cannot be enjoyed when the water is undrinkable.