The China Environmentalist

These events in China, as reported by the NYT, are as encouraging as they are discouraging. China wants to dam the Nu river in an effort to create more energy. However, the river and surrounding areas is a world heritage site, which hosts many endangered plant and animal species. In contrast to the Three Gorges Dam project, which has and continues to garner intense international outcry, resistance to the Nu Dam project comes mostly from within China.

This new is encouraging because of its socio-political ramifications. There is a grass roots movement within China against this project. That is amazing! According to the article,
“The dam proposal became public last August after reports appeared in the Chinese news media, including China Environment News, the official newspaper of the national environmental agency. It ran several front-page articles, including one titled ‘The Pristine Environment of the Nu River Should Be Preserved.’”
An official news paper is voicing opposition to a Beijing project. I can only imagine the discussions going on in Chinese universities and business places. Instead of focusing on the evils of the world outside China, the people may actually be questioning and discussing the relative merits of their own nation’s policies. Wow.

I think it is awesome to see increased environmental awareness in China. When Yang and I were in Beijing, we were amazed at the pollution. Beijing was polluted on all levels: industrial pollution (mostly from burning coal for energy); agricultural pollution (copious pesticide use in farming and the dust storms from the desertification of areas around the Gobi); and individual pollution (people threw trash in the streets and rivers, people spit in the streets and indoors, and most shockingly- we actually saw a mother let her child defecate on the street). While we were there (1999-2000), people around us were barely starting to realize the seriousness of the problem. It reminds me of the U.S. in the 1980s. I am just old enough to remember the environmental TV ad of the Indian on the hill crying as he watched the teenagers dump their fast food waste out the window of their car. Remember- we used to dump trash on the streets too. Attitudes changed in America and they are changing in China. I don’t mean to be paternalistic or patronizing to China. I love the place. But the pollution is shocking.

The discouraging news is that the dam project will likely materialize. China is short on energy, and its economy only continues to grow. Pressure has been placed on Beijing to become less dependent on coal and more dependent on cleaner forms of energy. That is exactly what China is doing with this dam project. The giant has awakened and it is hungry. It needs energy to fuel its growth. Hopefully Beijing can weigh its present needs with its future needs and follow the best course of action.