Towards a cleaner, greener Chindia
February 2nd, 2008 - by Nazia Vasi
While reports done by various bodies, independant or governmental differ in blaming India or China as the more polluting country, the quality of our air, water and soil continues to deteriorate. It might be a population problem or the fact that we are developing countries and that pollution is a by-product, nonetheless to the common citizen it seems like little is being done to create a better world for gen next.
A recent story by the Times of India, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lets_Work_Together/articleshow/2716049.cms
talks about enviroment challenges and the road ahead. While comparing Beijing and New Delhi, the article points a finger at all the avtaars of pollution - plastics, people and poaching. The story also highlights steps taken by the government and international agencies - the recent MoU signed between India and China during Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit in the areas of co-operation in land resource management, scientific research and development projects, sustainable development in agriculture and the civilian use of nuclear energy. It also includes efforts taken by the International Eneregy Agency and the US based world-watch institute.
Additionally, the article covers Dr Manmohan Singh’s diplomatic response to the debatable topic, should developing countries cut pollution levels as much as developed countries who have already polluted the enviroment during their developmental phase?
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February 3rd, 2008 at 12:31 am
Don’t know about India, but a cleaner, greener China will remain a joke as long as the government, from Hu Jintao all the way down to the provincial cadres, is still obsessed with GDP and growth. China’s EPA is powerless and voiceless. It’s extremely stupid and short-sighted on the part of the Chinese to grow grow and grow at the expense of the environment and the stakes of their future generations.
February 3rd, 2008 at 7:25 am
I asked a leading figure at the NDRC (the Govt. Think Tank that advises the President) four years ago what China would do about the Yellow River - which has had so much water taken out of it upstream it has now become heavily polluted and has failed to reach the sea in each of the last ten years. It’s essentially dying. He looked grave, and mentioned it was a ’serious problem’ and that full attention would be placed on it. Whats actually happened since ? Nothing. So there’s your will for changing the environment for the better, right there. Maybe some future Government will take the lead and the political applause for rejuvenating it, for for now I agree there seems little desire to do so.