The environmental watchdog association says:
1. One-tenth of China's arable land is damaged by pollution.
2. Each year, 12 million tons of grain are contaminated by heavy metals in the soil at a loss of about $2.5billion.
3. Irrigated sewage, scrap metal and acid rain contaminate crops.
4. One million factories in China are monitored by 50,000 environmental workers. That means just one person has to be sure that 20 factories are fully compliant.
That's a tall order.
I am reminded of a speaker at the Committee of 100 conference I attended last year.
He said that in the countryside, cities have billboards "Give Us Your Pollution!" So many cities are feeling left out in the economic boom and are willing to accept work at whatever cost.
And the cost may in the end be too high.
What do you think?
a few months ago, I went to Fushan China, the polution is terrible, there is no more clear sky and cloud. I should believe the government must take an action sooner before it's too late.
Posted by: dave | January 26, 2007 6:43 PM | Permalink to Comment