China's Big, Dirty Secret(the Bush less regulation plan in action in China

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=66&ncid=749&e=11&u=/bw/20050201/bs_bw/nf20050116686db065
So who really cares about a spike in respiratory diseases and other ailments in recent years?

China's Big, Dirty Secret
BusinessWeek Online - Tue Feb 1, 8:15 AM ET

Economic juggernaut, factory of the world, emerging superpower: When it comes to China's ascendancy, the journalistic cliches come fast and furious. And there's no denying that China's hypergrowth wave is a wondrous thing. But another, darker dimension to China's prosperity exists. The country is fast becoming an ecological wasteland, home to some of the world's smoggiest cities as well as rampant water shortages, soil erosion, and acid rain.

China's Big, Dirty Secret

Tue Feb 1, 8:15 AM ET Business - BusinessWeek Online


By Brian Bremner

Economic juggernaut, factory of the world, emerging superpower: When it comes to China's ascendancy, the journalistic cliches come fast and furious. And there's no denying that China's hypergrowth wave is a wondrous thing. But another, darker dimension to China's prosperity exists. The country is fast becoming an ecological wasteland, home to some of the world's smoggiest cities as well as rampant water shortages, soil erosion, and acid rain. <snip>

Chinese officials have acknowledged a problem in the past, but quickly termed it a necessary side effect of rapid industrialization and catch-up economic growth, not unlike what Japan experienced in the 1960s. What's more, China is now a net importer of oil and relies heavily on coal, much of it dirty, high-sulfur stuff, for about 70% of its domestic-energy needs. Unless China can secure significantly more oil supplies from abroad and ramp up cleaner domestic-energy sources such as nuclear power and hydroelectric plants, Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Communist colleagues will face a nasty policy dilemma.


BETTING ON DENIAL. Runaway economic growth with little thought of environmental side effects at some point can provoke societal backlash. It's difficult to tell whether Beijing understands this challenge, but signs indicate it may be starting to. Last month, China's State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) Vice-Director Pan Yue announced the suspension of 30 large projects that have failed to meet environmental standards. The list includes 26 hydropower stations, including a $5 billion megaproject in an area skirting the borders of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.
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ENERGY SQUANDERER..<snip> Also, China needs to diversify from its heavy dependence on coal for energy -- or at least encourage investment in cleaner coal-burning technologies now common in the West and Japan. It also must improve energy efficiency across the country. There's a colossal amount of energy waste, thanks to primitive coal-mining techniques, loose building-construction codes, and inefficient factories. For every $1 of gross domestic product produced, China spends three times the world average on energy.


WEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY? It's also a standout in other less-than-admirable areas. China leads the global pack in sulfur-dioxide emissions, has a massive acid rain problem, and contains more than a dozen of the most polluted cities on earth. One World Bank (news - web sites) study estimated that environmental damage costs China some $170 billion a year in lost productivity and associated health care. Unfortunately, such costs don't seem relevant when China is clocking near double-digit growth year in and year out. <snip>