About Environmental Protection In ChinaNowadays In

About environmental protection in China

Nowadays in China, one issue is getting more and more severe as the increasing development of China’s economy, that is, environmental pollutions. Starting with air pollution, along with water pollution and soil pollution, China is currently facing the most serious problems than ever before. Establishing of many industrial factories has made China a top share in manufacturing. However, neglecting of protecting the environment while developing manufacturing has already resulted in lots of problems, such as the PM2.5 problem in many major cities, as well as the extreme lack of clean drinking water. On the other hand, concerns over global environmental issues, such as global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, trans-boundary movement of acid rain, and hazardous waste, etc., are mounting worldwide.

About 25 years ago, a law named Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China, which set out basic principles and directions for formulating environmental policies, was enacted on December 26, 1989. This Law was formulated for the purpose of protecting and improving people's environment and the ecological environment, preventing and controlling pollution and other public hazards, safeguarding human health and facilitating the development of socialist modernization. The law has stated that The state shall encourage the development of education in the science of environmental protection, strengthen the study and development of the science and technology of environmental protection, raise the scientific and technological level of environmental protection and popularize scientific knowledge of environmental protection. It also emphasized that all units and individuals shall have the obligation to protect the environment and shall have the right to report on or file charges against units or individuals that cause pollution or damage to the environment.

During the 25 years after the law was adopted, we did see many actions, mainly taken by the government. As a developing country, China has been confronted with the dual task of developing the economy and protecting the environment. Proceeding from its national conditions, China has, in the process of promoting its overall modernization program, made environmental protection one of its basic national policies. China also regarded the realization of sustainable development as an important strategy and carried out throughout the country large-scale measures for pollution prevention and control as well as ecological environment protection. Over the 18 years since its adoption of reform and opening to the outside world, China's gross domestic product has achieved a sustained annual growth of around 10 percent, while its environmental quality has basically steered clear of the outcome of corresponding deterioration. This proved that the principle adopted by China of effecting coordinated development between the economy, the society and the environment has been effective to some extent.

Nevertheless, there are many more problems left unsolved. Air pollution by sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in major urban areas, which could cause acid rain, and water pollution caused by household effluent and waste disposal have continued to pose great problems, and many more. Furthermore, various development projects, such as resorts, have created more threat to the natural environment.

It is obvious enough to all that China do need some improvements on environmental protection, but how? This is a very difficult question to answer. Below are some advices and solutions that I thought maybe useful.
First, let us look at what other countries have been doing on environmental protection, because this will give us some hints on China’s case. In the years after the Earth Summit, many countries are being urged to implement concrete actions and measures to achieve sustainable development, which was agreed on at the Earth Summit. For example, in Japan, which is said to be the most successful country working on environment protection, during more than 40 years after the establishment of the Environment Agency in 1971, the environmental situation at the national and global levels has undergone substantial changes. At the national level, notable achievements have been made in combating severe pollution during the period of high economic growth. A number of laws, regulations and plans have clarified those measures to be taken by the national and local governments, as well as actions to be carried out by citizens, businesses and private organizations by the beginning of the 21st century. This has also defined the roles of parties involved and the ways and means for effectively pursuing environmental policies.

From Japan’s case we can see that China’s laws and regulations still need many improvements. First, laws and regulations need to be advanced and revised along with time. Failing to meet the requirements of the newest developments will give some of enterprises and individuals who pollute the environment advantages and leave them unpunished. Second, Some provisions in the law just laid down the basic principles, but do not have the conditions for implementation. Lack of details for taking actual actions will lead to lack of legal basis when it comes to specific issues.

Second, compared to accelerating industrialization, the Chinese government appears to not pay enough attention to environmental protection, and therefore legal, institutional mechanisms exist a certain lag, environmental protection investment is obviously insufficient, especially when economic development and environmental protection conflict, the latter is often forced to obey the former. Besides, in order to remain high growth of local GDP, many local officials are even protecting its polluting enterprises, making it difficult to obtain national environmental policy and effective implementation. So, as a solution, a new strategy related to sustainable development maybe helpful. Implementation of the new strategy would inevitably lead to change the traditional concept of environmental protection. To the opposite side of the concept of putting economic development in the first place and control the pollution later, establishment of the concept of sustainable development, to prevent pollution beforehand will help to prevent further environmental deterioration.

Third, it is also necessary to raise public awareness of environmental protection through a variety of means of publicity. Chinese people are still lack of consciousness to protect environment, so in order to encourage them to participate, news medias, as well as the government should take actions on advertising and environmental non-governmental organizations should also take efforts in raising public awareness. All the organization should be aware enough that the public plays a very important role in environmental protection.

Environmental problems today are a common challenge to us all. These problems range from direct daily concerns to global issues, and they even have important affects on our future generations. Each action, each step we are taking now will have cumulative effects on the earth, which is our base for survival, and also have significant impacts on our regional or even individual developments. Everyone, not only central and local governments, enterprises but also individuals should take cooperate and coordinate actions, both on the international and domestic levels, make our best to respond to environmental issues and take environmental protections to be our top priority now and in the future.