Not Green: Black problems…

26 August 2007

China´s overwhelming environmental problems have made the country one of the world´s leading contributors to global environmental problems, surpassing the USA as the world´s largest contributor of carbon dioxide.

There is a very high price to pay.

Lack of access to clean water and air is only one of the problems the People´s Republic of China is facing. According to Elizabeth Economy, in her latest review in Foreign Affairs, (read it here: http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20070901faessay86503/elizabeth-c-economy/the-great-leap-backward.html) more than 75% of the river water in China is undrinkable and unfit for fishing, whereas 30% is unsuitable for agriculture and industrial use. 700 million people drink contaminated water with animal and human waste. A study by the World Bank has reported that the leading cause of death among children under the age of five and 11% of the cases of gastrointestinal cancer in China is the lack of piped water. There are also increasing rates of diarrhea diseases, cancer, tumors, leukemia and stunt growth.

Another report by Elizabeh Economy, (read it here: http://www.cfr.org/publication/5573/chinas_environmental_challenge.html), mentions that the air quality in more than 300 Chinese cities failed to pass the acceptable levels of total suspended particles set by the World Health Organization, causing an increase in the number of cancer disease across the country. Other organizations and institutes are also blaming the air pollution to an increase of premature deaths related to respiratory diseases.

The Chinese government is encountering social unrest within the country and increased international political pressure from abroad, not to mention the economic burden that needs to be invested in order control the situation.

Some Chinese report that international buyers and multinational corporations also contribute to China´s environmental degradation. Buyers keep pushing for lower prices and fast lead times, which in turn, don´t allow for factories to comply with the minimum environmental standards required by the law.
The world keeps pushing China to lower their carbon emissions, to cut down on coal consumption, to invest money in environmental projects… but people seem to forget about environmental concerns when it comes to buying from the Chinese factories. Few companies ask for factories to comply with green standards, let alone pay a higher price for a product from those few companies that do comply.

Is the world willing to invest in making the changes that it needs to counteract the environmental degradation it faces today?
Are companies ready to pay a higher price for an environmentally safe produced product?
If you were buying from China, would you sacrifice your profit margin to buy from environmentally friendly factories?