The Toothless Tiger No More?

I am a little skeptical, but nonetheless encouraged by Wu Zhong's article on the Chinese government's increasing commitment to basic environmental controls. The likely creation of a Ministry of Environment certainly can't hurt. However, environmental law has been rendered moot in much of China by corruption, local control over enforcement, the prioritizing of economic growth, and unadulterated greed.

While I am not confident that the Chinese are really going to become environmentally friendly, my knowledge of U.S. history suggests that it could happen. If you asked the world in 1880 whether environmental degradation would slow down in the United States by 1910, you probably would have been laughed at. The U.S. was going full-steam ahead in its industrial revolution, spewing chemicals into the air, water, and ground; hunting a wide variety species to near-extinction, destroying ecosystems with aplomb, and without even the slightest governmental interest in halting this decline. Yet 30 years later, wide-ranging changes had taken place. While the U.S. has always had an up and down relationship with environmental protection, changes can happen surprisingly fast.

Given China's extremely rapid industrialization combined with the power of its central government, if it decides to commit to cutting back on pollution, it actually could do it fairly quickly. Perhaps some government officials are embarrassed by the international condemnation of air pollution in Beijing coming up on the Olympics. Perhaps some actually care about the environment. Perhaps they are worried about rural unrest from people who are sick of living in a dumping ground for pollution. Maybe it is a combination of all these things. But if China were to decide to promote environmental protections, they actually could become an international leaders as fast as they became an industrial power.

Now, I don't actually think this is going to happen anytime soon, but Wu suggests that at least there is room for hope.