Again with the Apologies

The incredible rise of the Chinese industry didn't come without cost. It is fallowed by equally incredible rise of the environmental degradation. The level of this degradation was obvious to everybody that came to see the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. For many visitors coming outside of China, stepping outside of sporting arenas came with the shock that almost spoiled otherwise excellent show put up by the Chinese Government. People complained that they can actually "smell" the level of pollution in China's capitol. This shock is unfortunately a part of the everyday life for Chinese citizens. Five years later, the situation hasn't improved at all, if not even worsened. The incident on the Fu river is just one of many examples of terrible environmental situation in China.

What strikes me most about it, is that one simple public apology by the company who spilled toxic material into the river and killed fish and other living organisms, and the promise that the workers responsible will be punished was enough for the Chinese government. As if the workers themselves decided to spill the toxic material into the river. We see this happening in most of the rising third world countries. Local governments give international and national companies free rein to pollute in order to keep profits and jobs in their provinces. What is even worse, the company found that many other entities, even farmers who live of the clean water form the Fu river are also heavy polluters of it. As long as the potential for economic growth and profit has the higher priority than the planet on which we live on, things like this will continue to happen. The Chinese Government and its local governments need to strike the balance between profits and environmental protection, or that same profit will be in vain.

BT