The discussion about sustainable development and environemental issues is inevitable in developed countries. Society, the scientific community, and the business sector seriously consider the problems and solutions linked to it. Unfortunately, the attention in view of this issue is little towards developing countries. How comes that theses counties, which will be the biggest polluters on the globe tomorrow, are mentioned only few times in the environmental debate? Thierry Wolton, Historian and Essayist, answers our questions considering the case of China representative. He is the author of several books and about to finalize his latest one: "The great Chinese Bluff" ( "The Big Chinese Delusion") to come out in April 2007, includes a discerning analysis without any concession towards the country of whom some specialists believe to be the next global leader. The environment appears to be one of the biggest challenges for the ancient empire.
What is the Chinese energy problem all about?
First and foremost this is a problem related to the mode of development. The contradictions on the subject of energy are a consequence of the industrial choices made. China experiences an industrial development; the strong activity of this sector implies a huge consumption of commodities. If the country continues with the same economic growth, there will not be enough resources. They decided to liquefy coal to produce fuel. But this technique is polluting in a two ways: energy is needed to extract oil from the coal, and once burned, this fuel pollutes.
If we only look at the energy problem and leaving out the environmental one, the Chinese "industrial revolution" will not be able to survive in the long run, and even not in the intermediate one.
Are there any alternative politics?
Wind parks will never be the only solution. We know that wind energy can only cover 10 -15% of the needs. Another mode is nuclear energy. But even though it is a solution, there is the question of what to do with the nuclear waste. The danger in totalitarian countries just as China lies within the management of this waste. We only have to look at the example of the Soviet Union: today, many places in Russia are highly contaminated, just as Murmansk, where numerous nuclear-driven submarines go to seed. And let's not talk about Chernobyl……
Democratic countries succeed in finding conclusive solutions. I doubt that China is capable to do the same.
When will the discrepancy between the economic growth and the energy issue arise?
Pretty quickly, maybe in about ten years. Even though China hurries to find resources on the African continent, in Azerbaijan or in Russia, the competition with Japan and the USA is quite hard. The government is conscious about this weak point. This is why they put into action the development of technical alternatives (hydroelectric, coal…)
Which are the most important environmental challenges?
The water: 70% of the water is not usable anymore. This means that it is not exploitable; neither for consumption, nor for agriculture. Tow HA one million are irrigated with contaminated water.
The management of the waste: 130000 HA are used to stock it
Just as little story: When he was nominated in Shanghai, the former Prime Minister Jiang Zemin declared that he lost five yeas of his lifespan. And let's not even think about Peking, which is even more dirtied. Taking into account this point, the organisation of the Olympic Games in 2008 seem ridiculous to me. The competition will be difficult….
What is the price to pay for this pollution?
Giving to the World Bank, this pollution currently costs 8 to 12% of the growth domestic product. China scarifies 1.5% of its GDP to manage pollution, but estimates corresponding to 3% would be needed.
Which are the reasons for urban pollution?
Mainly the Chinese industry, I do not talk about western dislocated industries there.
China is way behind western regulations. One has to know that the Chinese Industry functions just like the Western industry in the 50s, it uses coal and is completely obsolete.
Furthermore it is very scattered, a heritage of the communist paranoia. As the regime was scared to be attacked, they dispersed their industries over the whole territory. This is not helpful for the production management, especially regarding the transport.
How to judge the attacks against the USA about the same issues, just when developing countries as China also seriously pollute?
This is due to an anti-US tendency, against liberalism and capitalism. But the USA are a democratic country, where there is a society in which the existence of the individual human being counts. All this does not exist in a totalitarian country like China: its leaders do not bother about these questions. Even though the USA are not up to date about environmental issues compared to Europe, they will be soon. The position of the systematic denunciation must be revised because in ten year China will be the first polluter on the globe.
What is the Chinese energy problem all about?
First and foremost this is a problem related to the mode of development. The contradictions on the subject of energy are a consequence of the industrial choices made. China experiences an industrial development; the strong activity of this sector implies a huge consumption of commodities. If the country continues with the same economic growth, there will not be enough resources. They decided to liquefy coal to produce fuel. But this technique is polluting in a two ways: energy is needed to extract oil from the coal, and once burned, this fuel pollutes.
If we only look at the energy problem and leaving out the environmental one, the Chinese "industrial revolution" will not be able to survive in the long run, and even not in the intermediate one.
Are there any alternative politics?
Wind parks will never be the only solution. We know that wind energy can only cover 10 -15% of the needs. Another mode is nuclear energy. But even though it is a solution, there is the question of what to do with the nuclear waste. The danger in totalitarian countries just as China lies within the management of this waste. We only have to look at the example of the Soviet Union: today, many places in Russia are highly contaminated, just as Murmansk, where numerous nuclear-driven submarines go to seed. And let's not talk about Chernobyl……
Democratic countries succeed in finding conclusive solutions. I doubt that China is capable to do the same.
When will the discrepancy between the economic growth and the energy issue arise?
Pretty quickly, maybe in about ten years. Even though China hurries to find resources on the African continent, in Azerbaijan or in Russia, the competition with Japan and the USA is quite hard. The government is conscious about this weak point. This is why they put into action the development of technical alternatives (hydroelectric, coal…)
Which are the most important environmental challenges?
The water: 70% of the water is not usable anymore. This means that it is not exploitable; neither for consumption, nor for agriculture. Tow HA one million are irrigated with contaminated water.
The management of the waste: 130000 HA are used to stock it
Just as little story: When he was nominated in Shanghai, the former Prime Minister Jiang Zemin declared that he lost five yeas of his lifespan. And let's not even think about Peking, which is even more dirtied. Taking into account this point, the organisation of the Olympic Games in 2008 seem ridiculous to me. The competition will be difficult….
What is the price to pay for this pollution?
Giving to the World Bank, this pollution currently costs 8 to 12% of the growth domestic product. China scarifies 1.5% of its GDP to manage pollution, but estimates corresponding to 3% would be needed.
Which are the reasons for urban pollution?
Mainly the Chinese industry, I do not talk about western dislocated industries there.
China is way behind western regulations. One has to know that the Chinese Industry functions just like the Western industry in the 50s, it uses coal and is completely obsolete.
Furthermore it is very scattered, a heritage of the communist paranoia. As the regime was scared to be attacked, they dispersed their industries over the whole territory. This is not helpful for the production management, especially regarding the transport.
How to judge the attacks against the USA about the same issues, just when developing countries as China also seriously pollute?
This is due to an anti-US tendency, against liberalism and capitalism. But the USA are a democratic country, where there is a society in which the existence of the individual human being counts. All this does not exist in a totalitarian country like China: its leaders do not bother about these questions. Even though the USA are not up to date about environmental issues compared to Europe, they will be soon. The position of the systematic denunciation must be revised because in ten year China will be the first polluter on the globe.
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