CHINA BLOG: Pan Yue, V. Minister: “They…transfer…polluting industries to developing nations…the rich consume and poor suffer…”

Noon, Monday, September 8, 2008
Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, People's Republic of China

Listening to him speak to our delegation today I kept thinking, "Isn't this guy going to get into trouble for saying that?" His moxie is inspiring in taking on China's bureaucracy and ruling communist party.

Pan Yue is Vice Minster of the Ministry of Environmental Protection - the equivalent of our EPA. He is known for being a passionate and critical leader for a greener China. And he pulls no punches in offering his views about the developed world's responsibility for they way things are as well. Here is a sampling of his views:

"Developed countries account for 15% of the world's population, yet use over 85% of its resources. They raise their own environmental standards and transfer resource-intensive and polluting industries to developing nations; they establish a series of green barriers and bear as little environmental responsibility as is possible..." www.chinadialogue.net

"...Pan surprised much of China when he ordered 30 projects -- with $14 billion in investment, ranging from thermal power to hydroelectric plants -- shut down for not filing proper environmental-impact statements. The projects included several under construction by Three Gorges Development Corp., the politically powerful company that is building the controversial Three Gorges Dam..." www.businessweek.com

"...The faster the economy grows, the more quickly we will run the risk of a political crisis if the political reforms cannot keep pace. If the gap between the poor and the rich widens, then regions within China and the society as a whole will become unstable. If our democracy and our legal system lag behind overall economic development, various groups in the population won't be able to protect their own interests..." www.opendemocracy.net

"...This miracle will end soon because the environment can no longer keep pace. Acid rain is falling on one third of the Chinese territory; half of the water in our seven largest rivers is completely useless, while one fourth of our citizens do not have access to clean drinking water. One third of the urban population is breathing polluted air, and less than 20 percent of the trash in cities is treated and processed in an environmentally sustainable manner. Finally, five of the ten most polluted cities worldwide are in China..." Spiegel

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Posted Wed, 09/17/2008 - 11:45am.

[[ Categories: Livability & Environment ]]

This one is hard to swallow

Submitted by Steve on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 9:08pm.

"His moxie is inspiring in taking on China's bureaucracy and ruling communist party."

Puh-leexe, the Chinese know what you want to hear, they've had many years to hone propaganda skills.

Meanwhile after they mollify you and you fly back home (producing one auto-year worth of CO2), they go right back to being one of the world's worst polluters.

If they are so serious, then sign the Kyoto Protocol and actually do something. Yes, actually do something besides talk.

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You missed the point...

Submitted by Sam Adams on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 10:14pm.

...Steve. (BTW it is not necessary to comment on each post on this site) This guy deserve recognition for standing up and publically taking on his bosses in an authoritarian regime. He deserves some credit for that.

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re: You missed the point

Submitted by Steve on Tue, 09/23/2008 - 5:16am.

My point was that shouldn't we focus on what China is doing rather than the image they are trying to create. On your tour how many coal plants or factories with underpaid workers did you see. Don't you think this affects more CHinese than touring nice restaurants?

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