How effective has the Chinese government been at resolving the environmental

and energy problem?

After Chinas opening up in 1978, CCP has been taking the easy way out of using
cheap but polluting sources of energy, giving rise to the situation of
environmental degradation that grew to become critically severe over time.
While governmental efforts have been expended to cut back on Chinas
environmental and energy inefficiency problems, the results achieved are a far
cry from the efforts put in. Hence, this essay seeks to argue that China has
largely not been successful because despite many progresses made and
innovations designed at resolving its environmental woes, continued unbridled
economic growth, corruption and lack of respect for the rule of law are reasons
why Chinas success remained limited.
The Chinese government has displayed great political determination at
improving the environmental conditions and problem of energy inefficiency in the
country. This is related to sustaining the political legitimacy of the country and
the promotion of its international image. Hu Jintao in the Seventeenth Party
Congress in year 2008 has called for due attention to be paid to the environment
as China progresses. Hus scientific concept of development too stressed the
need to develop the economy in an environmentally friendly manner. The Green
GDP was implemented to assess local officials not only on their performance at
promoting the economy but also their efforts at protecting the environment.
China was able to ensure that Beijings sky stays clear and remove tones of
algae from the coasts of Qingdao prior to the 2008 Olympics Games. The 2010
Shanghai Expo is designed to be a showcase for Chinas achievements in the
green technology. Chinese ministries have been considering the implementation
of an environmental tax to cut down on pollution level.
Drastic measures undertaken to ensure environmental conservation and energy
efficiency have attained some successes. To stem the momentum of
desertification and soil erosion leading to floods, Premier Zhu Rongji banned
logging of old trees. Huge programs at reforestation and reconstruction of lakes
were also embarked. High-sulphur coals are heavily taxed to discourage their
usage. Manufacturing and distribution of thinned plastic bags were banned in
China. The Water Pollution Law is drawn up to severely punish companies
responsible for water contamination. Dams are built to prevent floods and to
exploit hydro-power to generate electricity for regional needs.
Resources have also been poured into the research and development of
technologies that could solve Chinas environmental woes and improve energy
efficiency. China is the worlds largest investor in developing eco-friendly
alternative and renewable energies. Bold initiatives are made by the government
and public businesses to harness wind and solar power for industrial and home
usage. Pacts signed with countries like Singapore to build eco-cities and
ecologically-friendly industrial parks. State-of-art green lungs are designed and
constructed around the Beijing city. Government subsidized and supported the
proliferation of privately-owned green technology industries. In 2010, Chinese
company, Suntech, is already the worlds largest manufacturer of solar panels.
Governments efforts at educating the public on being environmental
consciousness and energy conservation have achieved some success.
Advertisements and other programs launched on the media strived to encourage
its audience to be more environmentally friendly in their lifestyle. Celebrities

became role models to Chinese youths in the countrys bid to promote

environmental awareness. Surveys have shown that more Chinese, as compared
with the Americans, are willing to sacrifice some comforts of modern living in
order to protect the environment. More NGOs are formed each year to monitor
and highlight concerns of victims suffering from pollution.
Despite efforts of the government, China is still home to some of the worlds
most polluted cities and energy wastage remains high. According to the WHO,
China has seven of the ten most-polluted cities in the world. Acid rain continues
to fall on about 30% of Chinas total land area. Chinas water is polluted also by
the disposal of large quantities of organic and toxic waste form households,
agriculture and industry. Water pollution has led to severe water shortages in
some provinces. This is evident in the 2008 Olympics where guaranteed fresh
water supply to Beijing has resulted in drought around the capitals surrounding
countryside. Cancer villages are dotted along the polluted rivers of the inland
provinces. Rural unrests caused by resentment against environmental
contamination are commonplace.
Instances of environmental degradation and usage of inefficient energy continue
as the annual double-digit Chinese economic growth raises energy consumption
and churns out more polluting industries. Hu has mentioned in the Seventeenth
Party Congress that despite needs for a holistic national development, China
must continue to sustain its high economic growth. Such has served to defeat
any ongoing attempts at improving the countrys environmental conditions.
Given the governments current drive to hasten industrialization into inland
China, residents living in the Pearl River Delta suffered from air pollution every
day. Quality of air remained poor in major developed cities such as Guangzhou.
Large tracts of land were also deforested in Southwestern China each year to
give way to factories, recreational sites and farmlands.
Environmental problems and efforts to improve energy efficiency are also
exacerbated by rampant corruption and widespread disregard for the rule of law.
Private businessmen and industrialists are able to circumvent environmental
laws, so as to cut down costs of production, through bribing the relevant local
officials. This is a major contributing factor of industrial pollution, especially in
the western provinces where supervision by the central government is negligible.
Cases of illegal logging are reported in Yuanan province, where corrupted officials
collaborated with unscrupulous businessmen to profiteer.
Inefficient and rising energy consumption is also an obstacle to the efforts at
improving the environment. Chinese energy consumption has been woefully
inefficient, even when compared with India. This results in huge wastage and
widespread environmental contamination. Rapid urbanization and a more
affluent lifestyle for the average citizen also mean higher national energy
consumption. Each year, millions of cars are added to the roads of China and air
pollution is worsened. Most factories and many households are still dependent on
cheap coals for the generation of energy.
In conclusion, governmental efforts have been expended to cut back on Chinas
environmental and energy inefficiency problems. However, the results achieved
are a far cry from the efforts put in. Therefore, China has largely not been
successful because despite many progresses made and innovations designed at
resolving its environmental woes, continued unbridled economic growth,

corruption and lack of respect for the rule of law are reasons why Chinas success
remained limited.