China’s Next Big Boom Could be the Foul Air

China’s rise has both staggered and threatened the rest of the world. Sometimes the portrayal of China's military power as a threat has been exaggerated. An announcement by a top Chinese environmental official last week, however, introduced a statistic that is true cause for anxiety. Pollution levels in China could more than quadruple in the next 15 years if China does not slow its energy consumption and automobile use. Some say that it is more likely the levels will merely triple, but readily concede that this would be bad enough, given the nature of the current situation to begin with. For example, China is the world’s second-largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions and is preparing to replace the US as the largest. Pollution in China is already breeding social unrest and is beginning to receive needed political attention. While some in China are protesting environmental degradation, however, other sectors of society are contributing to the problem. The automobile industry, a major source of pollution, is a strong element of the economy and car ownership and has emerged as status symbol for China’s middle class. Industrial pollution is difficult to control as local officials tend to ignore restrictions in deference to factories that pay local taxes. While the environment is fast becoming a major issue in China, the government nevertheless remains suspicious of environmental groups in view of the roles such groups played in Central Europe. As the world perception of China tends to focus on its remarkable growth, it is important for the global community to recognize the seriousness of the environmental problems China faces from the gathering smog. – YaleGlobal