Cleaner Greener China: Clean Technology, Green Products, New Ideas, Clean China

One of the key tenants of my belief that China will begin making strides in the numerous areas of sustainability development is that the pressure to do so from the masses is rising.

It is something I discuss as part of my Clean Up or Clean Out presentation, and while I typically focus on the role of consumers and organized activist groups (NGOs), we should recognize the fact that the unorganized activist groups are perhaps a factor more important than either group:

Villagers accuse the government of appropriating funds earmarked by the mine to compensate them for the pollution of their water supply and land subsidence, which has caused the collapse of many of their homes.

“The impact on ordinary people around here has been enormous,” a local resident surnamed Li said. “There’s no potable water here and our houses are collapsing. And then the factory bosses hire thugs to beat people. The were about 20 people who were beaten half to death.”

She said the violence was sparked Friday by the arrival of around 1,000 local residents, most of whom went to see what was happening.

Min Xinpei, scholar at Carnegie Endowment, often comments on the fact that the citizens have willingly allowed others to do things in the name of development that had an impact on their environments, but that there will come a time where local officials, business, and agencies will be held to account.

It is with this in mind, that we are now seeing a stronger government focus on developing stronger regulations, encouraging investment in clean energy/ water programs, supporting Environmental NGOs, and removing officials who are not doing their job.

There will most certainly be more incidents going forward, however if the lessons of Xiamen can be carried forward, and if eNGOs can be given a greater role, then I think the path forward will pointed in the right direction.