Where in China is that? Bakersfield?

Soaring pollution levels in China may be even worse than thought because local governments bent on economic growth are lying about their progress in meeting environmental goals, state media said Thursday.

“The figures on pollution control reported by local governments dropped remarkably this year, while the real environmental situation continues to deteriorate,” said the unnamed official with the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

“The inaccurate figures were caused by insufficient supervision of the local governments and possible fabrication.”

The official’s comments mark the latest in a series of alarms by SEPA, which has said central-government efforts to curb the environmental damage from China’s chugging economy are being overwhelmed by the local pursuit of economic growth at any cost.

Aren’t we fortunate we already have this kind of federal oversight in the U.S.? No worries at all about bureaucrats or politicians lying to the public about environmental questions, military issues, corruption…whatever?



  1. Jägermeister says:

    China is not the worst polluter (the U.S. still keeps that spot), but the image Eideard posted with this story is a normal day in any huge Chinese city. You can hardly see 200 yards in any direction. China is so hell-bent on becoming a super power that they’re willing to sacrifice health and the environment in the process.

  2. ECA says:

    What I think funny, is that China could have all the BEST plants, that the US has learned to run.
    There are still to many companies that dont understand 1 neet thing.
    What MAY be your garbage MAY be someone ELSES fuel.
    Many greases and oils can be converted to be run in machines and cars, the methane can be Help and used to Fuel and electricity.
    Scraps of many Fibers can be reused, esp those of Wool and Cotton.
    Teach them the rules of recycling, and that someone could probably USE it, insted of throwing it ALL out.

    Beyond that, Im tired of catching the Lies the USA has passed around, and is continually caught in.

  3. Mark Derail says:

    Why is it that China has such low labor costs? That thousands die in coal mines every year? How many American miners die in coal mines every year? Decade?

    I think that the Chinese mentality is very sick and corrupt. They oppress the population so that there’s no majority educated middle-class.
    Yet all the kids growing up in the sixties + that went to school, how can the majority work for a dollar a day?

    Education and skilled labor should have fueled the economy….oh yeah, they are commies!

    So why does the US allow American businesses to do business with China, but not with Cuba !?! Shouldn’t those businesses be hounded by the press as commie lovers, prompting the public to shun them?

    Yet that’s what happens here in Canada. The “bad” companies like Walmart constantly get bad press for flagrant exploitation.

  4. moss says:

    Aside from the wacko from somewhere west of Charlottetown, I think that really is Bakersfield.

  5. Rob says:

    The Bush administration must be sick with envy at what Chinese government officials are able to get away with. So much economic growth, so little oversight and care for the people and the environment, it’s a GOP wet dream!

  6. Big A says:

    I don’t see how anyone can equate US with the Chinese. At least in the U.S. we don’t imprison or kill the tree-huggers. They might be a nuisance sometimes, but they’re allowed to exist. I’d like to see someone try to open up a PETA or Greenpeace office in mainland China. You’d be mowed down by a tank at the first protest.

  7. Timbo says:

    Chinese pollution is affecting Americans as it comes across the Pacific Ocean. Autism is due to mercury poisoning. Mennonites never took the MMR shots, so their kids never came down with autism — until recently. The Mennonites on the west coast are starting to report kids with autism. The only change in their environment is the coal smoke from the Red Chinese power plants which contains mercury. They don’t believe in stack scrubbers. The Kyoto Accord exempts them, since they aren’t filthy capitalists.

  8. Jägermeister says:

    Timbo… Where do you think American pollution go?

    http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/us-main-map.tcl

  9. Mr. Fusion says:

    #1,
    China is not the worst polluter (the U.S. still keeps that spot), but the image Eideard posted with this story is a normal day in any huge Chinese city.

    No one knows how much pollution China dumps every day. Our freedom to point this out is what prevents most pollution and cleans it up in America. China, on the other hand, has virtually NO controls and extremely bad monitoring.

    As much as the US emits, I doubt if it approaches the amount, toxicity, or longevity or what is dumped in China.

  10. Jägermeister says:

    #9

    What you wrote is true. I guess I should have limited my statement to the worst CO2 contributer.


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