China’s economy has been primarily powered by coal, instead of petroleum and natural gas as in the majority industrialized economies. Its abundance in reserves has resulted in coal accounting for 70 percent of the country’s total energy supply. Serious environmental damage has resulted from the exploitation and consumption of coal poses a threat to the sustainability of the development of the Chinese economy. In 1993, 100,000 square kilometers of agricultural land endured the damages of industrial waste; the inappropriate use of waste and sludge resulted in 9,000 square kilometers being critically damaged after being utilized by piles of solid waste. Since the Chinese legislation concerning sustainable development was announced on the basis of a planned economy, China’s economic transition produced many problems; no environmentally related laws or regulations directly relevant to economic sectors have been established.
Guo, Rongxing. How the Chinese Economy Works. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment