Green China And Young China РPan Yue (潘岳)

On China Dialogue, Pan Yue writes a two-part essay about the history and future of environmental protection in China, explaining why the current economic development model, environment and society are unsustainable because of choices made in the past. In the second part, he focuses on sustainable development as a cultural issue. From Part 1:

Development is a good thing in itself. But it must be integrated development across all areas, not just economic development. Only all-round, coordinated development is a good in itself. We have always taken “development” to mean economic development alone, and this to mean the simple accumulation of wealth. As a result, the pursuit of wealth has become the sole aim of society. In theory, the value of all resources is determined by the market price, but the latent value of scarce resources such as land, water, the environment, and biodiversity has been ignored. Many social resources have been absorbed by projects designed to help people “get rich quick”. Blind investment, continual rebuilding and a lifestyle based on massive consumption have built up an enormous financial risk. At the same time, the extreme worship of wealth has lead to a decline in consideration for others and a breakdown in social ethics and values. Affairs relating directly to the national economy and people’s livelihoods such as conservation, education and poverty alleviation have been neglected. [Full text]

Pan Yue (ÊΩòÂ≤≥) is deputy director of China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

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