From Comments, page 14, issue no. 347, December 24, 2007
Translated by Lam Li
Original article: [Chinese]

Amidst mounting criticism from the West over China's environmental record, some scholars are now taking a different view: The West's dependency on Chinese products has in fact just transferred the cost of pollution to China. The idea is emphasized in the latest report from the UK-based New Economic Foundation.

The independent think-tank also suggests that the focus of discussions about climate change should shift from blaming the producing country entirely to also holding consuming countries responsible.

In another publication, Japanese monthly magazine Voice's November issue carried an article by Professor Takemura Shinichi entitled, "The World is Polluting China". He points out that as China becomes the world's factory and churns out a myriad of goods for global consumptions, it has also borne the environmental costs-- at a global scale.

Although China's environmental problems are rooted at home and its environmental policy leaves much to be desired, these views are not totally baseless, and should be further explored by both the developed and developing world.

Consumerism-Driven Production
The period between the Second World War and the 1970s marked the steady rise of western consumerism, which pushed for both high production consumption, and led to heavy pollution.

Since 1972 when the global environmentalist movement started to campaign for change, the developed world has seen results. But environmental conditions in the developing countries have gradually worsen.

Throughout the 1970s, the West had maintained high economic output and high levels of consumptions while its environmental conditions improved. It appeared that with efficient conservation management, sustainable development seemed achievable.

Although some environmental advocates have criticized excessive consumerism, economists have often held it as the positive drive for growth. In fact, there is a common believe that if the Americans cut spending, it would be a prelude to economic downturn; the world seems to wish for never-ending growth in American consumerism.

In reality, the West's environmental policy efforts in the last century were concentrated on "acute" problems – especially those that directly led to public illnesses – like air and water pollutions. Whereas the "delayed" problems such as the depletion of resources and greenhouse gas emissions continue to exert tremendous pressure on the Earth as western economies and consumerism swelled.
The depletion of resources is linked to active consumerism. In a well known report entitled, "There is Only One Earth", it was shown that if the United States maintained the ratio of one car for every two Americans, with an average lifespan of 65 years, each American would exhaust 10 tons of steel in a lifetime.
In the 1970s, cars in the US numbered 120 million; by 2004, the nation's population was slightly under 300 million but car ownerships had hit 240 million while the average lifespan had increased to 75 years. At present, each American on average consumes 330kg of steel yearly.

From the above example, it is clear that the trend of developed countries exhausting resources through excessive consumerism has persisted.

Since the 1970s, the West has cleansed itself of the cost of such consumption by transferring polluting industries elsewhere; by increasing its dependence on imported goods to satisfy its enlargening consumerism.

As the New Economic Foundation report points out, if the rest of the world were to consume like the Americans do, we would need the resources of 5.3 earths; if we were to consume like the French or British do, then 3.1 earths are needed; this figure is 3 for Spain; 2.5 for Germany; 2.4 for Japan, and 0.9 for China. 

China has accommodated polluting industries for economic growth and to satisfy the appetite of Western consumers, and in the process, China has also come under the spell of consumerism-driven production model itself.

Since the end of World War II, new technology has enhanced efficiency and productivity. As the scale of industries and productions expanded, the market too has grown. That has encouraged the rise of the consumerism-driven production model where industries rely on the consumers' spendthrift mentality – leave the old for the new – for survival.

Industries that developed long-lasting products would not last, while those generating products with short lifespans would survive easier. To a certain extent, the western economic model has blended high consumption and excessive exhaustion of resources for growth.

Unfortunately, as China experiences rapid economic growth and its people enjoy greater buying power, the consumerism-driven production model is also taking root. What would happen to all the Chinese made products – garments, household electronics items, computers, cars, mobile phones and etc, if consumers stopped craving for more and for newer versions?

We dread to think of the possible consequences, especially when China is increasingly integrated into the global economy - a slump in its industry could lead to higher unemployment, and that could lead to a contraction in domestic spending, and in turn become a challenge to the world economy.

If the world population were to all march towards this model of consumption-driven-production, it would be a tremendous threat to our mother Earth. At present, China alone is producing enough cotton material for the world's 6.5 billion people, with each getting seven meters in length; shoes produced in China are enough for one pair for every person on the planet.

If the rest of the world were to consume like the Chinese do, we would only need 0.9 Earths. The statement appears like a compliment at first glance. But considering that the Chinese population is still expanding; Chinese income and buying power are at an early stage of growth; some 900 million farmers are still practising restrained spending; many in the cities are low income groups …evidently, all the above indicate that China has a lot more room for developing consumerism-driven production. This development can be of grave concerns.

With regards to China, we should adopt the stance of pro-sustainable development and reject consumerism-driven production. On the world stage, where the talk on climate change has become heated, we should pay more attention to the argument of "shifting the blame from production countries to consuming countries".

When the developed countries undertake their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they should not breach it via imports produced in a manner detrimental to the environment. This is in the best interest of a sustainable Earth.

On the other hand, China should continue improving the environmental awareness of its citizen-- this we have a lot to learn from the developed nations. In terms of production and consumption, we need to explore a model that stresses conservation of resources and promotes measured spending. These are no easy tasks.