Polluting to death: China introduces execution for environmental offenders

[zorgon]

Polluting to death: China introduces execution for environmental offenders


Workers sort waste plastic bottles at the Xiejiacun waste collection market in the Changping district of Beijing.(Reuters / China Daily)

China has introduced "harsher punishments" for breaking the nation's environmental protection laws: reckless violators of pollution standards in the world's biggest and fastest-growing economy now face execution.

A new judicial interpretation taking effect on Wednesday has tightened Chinese "lax and superficial" enforcement of environmental protection laws, Xinhua reported citing a government statement.

The government is set to introduce a "precise criteria for convictions and sentencing" while the "judicial explanation provides a powerful legal weapon." Law enforcement should take environmental regulations seriously and "all force should be mobilized to uncover law-breaking clues of environmental pollution in a timely way," the statement reads.


Household garbage and construction waste are placed next to a residential area in Beijing.(Reuters / Jason Lee)

Earlier this month the cabinet approved new measures to combat air pollution as social discontent over the air quality in urban centers continues to rise.

To help tackle the environmental danger, Beijing has promised to focus more on solar energy, despite ongoing trade disputes with the United States and Europe.


Polluted waters are seen at an industrial area of Wenzhou, in Zhejiang.(Reuters / Carlos Barria)

The State Council approved 10 anti-pollution measures aimed at reducing emissions from the industries which contributed to the country's economic miracle of the last three decades.

Cutting emissions per unit of GDP in key industries by at least 30 percent by the end of 2017 is one of the main objectives alongside curbing the growth of high-energy-consuming industries such as cement, steel, glass and aluminum.

Among other key measures on the table is to strengthen enforcement of penalties that firms pay based on their emissions scale. China also promised legal action for those industries that fail to upgrade pollution controls and introduce emissions standards.


A resident walks on the banks of a polluted river filled with dumped garbage at a suburban area of Taiyuan, Shanxi province.(Reuters / Stringer)

The battle for the environment became the new leadership's top agenda when the country underwent its once in a decade power transition. The previous leadership started the effort but enforcement has often been lacking.

According to a report published in April 2010 by Global Burden of Disease Study, air pollution in China was a contributing factor to 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010, almost 40 percent of the global total. Researchers equate that figure to 25 million healthy years of life from the population.

In March, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stated that  "urban air pollution is set to become the top environmental cause of mortality worldwide by 2050", estimating that up to 3.6 million people could die prematurely from air pollution each year, mainly in China and India.

The Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning in March said that cost of environmental degradation equated to some 3.5 percent of the 2010 GDP or $230 billion.


Visitors take pictures on Tiananmen Square during a foggy day in central Beijing, January 29, 2013. China issued a blue-coded alert on Sunday as foggy weather forecast for the coming two days will cut visibility and worsen air pollution in some central and eastern Chinese cities, Xinhua News Agency reported.(Reuters / China Daily)

In winter of 2013 Beijing was experiencing the worst environmental data on record. Levels of dangerous particles less than 2.5 micrometres across, known as PM2.5s, were 22 times what the World Health Organization considers safe. In response to the widespread public anger, authorities introduced emergency measures to thin traffic and shut down polluting industries. Rallies also erupted in May in the city of Kunming as thousands flooded the streets to protest against the planned production of a chemical at a refinery.

Problems related to pollution are also reaching China's vast countryside, the Ministry of Environmental Protection acknowledged early June.

"With industrialisation, urbanisation and the modernisation of agriculture, the situation for the rural environment has become grim," the ministry said. Crucial aspects emanate from an "increase in pressure from mining pollution and severe pollution from the raising of livestock and poultry."

Russian Times RT

[deuem]

I don't understand why they are forcing out all motor bikes in the cities. When most of the world is going the opposite way.

They should turn to more Electric cars, bikes and trains. They force all of these out. I can no longer ride my bike in any big city, they will take it away. Only cars allowed. God help you if you get behind a city bus on your bike. your face turns black with the diesel fuel bellowing out the tail pipe. Lets not even talk about the big trucks. But little 125cc bikes are now outlawed. When they said they would shift the driving days. Odd plates today and even the next day. Everyone went out and bought a second car with the other plate. Wow that worked well. Most of them bought a second though away car that has no emmision rules.

If they executed all the envionmental offenders there might not be too any people left.

[sky otter]

anybody  heard from deuem?



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/04/dead-fish-china_n_3865231.html
220,000 Pounds Of Poisoned Dead Fish Scooped Up In China In Reminder Of Pollution Plaguing Country
By LOUISE WATT 09/04/13 05:32 AM ET EDT 


BEIJING -- Authorities have scooped up around 100,000 kilograms (220,000 pounds) of dead fish they say were poisoned by ammonia from a chemical plant, environmental officials and state media said Wednesday, in a reminder of the pollution plaguing the country.

The Hubei province environmental protection department, notified of the piles of dead fish in central China's Fuhe River on Monday, pointed the finger at local company Hubei Shuanghuan Science and Technology Stock Co. Officials said sampling of its drain outlet showed that ammonia density far exceeded the national standard. The company said it wasn't going to immediately comment.

Inadequate controls on industry and lax enforcement of existing standards have worsened China's pollution problem, stemming from three decades of breakneck economic growth. High-profile incidents this year involving dead animals in rivers – not only deaths attributed to pollution but also carcasses dumped by farmers after die-offs at farms – have added to public disgust and suspicions about the safety of drinking water.

The latest incident has affected the nearby fishing village of Huanghualao, where 1,600 residents make a living from fishing, said the village's Communist Party secretary, Wang Sanqing.

"The dead fish covered the entire river and looked like snowflakes," he said, adding that the village has 150 fishing boats and could lose up to 70,000 yuan ($11,400) per day.

The environmental department warned the public not to eat the dead fish, but said drinking water was not affected. It said it ordered the company to suspend operations and fix the pollution problem.

The official Xinhua News Agency said about 100,000 kilograms of dead fish had been cleared from 40 kilometers (25 miles) of the river, but did not cite a figure for the number of fish. The environmental department said only that "a great number of fish" had been recovered.

___

Associated Press researcher Yu Bing contributed to this report.

[deuem]

anybody  heard from deuem?

Hi Sky, I heard form me...

On the water pollution, it is number 1 in my book here. Over 90% of all the water is polluted, includung ground water.
There are only a few places where one can drink free flowing water. You have to find a mountain stream. Old water being released.

Where my parents in law live, the people there still take garbarg down to the river and tossing it out. The next time it rains it is swept away and they think that is ok. This river, say a large stream you can walk across is so nice to look at. Then you turn around and see the banks all covered with garbage. It makes one sick. They say that 100 years ago. that was the drinking water. Now they only use it to water the rice. There are so many phospates in the water that the rocks are covered an inch thick in places with alge. Did i forget to say that this is also the place to wash your clothes. Hey, no running water in the homes, what else can one do.
Saying that It makes me wonder where my dirty city water goes. i see no treatment plants? But on the bright side, where I just left they are digging up evry road to place new septic pipes that will go to new plants. Yea! Now how long will it take to do the entire country?
In America, in the country side we always had leaching fields. I have never seen one here. But that works well if you have running water. I guess when the last few percent of drinking water is polluted people will wake up. Maybe! Most likely they will just blame someone else and suffer through it.
I live in a place where a bottle of water can cost more than a bottle of beer, go figure that one out. Gas and water are neck and neck depending on how you buy the water. Maybe we should drink gas and beer.

I figure that the people selling water want this to continue. Why not, they are making trillions of dollars. Why would they ever want people to be able to drink water from any faucet?

Deuem

[robomont]

sewage and trash is how the gov is justifying having some control over our property right.texas now requires maintenance contracts for all septic sewer systems.even if maintenance is un necessary.up in newyork folks are required to pay for trash and recycling and forced to recycle materials that businesses may prefer to save or sell.
i guess your right deuem.we all expel co.we are all major polluters.