Amazing Pictures, Pollution in China
October 21st, 2009 by Key | Posted in News | 1,501 Comments »[QQ] October 14, 2009, the 30th annual awards ceremony of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund took place at the Asia Society in New York City. Lu Guang (卢广) from People’s Republic of China won the $30,000 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography for his documentary project “Pollution in China.”
Lu Guang (卢广), freelancer photographer, started as an amateur photographer in 1980. He was a factory worker, later started his own photo studio and advertising agency. August of 1993 he returned to post-graduate studies at the Central Arts and Design Academy in Beijing (now is the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University). During graduate school, he studied, traveled all over the country and carved out a career, became the “dark horse” of the photographer circle in Beijing. Skilled at social documentary photography, his insightful, creative and artistic work often focused on “social phenomena and people living at the bottom of society”, attracted the attentions of the national photography circle and the media. Many of his award winning works focused on social issues like, “gold rush in the west”, “drug girl”, “small coal pit”, “HIV village”, “the Grand Canal”, “development of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway” and so on.
1. “At the junction of Ningxia province and Inner Mongolia province, I saw a tall chimney puffing out golden smoke covering the blue sky, large tracts of the grassland have become industrial waste dumps; unbearable foul smell made people want to cough; Surging industrial sewage flowed into the Yellow River…”
- Lu Guang
2. Chemical waste from Jiangsu Taixing Chemical Industrial District (江苏泰兴化工园区) dumped on top of the Yangtze River bank. May 15, 2009
3. Fan Jai Zhuang in Anyang City, Henan province, (河南安阳市范家庄) there is only one wall separating this village from the steelmaking furnaces. The villagers live in this heavily polluted environment where the village is under the iron rain every day. March 24, 2008
4. Industrial sewage of Zhejiang Xiaoshan Industrial District (浙江萧山化工园区) eventually flowed into Qiantang River. April 24, 2009
5. Henan Anyang iron and steel plant’s (河南安阳钢铁厂) sewage flowed into Anyang River. March 25, 2008
6. Guiyu, Guangdong province, (广东省贵屿镇) rivers and reservoirs have been contaminated, the villager is washing in a seriously polluted pond. November 25, 2005
7. Shizuishan Industrial district in Ningxia province (宁夏石嘴山湖滨工业园区), the tall chimneys spitted out smoke and dust. Residents took preventive measure for the falling dust from the sky when going outside. April 22, 2006
8. In the Yellow Sea coastline, countless sewage pipes buried in the beach and even extending into the deep sea. April 28, 2008
9. In Ma’anshan, Anhui province (安徽马鞍山), along the Yangtze River there are many small-scaled Iron selection factories and plastic processing plants. Large amounts of sewage discharged into the Yangtze River June 18, 2009
10. In Inner Mongolia there were 2 “black dragons” from the Lasengmiao Power Plant (内蒙古拉僧庙发电厂) covering the nearby villages. July 26, 2005
11. Jiangsu province Changshu City Fluorine Chemical industry land sewage treatment plant (江苏省常熟市氟化学工业园污水处理厂) was responsible for collection and processing of the industrial sewage. However they did not, the sewage pipe was extended 1500 meters under the Yangtze River and releasing the sewage there. 2009 June 11
12. Soil by Yangtze River, was polluted by Anhui Province Ma’anshan Chemical Industrial District (安徽省马鞍山化工园区). June 26, 2009
13. Large amount of the industrial wastewater flowed to Yellow River from Inner Mongolia Lasengmiao Industrial District (内蒙古拉僧庙工业园区) every day. July 26, 2005
14. A Large amount of the chemical wastewater discharged into Yangtze River from Zhenjiang Titanium mill (镇江市钛粉厂) every day. Less than 1,000 meters away downstream is where the water department of Danyang City gets its water from. June 10, 2009
15. In Haimen city, Jiangsu province Chemical Industrial District sewage treatment Plant (江苏省海门市化工园区污水处理厂) discharged wastewater into Yangtze River. June 5, 2009
16. Hebei Province Shexian Tianjin Iron and steel plant (河北省涉县天津钢铁厂) is a heavily polluting company. Company scale is still growing, seriously affecting the lives of local residents. March 18, 2008
17. Longmen town in Hanchen city, Shaanxi Province (陕西省韩城市龙门镇) has large-scaled industrial development. Environment is very seriously polluted there. April 8, 2008
18. There are over 100 chemical plants in Jiangsu province coastal industry district. (江苏滨海头罾沿海化工园区) Some of them discharge wastewater into the ocean; some heavily contaminated sewage is stored in 5 “Sewage Temporary Pools”. During the 2 high tides in every month, the sewage then gets discharged into the ocean with the tides. June 20, 2008
19. Jiangxi Province Hu Ko County Chemical Industry district (江西省胡口县化工园区) is by the Yangtze River. Chemical factory landfill the Yangtze River bank to expand the scale of the factory without authorization.
20. Anhui Province Cihu Chemical Industry District (安徽省慈湖化工园区) built a underground pipe to discharge wastewater into the Yangtze River. The wastewater sometimes is black, gray, dark red, or yellow, wastewater from different chemical factories has different colors. June 18, 2009
21. Shanxi Province is the most polluted areas of China. It is also the province with the highest rate of birth defects. This loving farmer couple adopted 17 disabled children. April 15, 2009
“In Some areas of China people’s lives were threatened because of the environmental pollution. Residents suffering from all kinds of obscured diseases, the cancer villages, increase of deformed babies, these were the results of sacrificing environment and blindly seeking economical gain.”
- Lu Guang
22. Elder shepherd by the Yellow River cannot stand the smell. April 23, 2006
23. 15-year-old boy from Tianshui, Gansu Province (甘肃天水), dropped out of the school after 2nd grade, followed his parents to Heilonggui (黑龙贵) Industrial District. He earns 16 yuan a day. April 8, 2005
24. Inner Mongolia province Heilonggui (黑龙贵) Industrial District, the couple who worked at the Plaster Kiln and just got home. March 22, 2007
25. Villagers from Kang village in Linfen City, Shanxi Province (山西省临汾市下康村) due to long-term consumption of the polluted water contaminated by industrial waste, there were 50 people who have cancer and cerebral thrombosis. 64-year-old Wang Baosheng got ill since 2003, he has fester all over his body so he cannot go to bed and lying face down on the edge of the bed each day. July 10, 2005
26. Breathing in large amount of dust into the lungs, people gets sick after working there for 1-2 years. Most of these migrant workers come from area of poverty. April 10, 2005
27. Zhangqiao village by the Hong River in Wugang City, Henan Province (河南省舞钢市洪河边的张桥村), a 45-year-old woman Sun Xiaojun (孙晓军) could not move her feet and hands since 4 years ago. The numerous hospital treatments were not effective. April 7, 2009
28. Zhaozhuang village by the Hong River in Wugang City, Henan province (河南省舞钢市洪河边的赵庄村), 66-year-old Zhao Bingkun suffering from esophageal cancer since 2004, after the second surgery, treatment cost already have reached over 200,000 yuan. His condition is in late stage, he is having fever everyday, waiting for death. April 7, 2009
29. Zhaozhuang village by the Hong River in Wugang City, Henan province (洪河边的河南省西平县张于庄村), Gao Wanshun’s (高万顺) wife died of cancer. Now he lives in poverty. April 3, 2009
30. Linfen City in Shanxi province (山西临汾市) is seriously polluted area. Farmers after working in the cotton fields for 2 hours are filled with coal ashes. September 24 2007
31. Salt factory worker in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province (江苏连云港) said angrily, “when the wind blowing towards our side, the foul smell from the chemical factories is unbearable. There is even more poison gas at night.” July 19, 2008
32. People form Fanjiazhuang (范家庄) are ready to submit a complain filled with their fingerprints, to seek compensation for pollution damages. March 19, 2008
33. In Shanxi Province there are a lot of charitable nursing homes, to help disabled infants abandoned by their parents. April 14, 2009
34. Liujiawan village by the Hong River in Wugang City, Henan province (河南省舞钢市洪河边的刘家湾村), 13 year old Yang Xiao in November 2008 was ill with obscure disease. She was saved by the donation of the villagers. When the grandmother saw the old village chief came to visit his granddaughter, she kneeled on the ground holding granddaughter’s hand. April 19, 2009
35. The oldest is 9, not going to school. The youngest is less than 2 years old. They lived in severely polluted area. They hands and faces were always dirty. April 10, 2005
36. Mazhuang village by the Hong River in Wugang City, Henan province, (河南省舞钢市洪河边的马庄村) 58-year-old Ma Haipeng (马海朋) was suffering from stomach cancer since 2006 and could not work in the field. He must take medicine every day, otherwise it is too painful. April 6, 2009
37. Every year, a lot of deficiency babies in Shanxi Province were abandoned. Kong Zhenlan (孔贞兰) in Qi town (祁县) who was making a living by recycling trash adopted 25 abandoned children. April 14, 2009
38. Xuanwei (宣威) in Yunnan province is a cancer village. Every year there are more than 20 people die of cancer. 11-year-old student Xu Li (徐丽) is suffering from bone cancer. May 8, 2007
39. In Shexian Village, Hebei Province, (河北省涉县固新村) the existing cancer patients are more than 50 people and more than 20 cancer patients die each year. March 18, 2008
40. Zhangyuzhuan village by the Hong River in Xiping county, Henan province, (河南省西平县洪河边的张于庄村) 22-year-old Zhu Xiaoyan (朱小燕) had a tumor in her stomach in 2007. She died after number of hospital treatments on July 2008. 4-year-old girl with her grandfather came to mother’s tomb. April 2009 2
original source: Fengniao
Followup: Interview with Lu Guang, the photographer of “Pollution in China”
Tags: Art, Lu Guang, Photos, Pollution, Pollution in China
just amazing. to tell you the truth even if you decide not to publish it? i stopped buying made in china products. this is for the Chinese people benefits.
Uncle B,
Take scissors, clip the map of Norway and lay it out on the map of USA. Then add up the Norway population and find a city in USA that matches it, you would have no problem find one. That will give you some idea of scale. Comprende?
The toilet tanks in USA/Canada are between one (modern) to 2.5 gallons(older). Whoever gave you the 16 gallons figure was a BS artist.
Also, Uncle B, China communist roots saw the Great Leap Forward when the scale of pollution grew geometrically. The communist roots were also responsible for 100 million deaths during the 20th century. Mao himself was responsible for alion share of that figure. What a paradise!
It amazes me how some people glorify a political system that brought nothing but misery, death and enslavement. I lived under it for 30 years, so I have it first hand.
Uncle B I think you forgot to take your pills this morning. FXck these comments “You did it before so we can fxck things up too”, “You are the ones who buy the stuff”, “We need the economic progress to get military power” and all the other bullshaite. You LEARN from other’s mistakes, you DON’T repeat them or you are a moron. Do you think the people who actually benefit from these plants actually LIVE in within range of their mess? Fxck no,, they live in Shanghai or Beijing where they spend their blood money on expensive cars and bribing officials to get their spoiled offspring into the best universities. There is absolutely NO excuse for this. A couple of owners and bribed officials get incredibly rich while the people working there and the people who live in the area get the lowest wage possible and their lives destroyed. The foreign appologists and the nationalistic Chinese should wake up and smell the roses. This kind of “progress” is a loss for everybody. Stop making excuses for these corrupt megalomaniac businessmen and owners who are destroying this beautiful country and killing it’s people in the name of hard cash. Shame.
Guess it is time for the Chinese citizens to rise up. Or are you suggesting some other nation should invade them and “liberate” them. Cause you know democracy can be imposed by outside countries, just look at Iraq and Afghanistan, beacons of hope I tell ya!
as long as america continues to crave inexpensive products will this nightmare continue
I hope you don’t have sex. Because if you do, the simple act of you wanting to have sex is forcing children in to sexual slavery. (Sorry, just trying to use your logic)
I’m sure the People’s Republic wouldn’t care about the welfare of those “few” people living in villages near these monstrous industrial wastelands. After all, they’re home to 1.3 BILLION HUMAN BEINGS.
I just hope that the people running this emerging economy could wake up one day and see that the 10% annual GDP growth rate is so not worth the destruction they cause to Mother Earth. If it backfires, all this incredible pollution, they are not the only ones who will be affected but ultimately all of us who are living in this precious planet.
PEOPLE, WAKE UP!
“as long as america continues to crave inexpensive products will this nightmare continue”
No. This is one of these mindless BS utterances.
People buy cheap stuff no matter what is the origin. Not because they crave it but because it is often hard to meet their needs with their budgets.
The Chinese government pegs yuan against dollar artificially low. If the yuan was floated as other major currencies, the price tag for those products would rise sharply. This Chinese bubble is temporary. People are stopping buying some Chinese products because of a shoddy quality and many cases of industrial waste being used as a filler in products, or outright poison (pet food). Market works its way and in time, no matter how cheap, people won’t buy it anymore.
In fact, I’d posit that made in USA products can be inexpensive because of greater productivity of the American worker (not union goons taking $70/hr, that is a dinosaur that the current recession would probably make extinct).
this is terrible, bit it is true world
Read the River Runs Black….China’s Pollution nightmare.
And they say capitalists are bad. Yet America is on it’s way to communism. Hope the liberals will be happy.
Holy crap are you an idiot.
No Panda is exactly right!
They’re both perfect in writing, but in practicality neither work. Because civilization doesn’t work forever. It sounds nice, but people abuse it. Here’s why:
Capitalism – People own their businesses with little government action. The problem that stems from this is that people within our society are prone to take advantage of whoever is lower than them, so the government has to regulate some things.
Communism – Business is controlled by the government, and the wealth is shared. The huge problem with this is that everything that is done is done in the interest of the GOVERNMENT, not the people. This is the part that people confuse. The idea of communism is to benefit the people as a whole, but when you have a power-hungry government running (as any government will become) people are left out and the government puts its power first.
The point is that no matter what subdivision of a government you have in this world, these “civilized” people will exploit it for their own gain. Do you not see this? Even green initiatives are only slowing down our progress towards the destruction of the world, but SLOWING DOWN ISN’T ENOUGH GOD DAMMIT!!! This world is here to nurture us, and we’re destroying it.
Pandanapper says:
2009/10/24 at 9:35 am
And they say capitalists are bad. Yet America is on it’s way to communism. Hope the liberals will be happy.
Its because of the capitalists that all these factories are running. Who do you think get half the goods they manufacture? The western world. We are all implicated in this.
Very well said, my good sir!
That is why I feel national socalism strikes the correct balance. First ll freedom and liberty will have to go.
Are you retarded? Who do you think these factories are running for? Fat-ass americans, that’s who!
Fat asses will be outlawed under national socalism. Fatties will go to the reeducation camps with Ron Paul and his gold owning supporters.
It’s rampent capitalism that’s killing China. Before communism the Chinese were starving. I remember at the supper table my Dad telling us to eat up because the Chinese were starving etc. Communism pulled China out of this huge problem. Now they’ve agressively become capitalist in much the same manner that Britain did at the beginning of the industrial revolution.
And, really, try to get a grip on reality! America is nowhere near communist and never will be. However, their corporate wealfare system is killing prosperity very quickly and you can thank Bush for a lot of that as he dove into war in a classical way of imperialists trying to save their bacon.
Obama followed along with corporate welfare by feeding the partying bankers as people were made homeless and their houses were left to be looted and to rot.
China is killing itself. It`s crazy. How many western companies are raping China while they are fully knowledgable of the damage they are causing.
Victoria, BC has a long pipe into the ocean to rid itself of waste and Montreal does the same into the St. Lawrence River. The poison is beginning to kill our oceans. It`s China`s huge dence population that is exacerbating their situation but the dirty oil in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is causing big increases of cancers in native communities that rely upon the fish in their now poluted lakes. This is not an obvious stinky polution but the rare cancers are caused by a chemical specifically created from oil production.
So, forget the ommunist crap and start working to help clean up our world instead of sniffling about your notion that everything is going communist. You belong with McCarthy back in the 50s.
capitalism doesn’t kill people, people kill people.
And the Kyoto agreements leave China alone – it does not require China to clean up its mess. The US seems to be the only country that has a problem with this. The rest of the world’s governments seem to care about as much for the well-being of the Chinese people as the Chinese government does – not at all.
I have news for you: China is a capitalist country. They are politically repressive, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t capitalist.
Why are people suprised?
What people don’t understand is the unintended consequences of liberal policies that discourage domestic production under the false notion of being pro-environment and pro-worker. Industrial pollution didn’t go away, it just went overseas and became even less regulated and more disasterous. Instead of market wages being paid to American workers, we are employing slaves via our Chinese proxy.
Pro manufacturing policy in America IS the most eco friendly and pro middle class option. It’s alot easier to enforce REASONABLE and COMPETITIVE environmental controls when production takes place within your own borders.
Unchecked environmental and pro-union policy has helped to create this disaster. America can compete under reasonable environmental regulations and market driven wages but not under the current set of growth supressing liberal regulations.
Trying to assign blame for unchecked 3rd world pollution to the MODERATE environmental controls and REASONABLE union benefits enjoyed by a small percentage of american workers is ridiculous. The issue is not pro or anti manufacturing. It is rather the deadly combination of unchecked capitalism and a totalitarian regime that offers zero transparency or accountability to it’s citizens.
Yeah and i’m sure NAFTA had nothing to do with that. The problem is having a global free market system in which the countries that care least for their citizens are most likely to take advantage of their cheap labor source. It’s not an issue of capitalism vs communism, it’s the issue of environmental and labor policies. It’s not that hard to keep industries clean enough to operate successfully in the US, labor is the issue, it’s cheaper to hire skilled and unskilled workers in china and india than it is here.
I love how strong the government in china is. As the command specialist major of the army I hope to help someday usher in a national socialist government here in the US. I am so much smarter than anyone else and if all of you were not so stupid you would realize it. I also love illegal aliens that sneak into the US.
FUCK You SLAVE A,
I am glad ERIC THE DEAD ASS HUN IS ROTTING AWAY IN HIS GRAVE!
!!!!!!FUCK U WAYNE!!!!!!!
See You in HELL!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do Americans always deal in ‘liberal/republican/democratic’ policies. Its bullshit. Production has move over to places like china because it is cheap.
They are known as the BRIC counties. Brazil, Russia, India China. All upcoming countries, with large access to cheaper resources and labour.
It would have moved over there either way, and wasn’t Bush a Republican? Where did that take him?
Heard enough in the news about the Republicans in the US giving the NHS a bad name, something they clearly have no clue about. I live in the UK and think it is fantastic, along side most people who live here.
We do have private health care as well you know, you just have to pay for it…
Get it right for once.
Someday when I am the overlord of America we will not. All political parties but mine will be outlawed, and I will personaly shoot all political opposition in the face with my A-10
Can you really shoot someone in the face with an A-10? Wouldn’t the round hit all parts of the body simultaneously? Either way you couldn’t prove you shot anyone in the face because there would probably be no face… or body for that matter. That depleted uranium shell would probably incinerate the person completely. So that quite an empty threat. If you really want to make a statement once you are overlord, shoot them with .50 Cal.
As PFCIC of Propaganda Unit 425, I fully and blindly follow and support “Dave_A”. We must work even quicker to destroy the US. We must begin kidnapping foreigners and especially Communists in large numbers and bring them here. Wait, I think there’s enough Communists in the US as it is, so we’ll just work harder to bring in more parasitic immigrants to feed off the tit of the US taxpayer until we drag everyone down to a third world status.
Oh, I have news for you. China is a Communist country. The government doesn’t care about individual rights and regulates nothing that stands in the way of continued financing of the government. No freedom of anything in the PRC, just the way the liberals in the US like it.
Long live Dave_A!
You may yet excape the reeducation camps my friend.
Can I be minister of shooting people in the face?
We will see, do you love illegal aliens?
Wow I think you guys tried so hard to act like fascists you became them. Good job showing your horns, ass.
I am thinking someone needs to either spend time in a reeducation camp or face my A_10?
Sad…but very real. I feel for these children, their parents know what could happen if they procreate yet they do it anyway then abandon them? Wow..I hope I am gone long before anything like that happens here. I am so grateful to god that my children and myself do not have to live there.
This set of photographs is very sad, very powerful and “Dickensian”…
DAMN…THATS SOME SHIT…ARNT THERE RULES ABOUT THAT KINDA POLUTION
Amazing photography; they truly capture the meaning.
I love our federal government so much. I wish it could somehow take my virginity. Perhaps an illegal alien could join in. Then we could throw Ron Paul and all his gold loving supporters into a reeducation camp. That would be so hot.
David, you truly are a man full of beatifull dreams.
Can you feel my love for the federal government?
they are just a bunch of wogs anyway, who gives a shit
What the fuck is a wog?
Its someone that does not love their government unconditionaly. I hate those types of people
You know what? These are people too! The deserve respect and the opportunity to live. They never asked to be placed in these conditions. Some people were simply born into their current circumstances and cannot find means to make change. I am terribly sorry you feel the way you do; I suggest you look deep within yourself and find your heart and ask yourself if you would want you or your family to be bound to these conditions.
The only problem with china in my brilliant opinion is the government puts too much emphasis on personal freedom. I would be happy to fly my A-10 over and shoot anyone that opposes the chinese government.
Heat-seeking dildo rockets FTW!
Please let your A10 be made of gold, so that the peons will see if from afar, a vision of beauty to boggle their feeble, freedom-loving midget minds.
I hate gold and anything of value to back a currancy. I prefer a fiat currancy backed by faith in our beloved government. That is why I hate Ron Paul. I am also very jealous of how handsmome he is and of the fact that his mom dresses him better than my mom dresses me.
The world would be such a better place with less freedom. The majority of the human race has the soul of a slave and I am living proof of that.
I love illegal aliens and the federal government. I look forward to the day all of humanity lives under the jack boot of a strong one world government.
And guess who is driving their economy and paying off their industrialists to do such atrocities? It’s our money and our greed for cheap-chinese-walmart merchandise which drives this. We can also take a good portion of the blame for things like amazon rainforests (slash and burn to produce cheap beef) or deforestation of much of asia-pacific (eg. vast palm, coconut, and other plant oil plantations to meet american demand).
Think about those pics next time you go to walmart. Made in China means made without any care to human rights, child labor, or enviroment. Your dollars support it, so stop making excuses. Simply buying LESS stuff is an option, if no properly-made items are available to buy.
Agreed. I can not wait for the day when our government tells what we can buy and how much.
As a brilliant proponent of national socialism, I am sure under my strong hand it will work this time. No racism will be tolerated. As a matter of fact I had a relative die at one of the nazi death camps. Of course he fell out of a guard tower but that is beside the point……
And as the smartest person alive let me go on the record as being in favor of reeducation camps VS death camps. People are too valuable a property for our beloved federal government to piss away. But make no mistake some freedom loving, gold owning bastards are getting gunned down by me in my A-10.
I just wish china would quit messing around with freedom and liberty and get down to the business of exploiting there people as the chattel they are. I long for the day when all production is in the hands of an elite few, and I am free to march around in my jackboots and shoot Ron Paul supporters in the face with my A-10. A day when I can achieve greatness like another unappreciated corporal from history. A day when people do not smack me around like a little bitch and put cigarettes out on my neck.
Dave_A,
Zhis is your shrink, if you don’t start taking your pills RIGHT NOW I will send over a SWAT-team and have them inserted anally.
That is hot. Will you wear jackboots and read from Mein Kampf while you do it? And will to tell me how smart I am. I am smarter than you dont you know.
And speaking of chinese, I love chinese food. My favorite is creamofsumyunguy. I get it fresh from a chinese friend of mine. I know everyone cares about that, because everyone always wants to know my opinion on everything, because I am so much smarter than you.
best troll or best troll?
That would be my good friend ass-jism. He also goes by bear_grillz, we are thinking of becoming lovers.
My love for the federal government is only balanced by my hatred for freedom and liberty.
David, for the love of God.
Do not love God, love your government. And illegal aliens as well.
But dont worry I will always be happy to share my vast knowledge with those of you much more stupid than me. In fact once I retire as the command specialist major of the army I may open up a booth of knowledge somewhere. I should be charging and not dropping these pearls of wisdom for free!
At least we don’t get food from there, oh wait.
My Nikes where really clean out of the box….
Included in my master plan for national socalism, there will be a fresh clean pair of nikes for everyone that shoots a Ron Paul supporter in the face, or is helps smuggle an illegal alien across the border. Because I am so brilliant. And you are not.
wow, life in a Communist dump.
Exactly. That is why I am an advocate for national socalism.
This is the end of the world, it’ll will spread if nothing is done. I’ve never seen any third world nation suffer this kind of horrible environmental conditions…why? because they never had the technology to abuse.
Once all the world kneels before me that will change.
God Damned you Ed_S, Go fuck your self you spick piece of shit.
BTW, I have evidence that you lied about your service and that you are a little homo fucking LEG!
FUCK DAVE A and FUCK YOU ED_S
FUCK ERIC THE DEAD ASS HUN, I am glad he is DEAD AND ROTTING IN HIS GRAVE!
FUCK HIM!
I wonder how much chinas carbon credits will cost?
Dont know but they had better pay in US dollars backed by nothing more than faith in my beloved federal government, or else its straight to the reeducation camp for Ron Paul!
I can not wait until everyone loves the federal government as much as I do. I hate people that support freedom, constantly throwing the constitution in my face. Like I care what a bunch of old dead guys had to say about personal liberty.
Boycott purchasing anything from China- easy.
You do not want me to fire up the A-10!
Much respect for Lu Guang. Those are powerful images with a potent message. It must have been a difficult personal journey just to have taken them.
I just hope we can make enough environmental difference before we all choke on our own pollution.
With the help of national socalism we will. That and lots of illegal aliens.
Most of these posts are caught up in the capitalism vrs communism argument and completly miss the point. The issue at hand is the disregard for the environment and ultimately for human life. It doesn’t matter what system of government you are ruled by because the common tread that ties them all together is that they do not care about you, your life, or the circumstances of your death. Do you think bitching and moaning on the internet will change things? Its almost as pointless as protesting, hey look im standing in the street with a sign [insert your liberal motivational empowerment phrase here]. The only thing that has or ever will bring about change is to take up arms. But I doubt that any of you will because the internet is where cowards come to complain.
Word pc19xx! Party for your right to fight!
why isn’t there a cure for cancer? that would totally solve this predicament.
-oh and Fuck government and lack thereof
The solution is obvious -Send al gore to china he will straighten them out
this is fucked up. Respect for Lu Guang. im going to think a little more next time i see something with a made in china logo
There is no cure for cancer, only more causes. Prevent cancer. Stop buying all this crap. Stop allowing the pollution in your neighborhood. I live in south florida where five pipes spew hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage mixed with chemicals into the ocean everyday at the site of the continental USA’s only coral reef system. Do something about it. Stop drinking bottled water. Stop buying CRAP. You don’t need a new chinese dress. You don’t need plastic coated junk mail. You don’t need to buy chinese made plastic coated plastic chemically fireproofed halloween costumes. Make a sign instead, go as a protester.
I usually don’t post comments, but I have to here.
These are some of the most uneducated, illogical comments I have ever encountered.
I love how people of privilege (individuals who perpetuate this problem) can be so misinformed.
America IS going to crap, there is no gurantee that this won’t happen to us and it is all because of people like YOU.
The only problem with America is a lack of illegal aliens and a need for a stronger federal government. As the command specialist major of the army I can solve both as I am that much smarter than you…..
Dave-A,
there is no such thing as a Command Specialist Major….how retarded are you?
My dear Violette,
Perhaps you should condemn China’s laws instead of attacking people who are opposed to such policies by the Chinese government.
Don’t ignore the suffering of the Chinese people.
Free Tibet!!! Free China!!!
If it wasn’t already obvious, then it is surely clear here that our Stuff is made in a Mordor of this very earth, by a people in slavery. In a globalized world, our complicity in their deaths and suffering is no less than those who stood by in the towns of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. These workers’ horrors may be marginally less, but unlike the deathcamps’ neighbours, we cannot pretend we have not seen.
Thank you for your insightful comments.
what is ironic is that this was happening in america, we realized the problem….and yet all we did was export the labor and industry to the opposite side of the world……moved the same problem to somewhere else.
it is our materialistic/cosumer culture that causes this.
as long as its not in my backyard right? to bad this is the future.. its sad really how badly humans will treat one another.
唉。
Vay khodaie man …
Inja chera intorie
chera fekri be halesh nemikonanad
Irony? Every time we log on, just using a computer we’re adding to the mass death of the world and causing great effects. You know, cause and effect? We’re ultimately all responsible for everything good or bad in the world. Sitting around responding to things as opposed to making immediate, positive changes in our lives doesn’t help anyone, especially not ourselves. All the bad depicted here, where are all the good? Why are these pics so amazing? Clearly we walk out the door and we can smell how deathly the air is. Oops I’m spending too much time on here, must plant some sprouts. Thanks!
Irony? here you are logged on and complaining about computer use,HA! And then you say,” where are all the good?”. Like what, how manufacturing in this country has declined, unemployment in parts of the country at all time high, foreclosures through the roof.
very sad and very pathetic,not just for china as a country but as the evolution of mankind.what the fuc is the matter with us have we not figured out that this is the only planet that can sustain life as we know it.are we so consumed with our own ignorance and selfishness that we just dont realize or care .we are literally shitting were we eat.we have mastered the art of destruction and war, perhaps its time to master the art of respect and tolerance.we are now into the 21st century its time for change no more borders,no more religion, no more elitist bs monetary system,no more war.mankind now has the resources and technology to feed educate and house every human on this earth, and the only reason this dosent happen is because of fuken money.shame on us.we all drink the same water breath the same air,walk on the same planet so why do we allow our selves to be lead like sheep to the slaughter by only a handful of men.the common people of the world have to ban together as one,we have to put our racism and religion aside these are tools of the rich to occupy the common folk so that they can continue to make slaves of us all.be water my friends be water,education for the masses is the only thing that will save mankind,and remember the planet will drop mankind like a bad drug habbit if we dont get our shit together.
I could not have said it better myself.
I couldn’t agree more.
Wow…
Your solution to all the problems in a communist country is to wipe out capitalism and install more communism?
You are a real genius…
you dont have to be afraid of change,and why do you think it would be communism weve done that, weve done socialism,weve done nazism,imperialism and capitalism.now i hate to break the news but the powers that be have been the same for over 1000 yrs for them and they are only a small percentage have been fooling us all.there has not been a justifiable war for a very long time.the french and russian revolution were probably the last ones.we as a human race have not evolved socially we have all been programed to hate whether its through religion race or economic status.im to young to be a hippie and in my opinion that generation gave up and betrayed the rest of us,but john lennons song Imagine would sum up how i feel and what i believe.mass education is the key to all of our happiness and tranquility not war and fear.here are some documentarys which should be watched by every one Zeitgeist: Addendum ,Earth 2009, and Home 2009 i dont think theres a sensible person alive that would disagree with which these docs try to convey .be water my friend be water
Thanks oneear for the syllabus of how to become enslaved 101. Good luck with that when someone holds a gun to your head and you beg for your life. Just give him a hug, I’m sure he’ll understand. Maybe you forgot this, but the hippies lost in the 60s, they’re all popping viagra and praying their 401k holds out.
your fear and paranoia is totally unfounded however its not your fault you have been programed to believe in such foolish things like god country and the american dream,none of which are a reality.as for the gun to my head commit im canadian so i dont have to worry about that,i mean i could easily sit here watch my 50 inch tv smoke and grow my weed all day,and say fuck the world.but someone has to stand up and say what the fuck.do you really think that the baker in iraq or afganastan is any different than you or i.stop being a paranoid sheep and start living,always question authority keep your stick on the ice and dont eat the yellow snow,be water my friend be water.
This is shocking- how come China has been and is still allowed to do this!? Disgraceful.
its not just china every country is responsible for this and every other ecological terrorism, from canadas destruction of the north in search of oil, the deforestation of the amazon and in general the whole of south america ,all those nuclear and atomic bomb testing in the atmosphere and oceans(over 1200 tests 900 american) ,the polluting of our lakes and oceans(google garbage in the pacific).the scary thing is when china and india become wasteful consumers like us westerners were all fked.and dont forget that most everything made there comes here ,
Canada’s destruction of the North for oil… Speak for your self, That nut ball in Alaska is doing more to harm the environment then we are up here in Canada. accuse us of clear cutting forests, accuse us of sending asbestos to third world countries, but the oil being extracted is small in comparison, and we dont control the american oil companies, they control us.
A Canadian, from Canadiana, eh
Cheers Fellow Canadian.
America is the Oil Satan here.
Do you know we are actually forcing our dollar down so ‘Buy America’ will buy our resources? And if we didn’t, they would likely exploit another nation – luckily Canada has the social programming and labour laws we do – or we would likely be driven into resembling these photos.
Cheers Canada
Having a neighbour like America makes us infallible anyways – we are like a Beautiful Hat – and America is the undeserving bastard that was born wearing it.
GO FUCK YOURSELF, YOU UGLY CANUCK CUNT.
here ya go sunshine check this site http://dirtyoilsands.org/visuals,are you suggesting we just ignore this when there is no need for it check this electric generator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4qjZocje0c be water my friend be water
just build your goddamn pipeline, Canuck. And fuck your hockey teams too. The Bruins bitch slapped you lame azz wannabes.
Get back to work at your Tim Horton’s, shmuck
I hate children workers.. any kid under 16 have no sense for quality.. fuckin retards..!!
Hey ignorant, politically incorrect dumb-ass, get your grammar right.
Here, I rewrote your stupidity for you:
“I hate child workers. Any youth under 16 has no sense of quality… sex having people with (intellectual/cognitive/learning) disabilities!”
Jeeze, you’re dumb.
Humans are a disgusting cancer to Earthmother. If China, America, and Britain had a nuclear war, it would do everyone else megatons of good. Time to stop raping the planet, folks. Time to lose the addiction to the fantasy-land of modern man. Time to forget about your “sustainable living” rubbish; it’s only prolonged rape. The Human-Cancer needs to be eradicated; the Takers need to be ended. The Children of the Earth need to restore the Original Instructions. Natural Law outweighs Man’s laws, and I follow Nature. Deconstruct society. Fight the eVil with loVe.
National socalism and illegal aliens can fix that. All I require is that you live on your knees.
Save the planet, kill yourself.
Oh My God…
Are you sure? I think possibly someone else’s God, but not mine.
There is no cure for cancer, only more causes. Prevent cancer. Stop buying all this crap. Stop allowing the pollution in your neighborhood. I live in south florida where five pipes spew hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage mixed with chemicals into the ocean everyday at the site of the continental USA’s only coral reef system. Do something about it. Stop drinking bottled water. Stop buying CRAP. You don’t need a new chinese dress. You don’t need plastic coated junk mail. You don’t need to buy chinese made plastic coated plastic chemically fireproofed halloween costumes. Make a sign instead, go as a protester
Just wanted to remind everyone here how much smarter than you I am. Incase you forgot with your lesser minds. National socalism will be glorious!
STOP BUYING FROM CHINA… SUPPORT NO CHINESE INDUSTRY, PRODUCTS or BUSINESS!
Do I need to fire up my A-10?
problem is its north american corporations over there we are the ones causing this all the big auto companies have been there for a while because of cheap labour and no environmental laws same as mexico and south america,wake up people if you want to make a difference stop shopping at walmart and stop supporting the banking system take all of your money out of the banks stop using the stock markets this is just a tool to make the rich richer its not meant for you or me.dont be fooled into thinking people like the rockerfellers or rothchilds give a shit about us.be water my friend be water
Hey Dave, your a moron. Shut the hell up.
agreed
Great pictures, people seem to be forgetting that we don’t live in a world where were all conjoined governments, sure theres the UN but to say WERE responsible for the problem is complete bullshit.
To be honest, we did go through similar problems but we were just smart enough to stop it before it started having much larger negative effects. For the dirty pollution now in China, and some other un-mentioned countries that seem to be screwing up the global environment , they are in sooooo much debt. Here in America we are having economical problems, but thats due to our ignorance, not our needs. Out in these heavily-polluted countries, they need our help. Now im not in the UN so im not sure how much pressure they’re putting on China to change their methods, but all i know is if the problem is economically unresolvable, (due to the thoussssands of populations depending on their income, on top of the international debt.) We can definately help out, because fuck, we created the economy, its just all the fucking dicks at the top all arround the world, are just taking in money, for their own generations to come. Our population is getting so big, and we’ve made things so complicated that were all connected. We dont just simply have one family with the same name, were whole fucking big family. Its all you selfish people selling drugs, on top of your two other jobs, trying to start big companies with foolish ideas, stop thinking of recreational things, and start thinking about everything arround you.
Everybody’s stressed, look at the comments on this page. And for cure for cancer, there is no “cure” to anything in this world, simply remedies. If a cancer cell can kick in to replicate a duplicated cell 20x its speed, it can definately be reversed – uhh Nanotechnology…. So yeah all you people sitting on your computer 24 hours a day writing dumbass comments, stop wasting your time and start reading books, taking pictures and talk to people.
- E.T
this is in human? disgasting hah
To be honest, I have always thought of China as a vast country filled with fields and small villages. I suppose that comes from the idealistic view the media has portrayed it as, other than what they’ve shown in the past years of the industrialization boom. I was completely SHOCKED to see these photographs… it’s horrendous to think that we, as humans living on a single planet, have caused such destruction of the natural world. “It’s okay to do it, though. We don’t see it!” is not an excuse.
The pictures of the people suffering from cancer and disabilities caused by the pollution were so… mind boggling. Not only are the industries wreaking havoc on the natural environment, they are damaging the people who work and live in those areas.
I guess I don’t understand if it is a lack of education, or just greediness that has caused this. I do know one thing, though– it needs to end, NOW. Lives are at stake, and the fact that China has a very large population is no excuse.
I can’t imagine living in a country with such contamination. Sure, the United States is bad.. but we don’t exactly have pipes running into our rivers, lakes, and the ocean and pouring out sewage.
So…. what will we need to change first? The leadership? The industries? The people who exported those industries to China? Our collective mindset? I say that’s what we need to change first… we need to realize how our actions affect other people in this world.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
“I can’t imagine living in a country with such contamination. Sure, the United States is bad.. but we don’t exactly have pipes running into our rivers, lakes, and the ocean and pouring out sewage.”
We do have those pipes. You just have to know where to find them. I live on the coast and these things are everywhere. I laugh whenever I see surfers. They don’t know what they are swimming in. I’ve also worked for the government and am pretty terrified after learning just how polluted our country is.
I think I’ll have a glass of cognac while pretending to care about these people, who provide the rich west with cheap goods.
You have to add China fur farms pictures too. Thats a kind of pollution too.
Ever see the Tar Sands in Canada? It’s like some of these pictures were taken there.
I look at photos like this and feel defeat. Why did god decide to make such terrible creatures? Monkeys with brains that have no conscious of their environment or fellow man? Here we are destroying the world, the only thing we have… for greed. power. control.
This must be hell. I just want a huge meteor to hit this miserable little spec and start over. to end all the suffering. all the sadness. all the rape and pollution and violence. the mass torture on animals, the fur …the consumerism. when will these people with power care? i want so badly to make a difference but the people who could truly make the impact are the people with all the power. and they don’t care if they turn the world into a toilet, as long as they have a nice villa at the top of the turd. forgive my cynicism, but i give up.
think of how hard it is to never buy anything that says “Made In China”. And that’s not all of it, thats a portion of the items. Some items were assembled in china, but brought somewhere else for the other steps, some items use chinese materials, but ultimately were made elsewhere. China is hugely connected to the western civilization. The west needs a serious change in life, everything you do needs to be considered, and I’ll face it, thats not going to happen unless there is drastic change in living conditions.
I think it honestly would be better for us to become extinct.
If you truly think the world would be a better place without mankind, feel free to start the process by killing yourself. Then perhaps someone might listen to you.
Sisters & Brothers: It is TIME for us slaves to rise up and save our children and our planet. REVOLUTION!!
LOL? They don’t have PlayStation 3 in China??
The computer you are sitting at, is part of this.
Hey I have an idea, how about everyone fixes there own lives first then work on the world….
it’ll be to late then
This is the result from all the consumer greed that is carried out, this is the price we have to pay. for your cheap goods bought from walmart. no one should live like that.
At China’s rate, they’ll eventually end up culling their own population through manufacturing for WalMart. Despite calls for population controls, China is building that into their manufacturing process. With little or no quality controls, safety controls and waste controls, China’s people will continue to suffer under a government discovering a world market for their products. Even if that world market gets poisoned by China’s end products.
Consumer Greed? There is no such thing. If you produce a product that people are willing to purchase, then that’s just good business. Capitalism. However, if you produce a product with disregard for your environment, then that’s the same as storing your dinner plates in the toilet. It’s just plain stupid and not greed.
No, this is the result of Chinese officials ignoring polluting industries. IN the U.S. we addressed the problem of pollution decades ago. How? Why? Because we have a government which responds to the desires of the people. Slowly, but it does respond.
Many of you here must be too young to remmeber the pollution that was building in the U.S., and what wwe did as a nation to end it. Now, it is the responsibility of the CHinese government to “clean up its act”…literally.
This is not the fault of “consumerism”, or “capitalism”, it is the fault of government officials ignoring the problem of polluting industries. The technology is there to clean up 95% of this mess seen here. The Chinese government simply chooses to ignore the problem, and their own people.
you resolved it by moving to china and mexico,take your head out of the sand,its the bullshit capitalist consumerism thats destroying the planet.you dont think the last 60 years of nuclear and atomic testing in our atmosphere and oceans hasnt done any damage perhaps thats the reason so many people have cancer today,or your coal plants,north america is still the number one polluter.its time we start taking responsibility and stop blaming everyone else,after all their just following our lead.be water my friend be water
see distraktion’s post above.
These photo’s make me feel seriously ill – more people need to see these.
It never ceases to amaze me how many always find a way to blame all the worlds problems on those evil Americans. People are being poisoned by pollution from factories in China. Who’s fault is it? Obviously the Americans. People are poor in Latin America . Who’s fault is it? Obviously the Americans. My only question is it we’re responsible for everyone else who’s responsible for us?
the rest of us have asked that question ourselves,dont get me wrong i respect the american people and your constitution was by far the best in the world pre 911,however its the people who truly control your country thats given yous the black eye.iraq for instance is an illegal occupation kinda like isreal and palestine,you do know your government sends billions to isreal every year and has since their occupation in 1949.heres the reality we are all here on this planet in the middle of somewhere but really nowhere.life has evolved on this planet for billions of years,every thing on this planet is a necessity for our survival the trees the soil the oceans.now mankind has come up with silly imaginary borders to divide us ,weve created silly gods to control the masses,and come up with a monetary system that only benefits less than 1% of the population.now the modern world as we call it which is 20% of the world uses 80% of the resources,my question would be what happens when the other 80% of the population wants to be wasteful consumers like us.be water my friend be water.ps i do believe most of these pics are of plastic and steel companys.
In answer to your question, Americans have made it a practice of policing the world, which is why we get blamed for so much!!!!
I for one believe it’s entirely possible to have cheap goods and environmental responsibility at the same time. I would be tempted to say that we should give China time to figure that out, but these people don’t really have that luxury. Perhaps it’s time for an intervention?
I agree with the first part… that was key the point of my post below. Although I think an intervention is a little far fetched; that’s a monumental task. China needs internal political reform. Unfortunately I think the very small percentage of government leaders will not relinquish their power for anything short of a revolution. That might sound even less likely than an intervention but there are literally tens of thousands of riots in China each year, and if you look at their history, revolutions are something China is accustomed to.
What strikes me most is how easy it would be to replace the pics with b/w from our own (European) industrial revolution days.
Environment? We’ll deal with it when the profit is right.
Workers/People? Come on, one dies, 10 are in line to take the job. So what?
Basically it’s a slap in the face. A slap in the face of human rights. A slap in the face of all we (Western nations) pretend to stand for. As long as it doesn’t cost us.
Hypocrisy at its best. Because we love the cheap stuff they produce. And we turn a blind eye to how it is produced. Not in my backyard doesn’t cover it by half. This is globalization: Not being able to turn a blind eye because the world is your back yard.
you are so…damn right.
You are so… damn wrong! Well, you’re right that this might have happened during industrial revolution. However, at least in Europe and in most civilized countries, industry is not as polluting as it used to be, or as it is in China, India, or other less civilized countries. You don’t see in Europe or USA, pollution as that seen in these pictures. I’m not saying there is no pollution! There is, loads of it. But not at the scale as in China. Pollution of the kind we see in pictures is obviously to be fight against! Why? Because it damages people’s life quality. And people is what matters, in the end. But, because of that, industry is also necessary. A balance between industry production and unavoidable pollution must be reached, specially in these ‘uncontrolled’ countries like China. There is no such thing as a pollution free world in harmony with frugal life quality. That’s why life before the Industrial Revolution was not better than today’s. By far. I agree with efforts to quench pollution, but I hate radicalism. Let’s be rational! And I love the photos, btw. Very graphic, and very relevant!
The point is that this did happen in the “first world” during its industrial revolution. China is now having that period of boom and along with it comes a blatant disregard for the environment.
Do you also really believe that Western Europe/ N. America was not in anyway “uncontrolled” at the turn of the century?
Oh, yes, I agree completely. Things might have been out of control a few centuries ago. But remember that there was no scientific knowledge as there is today, and Europe experienced absolutist political regimes until WWII and even after that (like Eastern Europe before 1989). And in the time of industrial revolution there was no health care at all, so no one was aware of some dangers, so basically industries were free to do anything they wanted to, because there was nothing against it. However, today we know better, and there are alternatives to the behavior we see in the pics. What we see there is most likely the cheapest option, and the only way to prevent it is by active law enforcement. China should do it, for its own sake. I just do not agree that the end (wealth boom) justifies the means pictured here. Remember that Germany, for example, has a GDP comparable to that of China, however you don’t see such landscapes in Germany. Freedom in Germany prevents that.
You are so ,,,, damn ignorant! What the hell do you mean by “China, India, or other less civilized countries”? How is China or India less civilised than Europe?
I’m also wondering how you’re conveniently ignoring the critical nature of western capital here. Western investment is creating these industrial behemoths and reaping the profits of its products, but the west decides not use that influence to enforce measures at these factories to reduce pollution.
A fair point, but just about all all foreign direct investment into China is from private firms, not governments. For example, Walmart receives about 10% of China’s total exports to the US (I think that’s about 9 billion dollars worth of goods). And unfortunately private (profit maximizing) firms do everything they can to minimise costs, so lobbying for environmental protection in China isn’t a top priority.
What ever happened to China’s responsibility anyway. It’s their nation, perhaps they should act like it and take steps towards environmental regulation, after all, they’re the ones suffering.
I think a micro scale analogy is suitable… China is a negligent factory; upper management is unorganised, follows little or no regulation of health and safety and ultimately allows workers to suffer. The rest of the world buys the factories product. Is the world responsible for the suffering of worker, or is management of the factory? And before anyone blames the consumers, remember, without buyers there is no need for factories. Good for the environment, yes, but at the cost of family incomes? I don’t think so.
oh and by ‘civilized’ I assume hvtec meant developed in a infrastructural sense… as the chronological progression of economic developed implies a more civilized nation by way of sanitation and sewerage systems and public health care, etc.
Absolutely! I am from Guatemala and witnessed how the fields were fumigated from planes to have “nice looking and healthy fruits” for the multinationals in the business of canning fruits and vegetables for export. Where were the workers when the fields were sprayed with chemicals? they crouched and slept in open huts – totally clueless about the dangers to their health. This was happening in the late 80′s…I don’t know how it is now.
come on. what do YOU think? who cares really of this in your country? or in mine? nobody. this is something like africa. it’s too far away from your own back yard. you see the pictures, and i see them, and a lot of our politicans too. we all say “oh my god, it’s terrible!!”, and then (of course) nothing happens. we go back to the morning caffe, and forget it. in minutes.
would YOU send them 10% of your paycheck? no you wouldn’t. neither me. neither our politicans. we have our problems, and we just don’t care other’s. i really don’t want to know neither my neighbour’s, because maybe i could help to solve it. i AM a human, like you, like them.. or something like that..
just go, and help your neighbours. THEN come back here, and cry about this!
(sorry about mistakes. my english is..)
This is a little different from the problems in Africa, It is a little more “close to home” In that this problem is largely created by the developed worlds willingness to trade with China, Sure we could blame the corrupt Chinese government that allows this, But the CCP has a long history of atrocity and they are only acting within their nature.
The west is actually more directly responsible by supporting the CCP economically propping them up beyond their natural life span and tacitly approving of their behavior by continuing trade.
damn straight. the chinese government is a band of thugs and criminals, paid to stay in power by corporate american thugs and criminals. one day…either people start taking this seriously, and sacrificing in BIG ways to change it (not likely), or the whole world turns into a barren hellscape like this one. you’re absolutely right: as is the case with most terrible situations in the world to day “the west is actually more directly responsible”. I just hope China can summon the balls to bankrupt us all and give us what we’ve had coming for over a hundred years, that would make things interesting
LOL, this is the funniest and most misguided commentary I’ve seen this week! You really show a thorough knowledge of world’s politics! *sarcasm*
oh… well if they’re only acting within their nature, it’s ok then. i wonder if you’d feel the same if a shark bit your leg off; lets not blame the shark! it’d be your fault for tempting the shark to act within it’s nature… what a load of crap.
not to be the wiser or anything but our swedish gournment has
fought for this to end or atleast come to a minimum for as
long as i can remember, still this could be from any eastern europeans country
these days.
look at ukraine or poland, they are not much better than china.
mostly i feel for the people along the rivers
in china, secondly for the countries surrounding china
and last but not least for me, for us, as citizens of the world.
this is not the future.
@TUNGL: have you ever been to Poland or Ukraine? Please don’t put Poland in one line with China or Ukraine. You clearly have no clue.
Yeah, right! Swedish has no pollution in their country because they moved all their heavy industry to other countries. They pollute abroad, and then collect the dividends. It’s very intelligent move, I appreciate it, but in no way Sweden is any model of anti-pollution moral.
And where does the coffee come from? Ivory Coast coffee slaves.
And where the slavery comes from? From corrupt local power and politics. Do not blame consumerism: if Ivory Coast has coffee, they should be allowed to thrive from it. Blame instead the communist bastards that do not protect their people from the situations like the one you just describe!
This is why everything is made in China.. It is cheap because the Chinese government does not care about the lives of its own people, typical communist attitude.
Every single one of us who buy Chinese made goods is guilty of destroying these people. Every single dollar we send to China makes this problem worse.
Gregory, you do realize that the computer you typed that nice little heart felt message on was probably made in China. It’s called comfort and for us to have comfort, it means that someone has to be in distress (something has to give). Quite literally you wouldn’t be where you are today if we didn’t have everything made in other countries for dirt cheap. If you really cared you would be over there helping them implement new environmental regulations. Put down your mac book and Douple Mocha Frappuccino and let the UN handle what you obviously know nothing about.
I should have made it clear that I include myself in that criticism, Though I do try extremely hard to buy non-chinese products it is almost impossible.
You mention the UN as though the bloated useless bureaucracy has any value in our world. Proving that you are talking about something that you have no knowledge of.
I agree with Gregory. However, it’s not our job to fight against China’s tyranny onto its own people. That’s Chinese people’s job. If they are truly unhappy with the situation as a whole population, it would not be hard to change the political situation. Revolutions happen. It wouldn’t be the first.
Do they?
In this day and age of machine warfare, when was the last successful revolution against a monied local power?
You’ll find that hasn’t happened in decades.
Timor Lorosae, 2002. Against Indonesia!
hvtek, would you risk your life and that of anyone close to you to speak out against the gvmnt? to understand the power and sway that the chinese gvmt has over it’s people you will first have to understand the culture of fear that it has created along with the culture of systematic ”re-education”…
greg, you don’t know much about economics do you
Gregory how can we stop this for my Country Australia I can tell you most things are made in China, I blame all those companies who are out for a fast profit, these poor people all so we can have cheap good, let me tell you this they are not cheap in my country maybe in the US.
China in the long run will find they cannot eat their money when the people turn on them and sooner or later this will happen.
You raise a good point, even expensive luxury goods are made there now, Macbooks for example,
meaning no one in any price range can really escape dealing with these people.
I wish I could help you, but I have the same problem, I spent an entire day trying to buy a coffee maker that was made ANYWHERE but china, They do not exist for under $500.
I suppose the only thing a person can do is complain to the companies directly, and pressure your own government to impose trade sanctions.
Gregory: if you want a cheap coffee maker that is not made in China it will be a french press
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fes.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FPrensa_francesa&lp=es_en&.intl=us&fr=ytff-
this link will show you what it is. It’s made in a lot of countries like in brazil or costa rica; it uses no electricity which translate to more green, it’s as fast as a coffee maker, and the quality of coffee is superior. Just heat your water up to it starts to boil, the remove from heat until it doesn’t boil, then in the press add the coffee and pour in the water, wait for 2 min, then place the cap with the filter and push down, that is it.
Gustavo,
More green? French Press? I think most of the electricity used by any coffee maker goes to heating the water so if you heat the water outside the French Press? And the French press is most likely manufactured dirt cheap somewhere in Asia. Other than that I have nothing against French press, it can give good coffee indeed.
They’re just saying that it would be easier to find a less complex item not built in or with components from a heavily polluting nation than a more complex item.
A french press coffee maker does not require heat to create coffee.
Meh…
“Environment? We’ll deal with it when the profit is right.”
The profit earned from the Industrial Revolution you mentioned would eventually lead to cleaner technology and more productive and hence more wealthy and healthy workers. Nothing is better for the environment than genuine capitalistic wealth creation and the upholding of private property rights under law.
Ben, I am wondering how you can say this. If China were to become as capitalistic as other nations then they would simply divert the problem in buying cheap goods from another country that would then be in much the same situation as China is at present. I agree with many of you in saying that this is trully a global problem. Just as England passed this problem on to other countries after the I.Revolution (saying this with perfect objectivity), so China will as it starts to ‘become more Westernized.’ Although I am not sure this would be the correct path either. We, as global citizens have to start to realize that our escalating levels of consumption are actually pushing this problem to new heights. it is really a situation of comfort for a select few at the cost of humanity as a whole.
Lili, why is China only now on the path to catching up to Western countries in terms of their standards of living? It’s no coincidence; for decades the economic development of the most populous country on earth was choked off by a totalitarian regime. The Chinese central authority still wields an intimidating level of power in terms of developmental economic policies. The largest Chinese companies like PetroChina and Chinalco are State-backed oligopolies. What you’re mislabeling as a “capitalistic” problem is the inevitable result of such public/private partnerships, where the regulators and shareholders are not at arms reach, breeding corruption and conflicts of interest.
Regarding the “cheap goods” issue; at the risk of becoming too economically obscure, there are elements of financial manipulation by the Chinese government, specifically related to the yuan-dollar currency peg, which are exacerbating imbalances between internal Chinese living standards at the expense of perpetuating an export-sector bubble and overstating the level of real GDP growth.
Lastly, the old canard of “escalating levels of consumption” being some environmental issue is a red herring. Living in a wealthy Western country, with relatively high levels of disposable income, it’s the easiest thing in the world to fret over our “consumption” and feel better about ourselves. Residents in Third World countries, notwithstanding the trade barriers in place as a result of self-interested US and Euro-zone agricultural subsidies (to cite just once immoral example) will be increasingly reliant upon our “overconsumption” to fuel their own economic growth. I’m sure relegating these people to perpetual poverty is the last thing you’d ever want, but you need to realise that good intentions usually have unintended consequences.
Ben, I would have to say that they are still very far from actually catching up to Western standards. You must look farther than the Beijing Olympics or the ShangHai Expo to see the real circumstances regarding China’s economic and humanitarian condition. But, putting this aside I will acknowledge that you are more accurate that you realize about China’s political state of affairs.
In regards to the matter of exporting most of their goods, I will have to point out that the government here is once again trying promote a rather domestic economy, with the encouragement of domestic consumption. If you take a quick look at the Engels coefficient for China (assuming that it has any value at all in regards to accuracy of data from the Chinese Government), the numbers have been steadily decreasing: from 54.2% in 1990, to 37.9% in 2001, and further dropping in the years that follow. Evidently Chinese disposable income is most definitely a factor to consider.
It seems that rational people also post here! I’m totally with you, Ben!
shut up you god damn attention whore. you don’t have to reply to every comment for it to be made obvious what your (incorrectly held) beliefs are.
Hahaha! Sue me! That’s the advantage of democracy my friend.
If you don’t like it, book a flight to Pyongyang.
…or beijing!
All for capitalism but hey its better than socialism
It’s George Hitler Bush’s fault!!
Finally! A rational mind here!
…I mean… hummm, is that comment pro or against capitalism? I got confused (likely because of my non-native English).
It is shocking , great china is it worth it ? thank god i’m from a third world coutry
LOL. China is a 3rd world country! Not Beijing, or Shangai, or Hong Kong… but the 99.9%+ rest of it.
Thanks to all the people buying and trading cheap ‘made in china’ products….
Interesting photography. I would like to see some areal shots or satellite photos of the China mainland. I would also like to see f the pollution is or can be tracked we it leaves the rivers and enters the ocean.
The scale of pollution is not really felt or seen when it is somewhere other than where we live.
I was in Wyoming 12 years ago and The Rocky Mountains there are feeling the effects of acid rains, acidity that is not being produced within the state but coming from great distances.
I just wonder if the ocean pollution that is happening in China is flowing to other countries shores, or is it just killing the ocean life along China’s beaches.
The whole world has to face the problems of pollution in the future..We have to do something to control pollution……
… any suggestions? your comment is futile unless it actually has content.
It is easy to boil your blood by seeing such photos and making fiery comments to further aggravate anger. None of this will make any difference until we contribute by being FRUGAL. That is the mantra Dont buy anything at all untill you cannot survive without it.
I haven’t really been concern with the well being of others for a long time. You can call it apathy, laziness, or just not giving a damn. Looking at these photos of people living in filth through their entire lives is not a question of morality. Its a question rather or not one person or a group of people will stand up and admit this is wrong. The people to blame are us. Humanity as a whole is to blame. We bitch and moan and complain to our friends or circle of co-workers just to have a conversation that we feel is meaningful. Then we the leave the break room and go about our lives in the work force then go home with a roof over our heads, a bed to sleep in, a security system to make us feel safe and the feeling that we accomplish something today because we thought we cared about others. I’m not trying to be some upstanding man that feels he really contributes to the world. I’m guilty of doing the same. The sad thing is that even if we realize that we can create the world we want as a species instead of looking at it as races, religion, classes or ways of life. We still won’t change anything. All these things really do not matter. Yes we are all different they only thing we have in common is that we are all human and that is enough for us to care how we treat others. When we see horrors like this we should feel ashamed that we let it happen. Our excuses are money, policy, governments, relations, treaties, or any other lie that we can come up with. Humanity survive with out all these things. The ones before us did not have the intelligence that we have now…maybe that is the problem. We are too smart for our good. We put too much in our heads that we forgot we have an heart. Hopefully one day we will feel again. We need to stop this false image of the world we live in. Its good to have leaders and people to maintain order and decide upon plans that are agreed by the people. First we need to feel our hearts and to have trust in humanity again…We have all gone threw hell and back one way or another. We are better than this. We are humans…
You started ok, but when you get to the point of blaming ‘us’ for China’s problems you lost me. The place where you possibly are living is way way better than those locations in China. Possibly, same thing happens in most part of your country. And why? Because if you live in a sufficiently civilized and industrialized country, the chance is that your government protects you and your environment the most, without compromising progress. Most people in your country possibly live like you, comfortable enough not to care. Is that a problem? A reason to feel guilty? I think not! Chinese people are the ones to blame their own rulers, the ones that should uprise against the oppression they experience! Most likely, they cannot even access this very website where you left your commented! Blame Chinese politicians. Do not blame yourself. Consumerism is the weapon of progress. Consumerism increases demand, demand creates jobs and increases wealth. Wealth that can be used to research more efficient and environment-friendly technology, at the same time they produce more and more, closing the cycle. Without wealth and a good government, there is no life quality like the one you wish Chinese would have, especially those in these pictures. Be rational!
Nicely said. Just want to point out that the Chinese can access this website (at least for the moment), as I’m doing so from China.
As for progress through consumerism, it is a good point. Clearly, the expanding middle class and elite Chinese are enjoying the benefits of wealth-creation through these dirty, heavy industrial activities off-shored by more fastidious countries. They themselves can enjoy the unpolluted air in resorts and buy houses in less polluted areas of Chinese cities. It does sound a bit like Industrial Revolution-era Western society, doesn’t it? And even now, NIMBY-ism is poking up its head even in various middle-class and lower-class neighborhoods.
But how long will it take before the momentum grows large enough before the Chinese government is forced to fulfill its environmental protection duties (there are lots of warm speeches on the topic, but less concrete action against powerful state-corporation interests)? Can such social force even make a dent under current conditions of government? China is large enough that there is always somewhere poor enough, obscure enough, with party elites corrupt enough, to allow these sorts of atrocities. Even developed areas where you would expect greater interest and disgust by affluent residents are affected: One of the captions above noted that air pollution is often released at night when it will not be observed; many other captions mention water pollution from myriad chemical industrial zones in Jiangsu (one of the wealthiest provinces in China)… including at least one right along the banks of the Yangtze in the provincial capital, Nanjing. According to a friend, a maligned heavy-industrial chemical project that was NIMBY-ed out of at least two other locations was quietly relocated here.
So long as media remains muzzled, justice and law enforcement compromised, NGOs persecuted, I don’t believe there will be anything galvanizing either the central government or the country in general to protect its environment better.
dr, jones your comments definitely hold to the current reality in China. Not until the judicial, executive and legislative branches of the government (and yes, they say that they actually have them) as well as the CCTV ministry (I know, not the real name) undergo changes, the Chinese start to payer closer attention to their natural surroundings
I’m not blaming America I’m blaming the world…us. Yes they should up rise against the tyrants that keep them on there hands and feet but its not the damn easy. You go ahead and fight a monster like that and see how you do. When I look at these photos I saw people being treated like garbage. Animals treat there kind better then we do. I am rational. Humans can live in any kind of world they want to. If we work as one we would be a force that can not fall. Did you read my sentence about “Its good to have leaders and people to maintain order and decide upon plans that are agreed by the people.” I’m not saying government is bad but damn it we need to look at the people around as part of our life. If someone needs help then help them. Money and the things I said are not needed to help someone. Trying to save the world is a dream. Trying to help the people around you and stand as a community of friendship and respect is well within our reach. Two last “comments” don’t use commented in your sentence it does not work. Verb and Noun rule. Second what progress do you speak of? Out of the advancements we have achieve as a world are to make us less dependable on our strength and more dependable on the dollar and technology. Before all of this crap you call progress humans were doing just find with what they had around them. A strong back, a strong heart, and a sound mind that believes “This is not my land. This is OUR LAND.”
omg!!!! it’s awful… realy-realy awful. I didn’t want to live there, but that people must…. that’s so hard…. somebody must help!!!!!!!!
YOU SHOUD BETTER READ THIS AND APPLY IT IN YOUR LIFE… THEN ALL BE OK ONE DAY
http://www.watchtower.org/ch/bh/article_00.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20050308/article_01.htm
THIS IS FOR CHINESE READERS
http://www.watchtower.org/chs/bh/article_00.htm
上帝为什么容许人受苦？
世上的苦难是上帝造成的吗？
伊甸园里发生的事引起了什么争议？
上帝会怎样消除苦难造成的影响？
http://www.watchtower.org/chs/bh/article_11.htm
上帝为什么容许人受苦？
世上的苦难是上帝造成的吗？
伊甸园里发生的事引起了什么争议？
上帝会怎样消除苦难造成的影响？
http://www.watchtower.org/chs/bh/article_11.htm
Dears, I have read ALL the comments and I would like to leave one also. Something is a little bit forgotten for all of you. The Chinese choosen this way. I know, that they hardly had another chance. But they chosed this way of life. They decided to make the 85% of the goods of the world. This means, that the garbage and waste, pollution, etc. also will be taken to their pocket. Producing so many things was the (probably) only way for China and it’s citizens to come out from the real dust. Most of the people are happy to be able to work at all. For us it is unbeliavable how they live their life now. But has anybody shown you the “how-it-would-be” pictures about these people if the productions were not taken to China? They would maybe swim to Japan and to the neighbour countries for food. They are too many paople over there. They just simply cannot handle it. Yes, it is the fault of the government, but it is the fault of the stupid Chinese also. In Europe our grandfathers have always fought against what hurted them! They prevented their children’s life! Even if they were shot down. even if they did a forbidden act! You choose your life. And Chinese people are too stupid to do anything against this! And they do not have the brave to do anything against that resim, which takes their life.
Other way – It is a very important information, that the world’s producing is focused to China right now. So maybe we see them very polluted, but we have to know, that this pollution is not surely more than it would be separated to all the countries. By the way I am sure, that producing in big volume will make much less waste than producing small quantities. By the way, I am sure that they could have more attention on the production’s enviromental efforts and try to decrease them. But they could be very cheap not only cause the bad quality and the cheap workers, but the not so strict manufacturing rules. They did not have to invest such money for the factories.
Do you know what do I think, why this is not gonna end? Because it is good for everybody. Europe & America says that it is a pity, but the pollution is not generated at theirs at least. They do not have to be afraid about the emmigrants from China as it will never be an EU member neither in non-visa group for USA. The goods are cheap, the quality is maybe not so good, but we are used to this quality of goods nowadays. And to be honest, with a growing speed like this, maybe we do not need life-time warranty items at all. There is gonna be a newer, better, smaller, faster one from everything.
Maybe I wouldn’t say that everything is going worse. I would say, that the circumstances are changing. We made it changed, so now we have to get used to it.
Certanly, we should slow down this change as much as we can!
Sorry to disagree. The Chinese did not chose this way. The elite of communist leaders did. There are no elections, there are no alternative ideas to the one that it’s imposed on that people. Therefore, it’s not the Chinese choice, but a tyrant’s.
Where does the anti Western ranting and raving come from? And why the bias against Made in China products? I see chemical plants and sewage discharge. This is about poor management, greedy local officials, and low levels of education. China will over time address their pollution problems. Fantastic and haunting photos.
And at the other end of the spectrum we have the once great state of California, paralyzed with environmentalists, and going bankrupt fast. You can’t build a road with out 100 environmental impact studies, endless permits, then when your ready to build a protest from some treehuggers. Those pictures are an abomination, but it is not the West’s fault. Communism does not work and that is the result.
An incoherent argument, or just non sequitur?
China can’t really be termed ‘communist’ in its economic state anymore. If China remained truly communist, we wouldn’t be looking at pictures of industrial effluent. We’d be looking at pictures of malnourished farmers.
The Chinese state still has great influence over economic processes, but the pollution you see here is as much or more a result of China’s adoption of capitalism unrestrained by the very public consultation practices, transparency of government, and industrial regulation that you decry when considering the case of California. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages.
The pictures here make clear the disadvantage of a capitalist system married with an unaccountable government that split the profits between them. One advantage is that unscrupulous companies (producing goods for market demand generated in the west, not producing for communist quotas) can pollute to their hearts content, and the owners (not the workers, but the private owners and their governmental partners in crime) can easily create wealth for themselves. Another advantage is that infrastructure projects (the somewhat unrelated example you gave with regards to California) can be built without regards to environmental impact or the people who lived there previously. You make fun of the Californian process, but if you were evacuated from your house and property because a new hydro-electric dam was going to flood it, or drowned in a flash flood when the same dam broke open because it was badly engineered by a company with good government relations, you’d be pretty pissed.
Do the disadvantages of the still-great state of California (long, transparent process for developing infrastructure; tax-adverse scrooges who don’t want to foot the bill for said infrastructure–sorry, couldn’t resist!; paperwork resulting from government oversight of industry) out weight the advantages (clean/beautiful environment; safe workplaces; food fit to eat; water fit to swim in; air fit to breathe)?
If you truly think someplace like California doesn’t fit you, why not move to China? My work has taken me here, and I’m adventurous enough to put up with these sorts of problems for a while… but I do suffer short-term health issues due to the air quality in particular, worry about long-term health issues related to the environment here, and have absolutely no intention of raising children in this dangerous filth.
Apparently such pictures as we see above aren’t enough to get through the partisan miasma infecting many Americans, but if you ever did visit China’s more polluted districts, I think you might find yourself a bit more willing to tolerate “treehuggers”.
China IS a country malnourished farmers. Forget about the large cities, the vast majority of the population lives in the rural areas and are very poor. Do not forget that they are over 1 billion! They have little opportunities because the demand is capped. Communism doesn’t need to have the image of the former Soviet Union to be a bad evil.
People are irresponsible by nature. China may be the latest extreme illustration of this, but don’t be fooled into thinking the people of the West are any better or different. The primary difference is in the government and how they regulate industry. In places like the US or Europe, environmental protection and government policy has developed over time and still has a long way to go. Now imagine a less developed country with 4X (or more) the population that must grow at a annual rate of 7% just to continue providing jobs to all those new to the job market. And how do you address all these problems without bringing the economy to it’s knees?
In China this is a huge challenge the government is certainly aware of. Imagine stopping a car, on a dime and moving it in the opposite direction. Right. Now imagine doing that to an aircraft carrier. Seeing these photos are very upsetting and we want to see more done to protect the environment and people. Realistically, it’s going to be many years before the government can start doing anything to help. The really frustrating part is that it will almost certainly be a too-little-too-late scenario.
Abe,
You’re right on target. I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1957 the city, with Federal help and no doubt a bit of coercion, built their 1st sewage treatment plant .
Prior to this when the toilet was flushed it simply was sent to the Mahoning river, then to the Ohio River, the Mississippi and months later the Gulf of Mexico. All along this route other cities were doing the same and some , believe it or not were drawing and refining their drinking water from this toxic brew. In addition to human waste all the steel mills, tanneries, chemical plants and let your mind wander to what ever, were discharging their industrial waste into these water courses. Today ever aspect of the enviroment is much improved, the air no longer has a color or an odor and birds that rely on sight fishing have returned now that the water is clear. Of course this has come at a very steep cost. The industries that made the poloution are no more and the tax base and the wagesthat they provided have gone as well.
As to it being too little to late, time heals all and the natural world has an enormous ability to put things right if the pressures are removed. Lake Erie was once considered a dead lake, now the water is so clean you would not be harmed by drinking it.
When all this becomes a top priority for China it will be done and quickly. The authority that their form of government possesses has the might to turn the situation around in a few years not decades as one would expect. I don’t their would suffer much because of the enormous internal needs. They are just now being introduced to consumerisum. If they are employed they will have the money to buy every household product they desire and this in and of its self will fuel a powerful economic engine. They don’t need the outside world for a market they have their own market, 1 billion strong, with a real pent up need. Take heart all, this will change soon.
Hi great pics
I feel sad!