{"id":352,"date":"2011-09-21T12:53:51","date_gmt":"2011-09-21T16:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=352"},"modified":"2011-09-21T13:43:34","modified_gmt":"2011-09-21T17:43:34","slug":"the-ying-and-yang-of-gdp-and-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/the-ying-and-yang-of-gdp-and-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yin and Yang of GDP and Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>
\nAnyone looking for a lesson in both climate change and sustainability (\u6301\u7eed\u6027 ch\u00edx\u00f9x\u00ecng) needs to visit China. In a country full of contradictions or \u77db\u76fe (m\u00e1od\u00f9n), it only makes sense that some of the worse environmental degradation is contrasted by very progressive attempts at conservation and sustainability wherever possible.<\/p>\n

China is unique because nowhere else in the world (with a possible exception of India) have we seen such a large population transition from an agrarian society into an industrial one in a mere 30 years (following the Open Door Reform Policy-\u6539\u9769\u5f00\u653e g\u01ceig\u00e9k\u0101if\u00e0ng). It’s been truly remarkable watching the speed and efficiency in which China has pursued a path of economic development or \u7ecf\u6d4e\u53d1\u5c55 (j\u012bng j\u00ec f\u0101 zh\u01cen) and ave gobbled up FDI or \u4ee5\u8fdb\u517b\u51fa (y\u01d0j\u00ecny\u01cengch\u016b). As a result GDP or \u56fd\u5185\u751f\u4ea7\u603b\u503c (gu\u00f3n\u00e8i sh\u0113ngch\u01cen z\u01d2ngzh\u00ed) has hovered between 9 and 10 percent and is expected to maintain a steady 8 percent for the next decade. To put it plainly, China’s economy is very \u5389\u5bb3 (l\u00ec<\/a> hai)\u3002<\/p>\n

But what many eastern philosophies such as Taoism (\u9053\u6559) teach is that contrary forces are often interconnected, much like the \u9634\u9633 (y\u012bn<\/a> and y\u00e1ng<\/a>). As one expands or exerts itself, the other reacts in order to seek balance. With industrial manufacturing and agriculture comes CO2 emissions and pollution and degradation of arable land–all detrimental impacts on the Chinese environment. China’s environment or \u73af\u5883 (hu\u00e1nj\u00ecng) has been taking one for “the team” for a long time. But now it appears the costs of ravaging one’s environment are now spreading to businesses, industries and society in general:<\/p>\n