2015-10- 27
1. Environmental Protection law (click here)
China's revised Environmental Protection Law came into effect on Jan 1 this year, bringing with it heavier punishments.
The revision, adopted and approved by the National People's Congress on April 24, 2014, is the first revision in 25 years.
It increased the responsibility of local governments to deal with environmental problems and gives them unprecedented power.
Polluters will also be made to pay accumulating fines if they fail to rectify violations, making the revised law stricter than previous versions. In the past, enterprises received a one-off fine.
The policy takes a zero tolerance approach. Local officials may be demoted or sacked for misconduct, including hiding offenses, falsifying data, failing to publicize environmental data, and not giving closure orders to enterprises that illegally discharge pollutants....
Magnificent. This will eventually bring China's products to international standards. Soil conservation to prevent erosion and contaminated rivers by over land flow of water also helps end pollution. But, the land has to be cleaned up. In the USA it is called "Brownfield Sites."
EPA’s Brownfields program (click here) provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes, and other stakeholders, giving them the resources they need to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands. EPA’s Land Revitalization program works with communities, states, non-profits and other stakeholders to develop and test sustainable approaches for the reuse of formerly contaminated properties....'
The practice in the USA of cleaning up and protecting land is decades old. This practice allows lands to be reused over time. If it weren't for the practice in the Brownfields program, land use would be difficult for cities. China will be delighted when it sees the returns of responsible land policies.
5. Clean energy
China's spending on renewable energy during the current 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) will reach 1.8 trillion yuan ($294 billion) in addition to a further 2.3 trillion yuan being spent on energy saving and reducing emissions, according to Xie Zhenhua, then deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission in 2013.
China vows it will reduce its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by about 40 to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level and raise its non-fossil energy consumption percentage to 15 percent of the primary energy mix....
To good to be true. China is becoming a leader in alternative energies and setting example for the global community.
Thank you!
1. Environmental Protection law (click here)
China's revised Environmental Protection Law came into effect on Jan 1 this year, bringing with it heavier punishments.
The revision, adopted and approved by the National People's Congress on April 24, 2014, is the first revision in 25 years.
It increased the responsibility of local governments to deal with environmental problems and gives them unprecedented power.
Polluters will also be made to pay accumulating fines if they fail to rectify violations, making the revised law stricter than previous versions. In the past, enterprises received a one-off fine.
The policy takes a zero tolerance approach. Local officials may be demoted or sacked for misconduct, including hiding offenses, falsifying data, failing to publicize environmental data, and not giving closure orders to enterprises that illegally discharge pollutants....
China will find depending on whether the polluter is wealthy or not will determine the compliance to China's regulation. China will have to place a prison requirement sooner or later because the wealthy sees fines for bad behavior as another operating expense. In order to get the wealthy to take laws seriously there has to be a prison component to any law.
ie: The USA banks created tragedy for the people of the USA and the globe. There were some historic fines charges to the banks that conducted the ruthless scheme against the American people. No one went to prison and the fines were substantial but not even one billion dollars US. It was a slap on the wrist and basically the banks consider their fines a matter of operating costs.
That is why income inequality is a huge issue for the USA in 2016. There is nothing that stops the corruption or crime. The lack of real deterrents to the corruption only provides more wealth to fewer and fewer people.
Chai Jing, former presenter and journalist with China Central Television, presents a self-funded documentary about smog in Beijing, Feb 28, 2015. [Photo/CFP]
...2. Air
China's environment watchdog issued its most comprehensive and toughest plan in July 2013 to control and in some regions reduce air pollution by the year 2017, setting stricter limits on the levels of PM 2.5 particles.
The Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17) is backed by 1,700 billion yuan ($277 billion) in total investments from the central government.
The plan specifically targets North China, particularly Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. The plan's goal by 2017 is for a 25 percent reduction in air emissions from 2012 levels in that region.
The smog problem has never received so much attention.
In March a privately sponsored documentary on smog, Under the Dome, went viral online in China. It was viewed more than 300 million times within five days....
China should consider letting the artist bring her work to global film festivals. The world hears about the air pollution, but, it is still a bit of a mystery. By allowing the artist to show the film in international venues the issue can be understood in China and perhaps insight can be provided to encourage strict regulations that work for the people of China. I'd love to see the documentary and would like it released to international film festivals. A CD should be provided for sale as well. But, the film festivals will provide recognition for the documentary and raise the awareness and esteem of the filmmaker. The filmmaker should receive international appreciation.
...2. Air
The Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (2013-17) is backed by 1,700 billion yuan ($277 billion) in total investments from the central government.
The plan specifically targets North China, particularly Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. The plan's goal by 2017 is for a 25 percent reduction in air emissions from 2012 levels in that region.
The smog problem has never received so much attention.
In March a privately sponsored documentary on smog, Under the Dome, went viral online in China. It was viewed more than 300 million times within five days....
China should consider letting the artist bring her work to global film festivals. The world hears about the air pollution, but, it is still a bit of a mystery. By allowing the artist to show the film in international venues the issue can be understood in China and perhaps insight can be provided to encourage strict regulations that work for the people of China. I'd love to see the documentary and would like it released to international film festivals. A CD should be provided for sale as well. But, the film festivals will provide recognition for the documentary and raise the awareness and esteem of the filmmaker. The filmmaker should receive international appreciation.
...3. Water
China released an Action Plan for Water Pollution Prevention and Control on April 16 this year, with a 2 trillion yuan ($320 billion) package in place, to tackle serious water pollution, aiming to intensify government efforts to reduce emissions of pollutants and to protect drinking water safety...
That is a lot of spending. I hope China is seeking consultation with scientists at the US EPA who are responsible for water quality. Why make mistakes when others have already experienced all the short falls of programs. China needs clean water now and expediency in bringing safe water to the Chinese people can rely on actual proven reforms. China can get it right the first time with some outreach to the USA or Europe. Actually, I think Europe have better water standards than the USA.
... 4. Soil
China is developing an action plan for soil pollution prevention and control, which may be released next year. The Ministry of Environmental Protection is also close to issuing a new soil environmental monitoring standard to replace a 20-year-old outdated version....Magnificent. This will eventually bring China's products to international standards. Soil conservation to prevent erosion and contaminated rivers by over land flow of water also helps end pollution. But, the land has to be cleaned up. In the USA it is called "Brownfield Sites."
EPA’s Brownfields program (click here) provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes, and other stakeholders, giving them the resources they need to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties protects the environment, reduces blight, and takes development pressures off greenspaces and working lands. EPA’s Land Revitalization program works with communities, states, non-profits and other stakeholders to develop and test sustainable approaches for the reuse of formerly contaminated properties....'
The practice in the USA of cleaning up and protecting land is decades old. This practice allows lands to be reused over time. If it weren't for the practice in the Brownfields program, land use would be difficult for cities. China will be delighted when it sees the returns of responsible land policies.
5. Clean energy
China's spending on renewable energy during the current 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) will reach 1.8 trillion yuan ($294 billion) in addition to a further 2.3 trillion yuan being spent on energy saving and reducing emissions, according to Xie Zhenhua, then deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission in 2013.
China vows it will reduce its carbon emissions per unit of GDP by about 40 to 45 percent by 2020 from the 2005 level and raise its non-fossil energy consumption percentage to 15 percent of the primary energy mix....
To good to be true. China is becoming a leader in alternative energies and setting example for the global community.
Thank you!
