Down in the Dumps

One of the biggest challenges facing China is environmental degradation. One of the most prominent reasons for Chinese protests today is environment-related issues, whether it be poisonous food, diseases caused by toxins, undrinkable water, local resources destroyed by pollution, or any number of other problems that have sprung up due to China's worsening pollution.

However, it would be foolish to blame China for the world's environmental problems. While China has surpassed the United States in overall greenhouse gas emissions, the Asian Giant also has about one billion and ninety two million more contributors to their emissions. The United States actually has a higher per capita greenhouse gas emissions rate than China--and not by a small margin. Although likely somewhat outdated, a 2008 New York Times Article found that the average American is responsible for 19.4 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, compared to 11.8 in Russia, 8.6 in the European Union, 5.1 in China, and 1.8 in India.

The other day I visited a landfill just outside of Nanjing. With the exception of the pungent smell that hit me even before I could disembark the bus, the landfill underwhelmed me. Having read the myriad New York Times articles citing worsening statistics about China's pollution and having seen the way that China sometimes handles issues of sanitation, I was quite pleased to see that China's landfill looks "normal." What quantifies normal? I would have no idea, to be honest, as I am not a frequenter of trash dumps in the States or elsewhere, nor have I studied what "ideal" landfill conditions might be. However, I did not get an overwhelming feeling of Hollywood end-of-the-world detritus. This landfill is known to be “比较好的” (or "comparatively good").

This is not to say that conditions were altogether healthy. I was particularly wary of the vegetable patches full of leafy greens not more than several yards away from the edges of the dump. What kind of water goes into growing this foodstuff? Who ends up eating the fruits born of trash-laden soil? Also of concern was the white haze that obscured anything more than a stone throw away.

Additionally, the trash dump makes you realize that regardless of where the landfill stands on the good-to-bad spectrum, that's still a lot of trash! Gazing up the mountain of garbage you are forced to admit that we all waste too much. The Blame Game between China and the United States will not help in the end. Unfortunately, the government is the only overarching body that is capable of regulating the society as a whole, but that does not mean it is the only force that can lead to change in our everyday lives. Have you ever thought about how much toilet paper you use? I know I didn't until I was forced to carry it around in my purse while in China, which lacks toilet paper in public facilities. It sounds trite after liberal American media has jumped on the Save The Earth bandwagon, but lowering your heat or air conditioning when you don't need it, bringing your own mug to Coffee Shops, and donating your clothes rather than throwing them away are just a few of the many things (more of which you can find here and here) that we can do to keep us out of the dumps.