3-9: Developments in China

Pre-Class Preparation

Objectives

To understand the global implications of societal developments in China.
To explore ways that the U.S. can assist China in its development path.

Procedure

Read the learning unit.
Class images
Take the learning unit quiz. Quizzes are available from your portfolio. You may access your portfolio via the list of students participating in this year's course, as represented by the icon below.

Additional Required Reading. Although you are not ultimately responsible for content listed in this section, we encourage you to fully explore the links in order to provide a better scope on the upcoming class discussion.

	Cutting back greenhouse gases with tradeable emissions permits. (From UNEP.)
	The economics of carbon taxes. (From UNEP.)
	The economics of climate change. (From UNEP.)
	Fueling and Feeding an Advancing China: A Global Environmental Challenge
	How much would it cost to reduce net GHG emissions? (From UNEP.)

Class Discussion

Problem to ponder...
Class Discussion Summary: by classmates Ben Dude and Matt Bryner
In class today we learned about China where the instructor, Dr A. A. Bennet talked about the problems(environmental) and how the Chinese government and people are dealing with them. China has now a population of over 1.2 billion and even though a huge land mass only a small portion of it accommodates 90% of the total population. There are 3 assumptions:
1. China has had impressive growth since 1978,
2. The primary engine of the economic growth is the emergence of the Town-Village Enterprises(TVEs),
3. There has been environmental degradation.
Because of Problems to the environments such as the pollution of rivers people such as environmentalists and NGOs have closed down mills and factory. The sad thing is that there are sections of the constitution that supports environmental protection but because of the need for economic growth they were not being acted on. Environmental Education programs are available but this has some problems also. The huge population is an attraction to business activities: all the car dealers in the whole world are found in China.
There also has been assistance both financial and technical coming in from outside to help reduce pollution; Japan has a good reason for assisting since pollution created in China affects Japan.
Ownership of the land and factories is not by the people but by the government. So China is adopting capitalism but still holding on to socialists practices. One of the realities is enforcement of legal provisions is lacking and that is why environmental cleanup is yet to really take place.
----Ben Dude
The lecture about Chinese development dealt with population and industry growth and governmental controls.
The population of China is presently about 1.2 million and will continue to grow for some time. Dr. Takle spoke of the fact that the Chinese government has laws restricting couples to only one child and high fines for having a second child. These aren´t always followed and in the rural agricultural areas, families still have more children to help with farm. The largest segment of the Chinese population is in the 18 to 35 year range. It was also pointed out that 90% of the population live in concentrated areas.
The governments move to a more market economy and relaxed ecomonic restrictions has helped to open up China to the rest of the world. It has allowed for incentive for its people to start businesses and trade with other countries. As China continues this shift it is increasing its industrial output => more pollution. Dr. Takle had first hand evidence of this pollution during a recent trip to China.
China is also getting involved in large-scale projects such as the Three Gorges Dam. This damn will reach a length of 400 mile, submerge 150,000 acres, 1500 factories, 160 towns, 16 archaeological sites, and 1.3 million people!
As the U.S. has made laws to keep the environment green, china has put laws into its constitution. At the surface this seems great, but they don´t enforce them with the same vigor that they write and talk about them.
----Matt Bryner

Post-Class Activities

Participate in the electronic dialog. Use this forum for:

continuing class discussion;
posing new questions to students or the instructor;
responding to issues/questions raised by students in class/electronic dialog.

Visitor Access (Visitors are welcome to participate in the dialog. Just click on the icon below)	Student Access (Students must post all dialog from their portfolio. Click on the icon below to access the student list.)

Recommended Reading Materials

	SO₂ Allowance Trading Program.
	The economic argument for adopting a balanced response to climate change. (From the UNEP.)
	The economic benefits of cutting greenhouse gas emissions. (From UNEP.)
	Where's the Beef? (Providing Beef for China)