China's pollution problem

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Not just pollution, genocidal pollution:

About 460,000 Chinese die prematurely each year from breathing polluted air and drinking dirty water, according to a World Bank study.

The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the Chinese government, the bank's partner in the research project, had asked the lender not to publish the estimates for fear they could trigger social unrest.

Yeah, I'd say some "social unrest" is called for, wouldn't you?

It is apparently "standard practice in research projects conducted with the government for both sides to have a veto over the conclusions," and the Chinese government will no doubt object strenuously to the publication of some of the more disturbing findings, which means they won't be included in the report. Some issues are still "under discussion," according to the World Bank. But what is there to discuss other than China's objections to the publication of the truth? Besides, "the study's estimate of premature deaths from airborne pollution, although shocking, [is] broadly in line with earlier published World Bank research and with recent findings by Chinese academics".

And if air and water pollution isn't bad enough: "The World Bank is also concerned by indoor air pollution, principally breathing in fumes from coal-burning stoves and cooking oil. Its experts estimate that as many as 300,000 Chinese a year die prematurely in this way."

Let's do some math: 460,000 + 300,000 = 760,000.

Now, China's a big place, population-wise. Indeed, its current population is estimated to be 1,321,851,888 -- this from the CIA's World Factbook (and the CIA never lies -- seriously, this is likely accurate).

For comparison's sake, let's see what this would mean in American terms. The current population of the U.S. is estimated to be 301,139,947 -- this from the same source.

This means that the population of China is 4.39 times the population of the U.S.

So: 760,000 / 4.39 = 173,121.

Imagine what the response would be -- and what the demands on public policy would be, assuming that Republicans didn't consider it all a hoax -- if 173,121 Americans died every year from such pollution. (And consider also what other forms of pollution there are in China that are also killing large numbers of people.)

Horrifying. But such is the reality of today's China, an emerging superpower to rival the U.S.