中国生态文明建设(中英对照)连载之七 向环境污染宣战 本书由北京语言大学出版社出版,2014(教学课件光盘版) 作者 蒋高明 2.1.2 环境污染比比皆是 2.1.2 Environmental pollution is everywhere 改革开放以来,中国经济高速发展,取得了举世瞩目的成就。然而,由于发展方式不合理,造成了资源大量消耗,环境污染加剧,自然生态破坏严重。伴随着发展而来的环境污染和生态破坏,已经成为当前中国面临的严峻问题。 Changes in my homeland epitomize China’s changes in the past 30 years or so. Since the reform and opening up, China has made remarkable achievements in economic development. However, an irrational growth mode has resulted in massive consumption of natural resources, aggravating environmental pollution and brought about serious ecological damage. Environmental pollution and ecological deterioration arising from development have become a severe problem for current China. ( 1 ) 水污染 ( 1 ) Water pollution 先来说说水污染。上面提到的捧起来就能喝的河水,在中国北方几乎绝迹了。取而代之的是又黑又臭的死寂的河流。中国已查明的各类源头废水排放总量达 2092.8 亿吨,相当于每个中国人每年要与 155 吨废水为伴!如此大规模的废水排放,造成了中国内陆七大水系 ,近一半的河段遭受严重污染, 86% 的城市河段水质普遍超标。 Let’s begin with water pollution. Rivers like the aforementioned river providing drinking water for my hometown have almost disappeared in northern China, and been replaced by muddy, smelly and stagnant rivers. The total amount of identified wastewater discharge from all sources has reached 209.28 billion tons a year, namely 155 tons for each Chinese. Such a large scale wastewater discharge has caused serious pollution to half reaches of the seven major water systems in inland China. The water quality of 86% of urban rivers is generally well below required standards. 河水污染最重的,是位于长江与黄河之间的淮河。环保部门在该河 2000 公里的河段取样分析发现, 78.7% 的河段河水不符合饮用水标准, 79.7% 的河段不符合渔业用水标准, 32% 的河段不符合灌溉用水标准。也就是说, 80% 左右的淮河水既不能饮用,也不能用于养殖水产品,不仅如此,约 1/3 的河水连农业灌溉的功能都丧失了,淮河已经名副其实地变成了一条死寂的河流。 The Huaihe River, lying between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River is the most heavily polluted of all. Sample analysis from a 2,000-kilometer section of the river indicates that 78.7% of the water does not meet the standard for human consumption, 79.7% is below the standard for supporting fishery development, and 32% cannot be utilized for irrigation. In other words, about 80% of the river is suitable neither for drinking nor for aquaculture and 1/3 of the river has lost its function for irrigation. The Huaihe River has turned into a dead river in the true sense of the word. 更值得一提的是,中国非常缺水,是世界上水资源最贫乏的 13 个国家之一,人均淡水资源占有量仅为世界平均水平的 1/4 !中国本来就紧张的水资源,因污染而进一步告急。 It is worth mentioning that China is among the 13 countries in the world which are short of water, with the per capita share of fresh water being 1/4 of the world average! China’s water resources are further aggravated by pollution. ( 2 )大气污染 ( 2 ) Air pollution 再来说说严重的大气污染。 中国已查明的各类源头废气排放总量达 63.7 万亿立方米,人均排放 4.7 万立方米的废气!工业废气排放量中,二氧化硫 4345.4 万吨,烟尘 48927.2 万吨,氮氧化物 1223.9 万吨,粉尘 14731.5 万吨。其中,浙江、广东、江苏、山东和河北省工业污染源数量居前 5 位 。 Next is the air pollution. The total amount of identified exhaust emissions in China from all kinds of sources has reached 63.7 trillion cubic meters, namely 47,000 cubic meters emitted per capita. Among the total discharge of industrial waste gases, the amount of sulfur dioxide is 43.454 million tons, fumes 489.272 million tons, nitric oxide 12.239 million tons and dust 147.315 million tons. The top 5 provinces for industrial waste discharges are Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Hebei. 2013 年 7 月 31 日,环境保护部发布的结果显示, 2013 年上半年,京津冀、长三角、珠三角地区和 74 个城市空气质量状况都十分糟糕。其中,京津冀地区空气质量重度污染以上天数占 21.2% ,达标天数仅为 24.2% !蓝天,白云,清新的空气,已经成为了奢求。因为空气污染,全球 10 个卫星照片拍不到的城市, 7 个在中国。 On July 31, 2013, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced that, in the first half of 2013, the air quality in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and 74 other cities was awfully bad. The number of “heavily polluted” or “severely polluted” days in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region accounted for 21.2%, and days reaching the required environmental standard only accounted for 24.2%! Blue sky, white clouds, and fresh air have become luxuries. Because of air pollution, 7 cities in China are enlisted among the 10 cities in the world that often cannot be seen by satellites. ( 3 )固体废弃物污染 ( 3 ) Solid waste pollution 水和空气污染物流动性强,而固体废弃物则长期不能得到扩散,只能占地堆放。 中国每年工业固体废物产生量为 38.5 亿吨,但综合利用量只有 18 亿吨,仅占 46.7% ,其他 53.3% 的工业废弃物,全部作为污染物被堆放在环境中了。工业废弃物中除了含有大量难以降解的物质外,还常常含有重金属、辐射物、致癌物以及致突变物质,不经处理排放造成的环境污染非常严重,会对人群的健康造成影响。比如一些“癌症村”,总能在其周围找到工业废弃物的影子。 Water and air pollutants are fluid, but solid waste often get stuck or stacked on the ground and are hard to be removed. China produces 3.85 billion tons of industrial solid waste every year, but only 1.8 billion tons (46.7%) are currently being utilized. Others (53.3%) simply pile up to become environmental pollutants in various forms. In addition to materials difficult to decompose, industrial waste often contain heavy metals, radioactive materials, carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds which will not only cause severe pollution to the environment but also have adverse effects on human health, if not properly treated at their source. In some “cancer villages”, for example, you can always find industrial waste somewhere nearby. ( 4 ) 海洋污染 ( 4 ) Marine pollution 由于陆地上发生的严重环境污染,那些通过河流搬运来的污染物使海洋改变了颜色。三角洲地区呈现浓浓的黄色,近海则常常因赤潮爆发呈现红色。 Due to serious environmental pollution on land, pollutants that are transported by rivers stain and discolor ocean water. The water in some delta areas has turned deep yellow, while offshore waters become red because of the “red tide” resulting from algae feeding on elements from pollutants. 中国近岸海域 293 个海水水质监测点显示,严重污染海域面积约为 2.9 万平方公里,相当于 4.5 个上海市遭到了严重污染。对 18 个海洋生态监控区的监测表明,主要海湾、河口及滨海湿地生态系统,都受到了轻度或中度污染。 Data from 293 water quality monitoring stations in China’s offshore areas indicate a total of 29,000 square kilometers of chronic severe pollution, an area 4.5 times greater than Shanghai. Data from 18 marine ecological monitoring areas show that major bays, estuaries and coastal wetland ecosystems are all subject to a mild or moderate contamination. 人类生活在陆地上,很容易下意识地这样想:城市里的污染,人们寄希望于河流排出;河流受到污染,人们寄希望于增大流量尽快排走。但是人类只有一个地球,污染最终会被排放到生态环境中。海洋为陆地输送水分,但是其他物质只能被留在海洋里代谢。海洋成了人类排放污染物的最终归宿地。 People tend to assume that pollution in cities can be eliminated by rivers; pollution in the rivers can gradually be dispersed by rising tides. However, we have only one earth, and pollution will always end up in the same place, the environment. The sea can supply water to the land, but other materials can only stock up in the sea, making it the ultimate storing place for pollutants. 中国内陆七大水系:淮河、海河、松花江、辽河、黄河、长江中下游、珠江中段。 The seven major water systems in inland China: Huaihe River, Haihe River, Songhua River, Liaohe River, Yellow River, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and middle reaches of the Pearl River. 浙江、广东、江苏、山东和河北省工业污染排放分别占全国工业源总数的 19.9% 、 17.1% 、 11.8% 、 6.1% 和 5.1% 。 Industrial pollutant discharge in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong and Hebei provinces accounted for 19.9%, 17.1%, 11.8%, 6.1% and 5.1% of the country’s total industrial waste sources respectively. (图片来自网络)
为国家叫停洋垃圾进口点赞 蒋高明 2017 年 7 月 27 日,国务院办公厅印发《禁止洋垃圾入境推进固体废物进口管理制度改革实施方案》,决定全面禁止洋垃圾入境。禁令实施后,来自生活源废塑料、未经分拣废纸以及废纺织原料、钒渣等环境危害大、群众反映强烈的固体废物 24 种将率先停止进口。至 2019 年底前,逐步停止进口国内资源可以替代的固碳废弃物,分批分类调整进口固体废物管理目录,逐步有序减少固体废物进口种类和数量。这个消息对于中国环境保护来讲,无疑是个重大利好的消息。要知道,在禁令之前的 2016 年,我国就从欧洲、日本和美国进口了 730 万公吨废料胶和 2700 万吨废纸。 我国的这一禁令,让依靠中国廉价劳动力和廉价生态环境为代价,处理自身垃圾的发达国家的好日子,将一去不复返了。一些以出口洋垃圾为职业的欧美人士,将失去工作。据 美国废料回收业协会主席威纳透露,当地有约 15.5 万名工人从事直接与将废料出口到中国有关的工作,平均工资 7.6 万美元。无疑,我国的这一禁令,将会严重影响美国垃圾工人的饭碗。 进入 2017 年 12 月以来,英美多家媒体密集报道了该国因为中国垃圾禁令,产生的一系列连锁反应。全面禁令将在 2018 年 1 月 1 日正式实行,用英美垃圾回收商的话来说,就是,用不到 6 个月的时间,来改变他们 20 年的垃圾处理体系。 美国是全世界垃圾产生量最大的国家之一,每年有三分之一的垃圾被美国回收商卖到国外,这其中有一半都出口到了中国。美国以优美的生态环境自居,甚至有人称美国的空气都是甜的。但那些崇洋媚外的部分国人做梦都想不到的,美国等发达国家产的废弃塑料等垃圾,出现在太平洋另一端的中国,毒害着我们的国人。 具有讽刺意味的是,号称科技大国的美国,垃圾出口竟然是他们最大的出口项目之一。中国洋垃圾进口禁令出台后,美国多地开始陆续将一些塑料制品排除在回收行列之外。如果放在以前,它们都会被装上货轮,千里迢迢运往中国进行处理。禁令颁布后,美国塑料垃圾失去了一个最大的出口国,成堆的塑料垃圾和其他垃圾开始逐步 “ 占领 ” 了各地垃圾回收站的大门、停车场 …… 美国人正在为他们的浪费和高能耗的生活付出代价,当中我们不再进口他们的洋垃圾后,美国本地垃圾处理能力和再回收能力根本不足以应对这些庞大的 “ 垃圾堆 ” 。 和美国一样,英国垃圾出口受阻后将直接对本国造成危机,因为英国本土对处理这些东西完全是力不从心的。自 2012 年开始,英国向中国出口了 270 万吨塑料垃圾,这让英国人感觉没有了垃圾,整个社会好像更环保了。英国出口到中国的几乎都是低级塑料垃圾,如今这些塑料垃圾将被留在英国,让英国人自己头疼去了。英国每年 55% 的塑料垃圾都出口到了我国。如今我国禁止进口洋垃圾,英国人将面临最棘手的问题——如何应对即将到来的 “ 垃圾大潮 ” 。许多英国人和那些坚持环保理念的美国人一样,并不知道他们自己实现清洁环保的代价,是让其他国家的人们受到了毒害。 受中国新政策影响,新西兰某些垃圾也将无法出口到中国。 2016 年,这些出口到中国的垃圾总值为 2100 万纽币,其中包括废弃塑料( 820 万纽币)、未分类的纸类( 960 万纽币)、钢渣( 300 万纽币)以及少部分废弃纺织品( 2 万纽币)。 西方国家一边高呼环保清洁,一边却产生着全世界绝大多数的垃圾。数据显示,全球每年产生 4100 万吨电子垃圾,其中废弃的电脑和智能手机占了相当大的比重。预计 2017 年全球电子垃圾总量将增长到 5000 万吨。不幸的是,这其中的 90% ,都倾销至了发展中国家。加纳、尼日利亚、中国、巴基斯坦、印度和越南等亚非国家正逐渐沦为非法电子垃圾的回收站。 笔者第一次关注洋垃圾这个话题,是 2002 年前后与原环境保护总局副局长金鉴明院士一起出席学术研讨会(同台报告)。在金局长的报告中,他指出了洋垃圾问题,但当时还没有什么深刻印象。直到 2007 年,笔者的博士生刘美珍在英国谢菲尔德做博士后时,她发过来的一则消息引起了笔者高度重视 —— 英国人的垃圾通过豪华游轮运输到中国处理。当时听到那个消息,笔者的心情是不平静的,连续在新京报、中外对话、科学时报等撰文呼吁禁止洋垃圾进口。后来听说海关部门在几个地方追堵洋垃圾。本来以为这样的事情在中国杜绝了,不料 2015 年前后,中国北方又曝光了日韩等洋垃圾的处理厂,且就在华北某著名湿地周围。我才知道问题的处理并没有那么简单,背后的利益博弈远远复杂的多。 中国因为环境问题在国际社会上饱受争议,但国际大家庭,尤其是英美日等发达国家,其实也在其中扮演了并不光彩的角色,这其中就包括向中国输出垃圾废料。在禁令颁布之前,中国是世界上最大的废旧塑料进口国,而这些废旧塑料的来源几乎囊括了世界上所有的发达国家。我们不禁要问,你们的所谓人权呢?公平发展呢? 其实,洋垃圾塑料厂的工作又脏又累,真正在一线的劳动者其收入却很微薄。某女工每天的收入大概 40 元,这可怜的收入甚至不能支持她去医院生产的费用,而是选择在工厂墙外的菜田里生下孩子。生子 10 天后还要继续干活,孩子饿了就随时在垃圾里给孩子喂奶。河北某废旧塑料产区内的一座池塘,里面的水因为污染而变成了怪异的粉红色。园区虽然也在当地政府的主导下集资建设了污水处理厂,但这里几乎全部的塑料工厂的污水依然直接向外排放。仅用了十几年,这里的地下水就受到了严重的污染而不能饮用,村民只能买水喝,这同时也给一些贫困的家庭增加了相当的经济负担。 曾经有一段时间,流经华北某塑料园区的一条河流,河水早已不再清澈,鱼虾死绝,甚至河水都不能用来浇灌庄稼。类似的情况比比皆是:华东某地,清洗塑料的废水侵蚀了附近的稻田;在华南某塑料园区的周边,河涌全部污染,当地大量的鱼塘受到影响,养殖户苦不堪言。 这些都是处理洋垃圾造成的二次污染惹的祸。可见,叫停洋垃圾进口,还我国优美的生态环境,是顺民意之壮举。 “只有退潮后,才知道谁在裸泳”。中国叫停洋垃圾,英美等发达国家立马暴露了其环保对策的“肮脏”一面——原来他们是将垃圾转移到别的国家去了。除了垃圾,那些严重污染的工业项目也转移到别的国家,至今发达国家使用的大量农药、除草剂、化肥是在中国生产的。 看到国家叫停洋垃圾,笔者是激动不已的,多年的呼吁终于有了结果。由此,笔者又联想到那个高大上的、争议了很久的农业高科技(笔者关注也整整十年),如果我国停止进口转基因大豆、玉米、油菜、苜蓿等农作物,转而进口俄罗斯等国家的非转基因粮食,美国农业还那么高大上吗?美国农民还或活得那么滋润么?那些挺转专家还会有那么大的底气么? 旧文重发: 中国必须旗帜鲜明地拒绝洋垃圾 2007 年 8 月 2 日 https://www.chinadialogue.org.cn/article/show/single/en/756-China-must-say-no-to-imported-waste 英国每年向中国运送约两百万吨的垃圾。蒋高明说,通过向海外运送废物,英国不惜牺牲发展中国家的环境来维护自己的家园。 最近,笔者在英国谢菲尔德做博士后的学生发来一则 消息 :英国大量向中国输出洋垃圾。全球最大的货轮 爱玛 · 马士基 号圣诞节后,一次就将满载的 17 万吨垃圾,倾倒在广东佛山南海联滘村。在散落的垃圾里,随处可见英国著名超市 “ 特易购 ” 的塑料袋,还有花花绿绿的食品包装纸。据学生称,这个消息最早是由英国当地媒体 “ 天空电视台 ” 披露的。 中国每年有价值 160 亿英镑的货物运往英国,然而作为 “ 回报 ” ,英国破天荒地将 190 万吨垃圾运回中国。过去短短 8 年间,英国运往中国的垃圾重量竟狂涨了 158 倍!这些 “ 洋垃圾 ” 中,以很难降解的废塑料等为主。 自然界中,由于动物、植物、微生物长期协同进化的结果,基本不产生废物。分解动植物产生的 “ 垃圾 ” 及其尸体的,是微生物和食腐动物。但是,对于人类制造的 塑料 、农药颗粒以及其它结构复杂的有机化合物,微生物和食腐动物们却 “ 啃 ” 不动。人们称那些自然界不能降解的有机化合物,为持久性有机污染物 ( POPs ) 。 2004 年正式生效的国际《 斯德哥尔摩公约 》,把艾氏剂、狄氏剂、异狄氏剂、滴滴涕、七氯、氯丹、灭蚁灵、毒杀芬、六氯代苯、二恶英、呋喃以及多氯联二苯 12 种化合物列为首批对人类危害极大的 POPs, 在世界范围内禁用或严格限用。它们在自然界中滞留时间很长,毒性极强,并可通过呼吸和食物链进入人体,导致生殖系统、呼吸系统、神经系统等中毒、癌变或畸形,甚至死亡。 在洋垃圾处理现场,工人们挑拣出废塑料,把它们融化后再次利用。燃烧发出的阵阵浓烟刺激着人们的鼻腔,燃烧后的化学废物直排放到附近的河水里,把河水都染成了黑色,并直接影响了下游广州的环境质量。但是,这还不是问题的终结,更严重的还在后头。 焚烧塑料类垃圾过程极易产生上述 12 种 POPs 的至少 5 种,即列在清单上的后 5 类。可见,中英不法之徒在将洋垃圾倾倒中国的时候,同时将 5 种剧毒的持久性有机污染物也留在了中国。这些污染物的危害时间之久,用 中国环境监测总站 的李国刚总工程师的话来讲,即使现在停止引进, “ 最早也要在未来第 7 代人体内才不会检出这些物质 ” 。 将垃圾倾倒别国的做法是典型的 “ 以邻为壑 ” 。美国人均消费包装塑料量达 23.4 公斤 , 日本 20.1 公斤 , 欧洲 15 公斤,而中国最少,约为 13 公斤。发达国家早就意识到 “ 白色污染 ” 的危害,采取 “ 回收 和替代 ” 双管齐下的方式,基本上消除了其危害。以美国为例,上世纪 80 年代以前,主要是填埋废塑料,后来发现塑料长期不降解,转为回收废塑料。目前已建立严密的分类回收系统,废塑料回收利用率较高。但是,依然有一些国家如英国等,采取将别国当作 “ 垃圾场 ” 的做法,出口了之。既输出了污染,还赚取了 “ 黑心 ” 钱。 大规模垃圾出口的背后是巨大的经济利益驱动。英国官员承认,那些向中国出口垃圾的公司可以两头拿钱。英国地方政府首先要向这些垃圾处理公司支付每吨 35 英镑的费用,而垃圾公司根本不对垃圾进行分类处理就装进集装箱,省下了这笔处理费。此外,他们还从中国进口商那里获得另一笔可观的出口收入 ―― 中国人买 “ 洋垃圾 ” 支付的费用 ! 这个由英国本地媒体揭露出来的垃圾倾倒事件,让我们尤感震怒。我们不禁要问,那些昧着良心坑害自己同胞的 “ 中国进口商 ” 是谁?监管方到哪里去了?当地河水都染成了黑色,环保部门怎就视而不见?在堆积如山的 “ 洋垃圾 ” 里,工人们冒着生命危险处理垃圾,政府职能部门干什么去了?如果有一个环节守住了自己的职责,洋垃圾就不会大摇大摆地进入中国。遗憾的是,所有该睁大的眼睛,在利益面前,似乎全都闭上了。 垃圾出口国外,将别国当做垃圾场,英国政府难道就没有责任吗? 2005 年,时任英国环境部长 埃利奥特 · 莫利 ,信誓旦旦地对媒体保证: “ 我们绝不允许用这种方式倾销未经处理的垃圾 ” 。时隔两年,现任英国环境大臣布拉德肖却宣称, “ 垃圾舰队 ” 航行到中国对全球变暖的 “ 影响极小 ” ,因此公众不必担心。布氏甚至暗示,从中国运货到英国来之后,如不捎带一点什么回去,无疑是一种 “ 资源浪费 ” 。他所谓 “ 资源浪费 ” ,无非就是英国地方政府只要向这些垃圾处理公司支付每吨 35 英镑的费用,那些垃圾就可以不用分类处理便能装进集装箱了,仅此一项就可省下大笔的垃圾处理费。此外,他们还能从中国进口商那里获得出口收入。为了维护自己的家园,不惜牺牲别国环境,一贯风流潇洒的英国绅士风度哪里去了? 这里,我们不禁想起了 160 多年前的那 场战争 。当时,英国人为了获得白银,转嫁国内经济危机,竟将害人的鸦片输入中国,造成了中国国力和民众身体的衰弱。今天,他们故伎重演,堂而皇之地向中国输出其高消费后的垃圾。更具讽刺意味的是,两次事件都发生在广东。只不过烧化洋垃圾比起 “ 虎门 硝烟 ” 来,冒出的是不同的烟,出的是不同的气。 我们是该警惕发达资本主义国家新的大举 “ 入侵 ” 的时候了,洋垃圾入侵中国,已为多年来的一个严肃话题。不仅英国,美国、日本等每年也将洋垃圾源源不断地运往中国,而中国沿海的一些小港口,已是名副其实的 “ 洋垃圾场 ” 。中国的未来,决不能成为发达世界的 “ 垃圾场 ” 或 “ 垃圾沟 ” ,我们必须旗帜鲜明地拒绝洋垃圾!对于那些以牺牲中国 13 亿人生态环境,谋求暴利的中外不法之徒,必须予以坚决的打击。 蒋高明,中国科学院植物研究所研究员、博士生导师,联合国教科文组织人与生物圈中国国家委员会副秘书长、中国环境文化促进会理事。他提出的“城市植被”概念和“以自然力恢复中国退化生态系统”等观点得到社会各界广泛认可。 China must say no to imported waste The UK sends almost two million tonnes of rubbishto China every year. By shipping its trash abroad, says Jiang Gaoming, Britainfavours its local environment at the expense of developing countries. Itwas a message from my former student, now at Sheffield University, whichalerted me to the story firstreported by Sky TV: that Britain is transporting huge quantities of solid wasteto China. The report said that in one recent trip the world's largest containership, the Emma Maersk, had delivered 170,000 tonnes of trash toLianjiao in south China’s Guangdong province. Carrier bags from Tesco, the UKsupermarket, and waste from food packaging were easily visible in the scatteredrubbish. Everyyear, China exports £16 billion worth of goods to the UK. In return, Chinareceives 1.9 million tonnes of waste from the UK, the bulk of itnon-biodegradable plastic . In only eight years, the amount of rubbish shipped toChina has increased more than 150 times over. Natureitself produces virtually no waste; one creature’s waste will be food foranother. But even the most voracious of species cannot break down the organiccompounds found in plastics. These are known as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs),and 12 of the most harmful of these chemicals were restricted or banned by the2004 StockholmConvention on POPs . These chemicals linger in the environment forlong periods and can enter the human body through food or respiration, causingpoisoning, cancers and even death. Workerspick the plastic out of this imported rubbish, which is then melted down andreused. The fumes from the melting process act as an irritant, and the chemicalbyproducts of the process are dumped into nearby rivers, blackening the waterand damaging the environment in the city of Guangzhou, which lies downstream.But this is not the worst of it. Burningplastics results in the release of at least five of the 12 POPs listed by theStockholm Convention. When these criminals – both Chinese and British – dumptheir rubbish on Chinese soil, they bring with them these toxic chemicals. “Itwill take seven generations for these pollutants to disappear from the humanbody,” warned Li Guogang, chief engineer at the China NationalEnvironmental Monitoring Center . Overseaswaste dumping is a classic case of countries exporting their problems. Theaverage American discards 23.4 kilograms of plastic packaging a year. In Japanand Europe the figures are 20.1 kilograms and 15 kilograms respectively, whilein China it is a mere 13 kilograms. Developed countries recognised the threatsthat plastics pose long ago, and responded by using new materials anddeveloping recycling . Before the 1980s in the US, waste plastic wasdumped in landfill sites, but a sorting and recycling system now allows a highlevel of reuse. But some nations, such as the UK, prefer to use other countriesas rubbish tips – exporting their pollution and turning a profit at the sametime. Itis this profit that drives large-scale exports of waste overseas. Britishofficials admit that waste exporters earn on both sides of the trade. They earn£35 per tonne of waste from local councils in the UK, and then instead ofprocessing anything, pocket the cash and sell the waste on to Chineseimporters. This trade, exposed by the UK press, has left China asking angryquestions: who are these Chinese importers that are willing to endanger thehealth of their own people? Who is responsible for monitoring these firms? Howcan the local environmental authorities turn a blind eye when China’s riversare running black? Where is the government when workers risk their livessorting rubbish? If any one of these organisations fulfilled itsresponsibility, this trade would have been stopped, yet they look the other wayfor the sake of profit. TheUK government surely bears some responsibility. In 2005, Elliot Morley ,then UK Minister for Environment, pledged to end the dumping of unprocessedwaste. Two years later, the current Minister for Local Environment, Marine andAnimal Welfare, Ben Bradshaw, said the public did not need to worry about thistrade, as its impact on global warming is tiny. He even hinted that it would bea “waste of resources” for ships to return to China empty, referring in fact tothe £35 pounds per tonne that would otherwise have to be spent onprocessing the waste, and the income that would be lost from Chinese importers.Sacrificing another country's environment to defend its own backyard – whateverhappened to Britain’s tradition of the “gentleman”? Onecannot help but be reminded of the Opium Wars ofthe nineteenth century. To resolve their economic crisis, the British peddledopium in China – to the harm of both the nation and its people. And now theyare up to their old tricks, exporting the consequences of their extravagantconsumption. Even the location – Guangdong – is the same. The difference isthat now the smoke comes not from the opium burnt at Humen ,but from burning plastics. Bynow we should be alert to these “invasions” from developed, capitalist nations;the dumping of waste in China has been an issue for years. The US and Japan arealso involved, and have turned minor Chinese ports into rubbish tips. Chinamust not allow itself to become the world's dumping ground. We must shut downthe profit-seeking criminals – both in China and the rest of the world – whothreaten China’s environment, which 1.3 billion people rely on. Jiang Gaoming is a professor at theChinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Botany. He is also vicesecretary-general of the UNESCO China-MAB (Man and the Biosphere) Committee anda member of the UNESCO MAB Urban Group.