Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Haese
Actually I did look at the images and read the text. You are assuming too much. From an evidentary point of view the images could have been taken at anytime in the last 10-15 years, nor is it this wide spread in China. We went through rural sections and built up cities and while some mayhem is present I did not see anything on this level and that was through 5 major cities.
Yes proportionally China would have greater pollution but by standing where you are and pointing the finger when you have the benefit of living in a society which has radically changed its policy to the environment is in my opinion a bit stiff. Technology transfers don't happen to expect developing nations to catch up quickly. Marralinga is still not totally clean in our country and that has been terribily irradiated. This is just one of numerous examples of polluted land on our continent.
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You can't say that those pics may or may not have been taken in the last 10-15 years as you have no evidence at all to prove that. If those photos state they were taken when they were, then until you could prove otherwise, that's when they were taken. Which means this sort of environmental degradation is ongoing, and even if they were taken then, it most likely still is. Just because you never saw anything like that doesn't mean it's not occurring, or that it's not widespread. Just means you never saw it, or weren't allowed to.
Yes, we do have our own problems, but nowhere near that scale of pollution. I can tell you now that Maralinga compared to Lop Nor in NW China is spotless. It may have parts which are still quite irradiated and not all that safe to enter on a permanent basis, but areas within the Lop Nor area are so irradiated even the guys testing nukes there can't go into them, for any length of time.
Just because we have our own problems, doesn't mean when we see problems like this, that we can't then point out just how bad the situation there might be, or to say something to the Chinese about it. That maybe pointing the finger but we have every right to do so...at least we're making attempts to do something and have changed our policies. If that sort of thing is occurring in China (or any other country) then all we're getting from them on this matter (and it will eventually affect us all) is a mouthing of platitudes and very little action being taken at all to remedy it. Or what action is being taken is ineffectual because of the endemic corruption in their political system and industrial practices. Having little or no environmental protection laws and the above systemic problems compounding the matter doesn't help.