China, the WTO, and the Environment.China's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO See World Trade Organization. ) is having profound environmental impacts, particularly in agriculture, forestry, aquaculture aquaculture, the raising and harvesting of fresh- and saltwater plants and animals. The most economically important form of aquaculture is fish farming, an industry that accounts for an ever increasing share of world fisheries production. , automaking, energy, and textiles, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a report from the government's Task Force on WTO and the Environment. In agriculture, for instance, China's land and water short-ages and labor surpluses suggest that land- and water-intensive farming of grains is shrinking while labor-intensive production of fruits, vegetables, and livestock expands. The loss of grain production is reducing food security and has already led to China's first-ever agricultural trade deficit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In forestry, accession is leading to adoption of more efficient technologies and improved forest management programs. However, timber importation is growing rapidly, with much of it coming from areas practicing poor forest stewardship. In aquaculture, exports are growing rapidly because aquaculture is labor-intensive and improves food security. Continued growth will depend on protecting the heavily pollution-threatened marine environment. Despite strict emission standards Emission standards are requirements that set specific limits to the amount of pollutants that can be released into the environment. Many emission standards focus on regulating pollutants released by automobiles (motor cars) and other powered vehicles but they can also regulate , the explosive growth of auto usage is creating a major new source of air pollution. But because the current car fleet is small, China can reduce its impacts by maximizing fuel efficiency standards, deterring the use of large vehicles, and stressing mass transit mass transit, public transportation systems designed to move large numbers of passengers. Types and Advantages Mass transit refers to municipal or regional public shared transportation, such as buses, streetcars, and ferries, open to all on a systems. In the energy sector, rapid economic growth is driving energy demand--and thus coal use--sharply upward. Energy conservation, accurate pricing, and clean coal technologies will be essential to reduce demand and environmental impacts. Finally, textile production is expected to continue rising rapidly, especially after the WTO exportation quota expires in 2005. As output increases, so will waste-water releases, and the sheer scale of growth may overwhelm o·ver·whelm tr.v. o·ver·whelmed, o·ver·whelm·ing, o·ver·whelms 1. To surge over and submerge; engulf: waves overwhelming the rocky shoreline. 2. a. any positive benefits from accession. China's accession to the WTO offers a unique opportunity to drive ecologically sustainable development Ecologically sustainable development is the environmental component of sustainable development. It can be achieved partially through the use of the precautionary principle, namely that if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific . However, without prioritization of environmental concerns it will more likely accelerate ecological damage. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion