To say that China underwent a rapid economic ascension over the past fifty years is a gross understatement; the nation transformed itself from a largely agrarian society into one of the world’s most successful and powerful industrial giants. Through a series of economic, social, and political reforms, the country launched head first toward modernization and secured its place amongst the most influential world powers. However, a country that affixes its national onus solely upon the process of modernization is bound to ignore various spectrums of society, and in the case of China’s rapid industrial growth, the cost of progress took its largest toll on the environment. One of the more popular jokes during the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the question of whether or not the athletes would even be able to breathe correctly due to China’s air quality, yet this seemingly humorous observation underscores a problem which is hardly a laughing matter. China has become the leading country in terms of its nation-wide level of greenhouse gas emissions, over taking long-time leader, America. This ominous “achievement,” as well as numerous others which further undermine China’s environmental and medical well-being, have caused the government to recently undergo a series of dramatic environmental reforms which hope to undo the deep damage that has been inflicted upon China’s ecosystem. While China successfully completed its journey toward becoming a modern super power, its current goal of mitigating the effects of climate change and nation-wide pollution is perhaps just as important for the country’s future.
To understand the breadth of environmental problems that plague Modern China, it is important to first contextualize and understand China...
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... what has amounted to the largest hydraulics program in world history. Yet center to the nation’s nearly hazardous environment is the nation’s historically unabashed approach to industrialization and expansion. Recently, government officials have begun to warn the nation about the disastrous consequences of expansion without consideration for the environment. Likewise, the nation has made it a stated effort to outpace every other country in the world in terms of green technology that is produced domestically. Each of these government programs and policies is an important step toward China’s environmental recovery, but it must be understood that the nation still has tremendous ground to make up. Indeed, if China intends to continue its impressive trajectory, it is clear that it will need to orient its focus around a different kind of “green” initiative.
From 100 CE to 600 CE the Chinese had many cultural and political life changes and continuities. A political change was in the end of the Classical Chinese period when the Han Dynasty fell. A cultural change during 100 CE to 600 CE was the paper invention that led to passing down cultural rituals. Not only were there changes but there was also continuities in the Chinese political and cultural life. An example of a cultural continuity is the increasing power of Buddhism. A political continuity is the ruler of the Chinese wanting the people to be protected with for instance The Great Wall of China.
Daily life was influenced in both Ancient India and China because of religion and philosophies. Their well being, their beliefs, and their caste system were affected by religion and philosophies.
In order to understand why China is in such environmental difficulties we need to understand why the lifestyles of people in Europe and the US could be to blame. The first area to consider is the environmental issues that China is currently suffering with. Once this is established I can assert what impact the US and Europe has in relation to these issues and what actually causes them. In linking the events it will be easier to see the chain of events. To do this I am going to work backwards and understand the issues that exist within China and then secondly what they are a result of. This will give me the background of why China’s environmental issues have become so dire.
China hasn’t operated with an aristocratic social group since the Han Dynasty (Global Security). The equality that was encouraged during the communist regime blocked the development of an elitist culture within China. However, communism is being glossed over in favor of capitalism, Chinese aristocrats, powered by the recent boom of the economy, are on the rise. China lacks a long established aristocratic culture due to it’s communist past, and as a result, its nouveau riche look elsewhere for examples of elitist culture. Compared to China’s nouveau riche, who are not from traditionally wealthy families, long established European elitist cultures, or the “old money”, are prestigious. These upper classes, such as the Victorian high class of the 1800s are seen as prestigious because of their strict social conduct and total control of society and politics (Bayley). The acceptance of China’s nouveau riche among these long established elite “old rich” cultures requires emulation of the cultural and social norms. “The realities of the Victorian age are seen to be with significant historical resonance to China’s modernization process” (Li). The Victorian era holds the perfect stanford of taste for Chinese aristocrats. For Chinese nouveau riche women, emulation of 19th century Victorian Era elitist culture is the ultimate show of status, through patterns of consumerism, appreciation of Western art, and focus on classic etiquette.
China’s economy is one very large indicator of its role in globalization. “In 2010 China became the world’s largest exporter” (CIA World Factbook). Without China many places such as the United States of America would be without billions of goods imported from China annually. An influx of companies moving their manufacturing to China has allowed people to flock to cities and find jobs. China’s economy has grown exponentially over the last few decades. In the last three years China’s economy has grown by nearly ten percent every year. Despite this influx of money to China it has also resulted in many drawbacks. For example, China’s environment has been obliterated. China burns more coal than every country in the world combined. Beijing has been so badly polluted that there are actually companies that sell cans of fresh air to people, and gas masks are a common sight. On January 12th 2013 Beijing’s air pollution reached a record setting 775 PPM. To put that into perspective, the scale for measuring pollution is 0-500 PPM. This set an all-time recorded high. In Los Angeles a high ...
While most would find it difficult to describe what they want for lunch in ten words, it seems to be enough for renowned author Yu Hua to describe a nation. As one of China’s most eminent authors, “China in Ten Words” serves as Yu Hua’s first work of nonfiction to be published in English. Through this work, Hua has forged a dynamic narrative that provides an insight into modern China through the breakdown of ten words: people, leader, reading, writing, Lu Xun, disparity, revolution, grassroots, copycat and bamboozle. Throughout the novel Hua’s biting banter and sophisticated foresight is heavily noted as he goes in depth to characterize each of the ten words. Through the book’s ten chapters, Hua sheds light upon everyday life in China over recent decades, including the disturbance of the current economic phenomenon. Hua conjointly illustrates his own personal account of the coercive years of the Cultural Revolution, while ultimately providing a forewarning of widespread social discontent with dangerously infectious abilities.
American writer and political analyst, Michael Auslin argumentative essay “The Filth They Breathe in China” (January 11, 2017) argues China’s air quality is harmful and extremely dangerous to the people of China and their environment. Auslin conveys his argument through logos, pathos and imagery. Auslin’s purpose is to illustrate to his readers China’s economic growth destroying its environment. Auslins strengthens his overall point by adopting a convincing tone for readers with a concern for the environment.
China is located in East Asia. Ancient China is surrounded by Gobi Desert in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Himalayan Mountains in the southwest, and the Taklimakan desert in the west. This land has a wide variation of animals because of the different habitats provided for them. Most farming was done in the very fertile lands of the Yangtze valley. Present China is much bigger than Ancient China, which means that over time, the kings and different dynasties went gaining more and more land and wealth.
Communism is a system of government, a political ideology that rejects private ownership and promotes a classless, stateless society based on common ownership of all property and the means of production, where by all work is shared and all proceeds are commonly owned. Communism is practised in China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and Cuba. However most of the world’s communist governments have been disbanded since the end of World War II. Soon after the Japanese surrendered at the end of World War II, Communist forces began a war against the Kuomintang in China. The Communists gradually gained control of the country and on the 1st October, 1949, Mao Zedong announced the victory of the Communist party and the establishment of the People's Republic of China. China has been ruled by the Communist party ever since.
Many Chinese social changes occurred during the Han dynasty. Nuclear families became more common due to the free peasantry that developed in China. However, joint families also remained common throughout the countryside. Women in China continued to be less dominant than men in society. They were expected to be selfless, humble, diligent, and courteous. Advanced cities increasingly developed along trade routes and rivers, despite many Chinese people persistently living in rural regions. The biggest and most extravagant of these cities was Chang’an, the capital.
China has approximately 20% of the world’s population, which is around 1.3 billion people (Morris, 2009, p. 111). Also, China has become one of the worlds biggest manufacturing countries within 30 years (Fawssett, 2009, p. 27). However, such rapid development has come at a cost, which has created various environmental problems. Coincidentally, China has 16 cities on a list of the 20 worst polluted cities in the world (Fawssett, 2009, p. 15). Therefore, this essay will explain the reasons for China’s environmental problems, then evaluate the claim that the Chinese government and people, are tackling these environmental problems. First, crop farming techniques over the last hundred years, and their consequences will be explained. Followed by, how peoples choice in food has changed over the last hundred years, and how this indirectly affects the environment. Then, how a capitalist economy is linked to agriculture, and finally what the Chinese government and people are doing to tackle these problems.
This essay gives an overview of early civilization in China and the different periods within this era. Also, it includes political and cultural pursuits of the people within this time period and the struggles of the Asian peoples and their religious beliefs and community uniqueness and differences.
Most researchers in China who do work regarding some ecological problems often lack training in the basics of ecology, where the focus tends to be based on urban pollution problems that often minimizes the role of biological organisms (citation needed). This problem is only aggravated by the lack of importance of urban ecology within the Chinese scientific community. The value of basic research and theoretical development as a testable model are often devalued, where the research may deal with a few aspects of the urban ecology without considering the urban ecosystem as a
"China Plans to Regulate Some of Its Carbon Emissions for the First Time Ever." Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.
A significant part of the ancient Chinese civilization was that it shared a common background that is longer than any other ethnic group on Earth. China mostly isolated and unknown to the outside world, was quietly progressing at a rate greater than or equal to other notable civilizations of the prehistoric world. China was composed of several dynasties. The dynastic cycle played a definitive role in the successions of Chinese empires. Each era’s achievements and failures influenced the next. The combined contributions from all the regimes, not only led to the success and progress of China, but defined it as well. Technological discoveries, inventions, creations and its ability to adapt all participate in its maturity. The evolution of ancient Chinese dynasties provided the cultural, economical and governmental structure that developed and shaped their country into one of the marvels of ancient times.