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Growing Public Unrest Leads China To Admit To 'Cancer Villages'

Posted by Soulskill on from the cheeriest-places-on-earth dept.

eldavojohn writes "A new report from China's environment ministry has resulted in long-overdue self-realizations as well as possible explanations for 'cancer villages.' The term refers to villages (anywhere from 247 to 400 known of them) that have increased cancer rates due to pollution from nearby factories and industry. The report revealed that many harmful chemicals that are prohibited and banned in developed nations are still found in China's water and air. Prior research has shown a direct correlation between industrialization/mining and levels of poisonous heavy metals in water. As a result, an air pollution app has grown in popularity and you can see the pollution from space. China has also released a twelve-year plan for environmental protection."

5 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Industrial revolution standard procedure by Gabrill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've maintained for years that China, Mexico, and similar countries going though industrial booms are simply in early stages of industrial revolution. Next we shall see environmental, wage, and health reforms, as these countries realize the need for sustainable management of their labor base.

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    Always going forward, 'cause we can't find reverse.
    1. Re:Industrial revolution standard procedure by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

      Didn't you read Gabrill's post? They are trying to cut DOWN on pollutants.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Industrial revolution standard procedure by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Then again, other than freaks like Thoreau, most Americans weren't out hugging trees at the beginning of our Industrial Revolution either.

      Bingo. This idea that "asian culture" is so different from "western culture" is just intellectually lazy. Sure there are differences, but fundamentally people are people, they all want the same stuff - food, air, water, sex, sleep, security, health, family, respect, creativity, etc.

      The sort of reforms we saw that came in on the western industrial revolution aren't culturally specific, they are human-specific. The implementations will surely vary along with the timelines, but the end result will be the same because if it does not get to a similar point of satisifying universal human needs, it will collapse because the humans won't tolerate it indefinitely.

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      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  2. China will soon have a plan for clean-up... by swschrad · · Score: 5, Funny

    as soon as they hack the EPA.

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    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
  3. Still waiting.. by Daetrin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Where's the explanation on how the free market is going to fix this problem without the need for burdensome regulation? Anyone? Anyone?

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    This Space Intentionally Left Blank