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China Shuts Down Tens Of Thousands Of Factories In Widespread Pollution Crackdown (msn.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the bold-steps dept.

Buildings in China are shrouded in smog. From a report: China has implemented an unprecedented pollution crackdown in recent months as the country shuts down tens of thousands of factories. The effort is part of a national effort to address China's infamous pollution and has affected wide swaths of China's manufacturing sector. In total, it is estimated that 40 percent of all China's factories have been shut down at some point in order to be inspected by environmental bureau officials. As a result of these inspections over 80,000 factories have been hit with fines and criminal offenses as a result of their emissions. Safety officials have been moving from province to province (30 in total so far) shutting down factories as well as electricity and gas as they inspect the factories for meeting emissions requirements. This has resulted in late and missed orders, increased costs, and could ultimately result in higher prices on US shelves.

10 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Resources! by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Who knew that cleanliness was a resource and you could use it up and run out?

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    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  2. Shut down before inspecting? by Ecuador · · Score: 3, Insightful

    40 percent of all China's factories have been shut down at some point in order to be inspected by environmental bureau officials.

    Wouldn't you want to inspect them before you shut them down? I mean how bad can the emissions of a shut-down factory be?

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    Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
    1. Re:Shut down before inspecting? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Wouldn't you want to inspect them before you shut them down?

      Nope. You want to shut them down first. Then, the factory managers will be more accommodating as to your bribe money to let them re-open again.

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      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:Shut down before inspecting? by Aighearach · · Score: 4, Insightful

      1) The inspector is an important government employee, not a low lever person who needs your pocket change
      2) Accepting a bribe like that when the government is trying to do a special program of cleanup will result in the death penalty in China.

      Bribes are more likely when the factory is running, because the inspector can just agree to say they inspected everything that was safe to inspect with the equipment running.

  3. Shakedown by officials, same old story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Once they pay their "fines" they can go back to polluting. Unless they complain and a firing squad is needed. Happened before, will happen again. I have stories from the eighties of execs being executed for "bad business practices and polluting". Didn't stop then, will not stop now.

  4. Think of the Children by FeelGood314 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Seriously, the author is worried about spending a tiny bit more at Walmart because school kids in China now get cleaner air?

  5. Re:You know your country sucks when.... by mspohr · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Los Angeles used to be like this... then we had the Clean Air Act and cleaned it up. (Of course, now Trump is dismantling the Clean Air Act so we'll be like China soon).

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  6. Re:Expect prices to rise by rogoshen1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Plot twist: massive disparity in wealth distribution and gender imbalance brought on by the one child policy lead to massive social unrest by 2030. Entire house of cards comes tumbling down.

  7. Re:You know your country sucks when.... by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 2, Insightful

    China's main political push right now is preventing societal instability...

    In contrast to the US, where identity politics are the norm and people are constantly barraged with how someone is keeping someone else down. China prospers while the US courts a second civil war.

  8. Re:You know your country sucks when.... by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1, Insightful

    (Of course, now Trump is dismantling the Clean Air Act so we'll be like China soon).

    Right -- rolling back rules that have been in place for about 2 years is going to take us back to the air quality of the 50s.

    If you weren't just tossing around baseless partisan rhetoric, I'd be really curious to hear the details of how you genuinely believe that's going to happen.