Latest comments posted about Xiamen PX: a turning point? on ChinaDialogue en-gb http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/1626-Xiamen-PX-a-turning-point- http://staging.chinadialogue.net/images/cdlogo.gif http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/1626-Xiamen-PX-a-turning-point- I am pleased to see such a success in Xiamen. The environment is in no way part of the usual administrative order for the government, so it is important that people take action independently. Now that every region in the country is being exposed to varying levels of pollution, I hope that more and more people will take a stand for the greater good. Only when there is an increased level of public participation, will we be able to achieve a cleaner environment. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:31:13 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6980 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6980 How do we improve the influence of the public? The habit of getting organised, of sharing information and common knowledge, of acting in a united manner are the building blocks that need to be acted on. Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:16:18 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6981 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6981 If business and governmental interests in China take precedence on environmental issues, it will be a constant battle between economic growth vs. public values. The victory for Xiamen could ultimately be a new fight for Fujian. The plant will continue to be displaced, but never modifided for environmental benefit. The greatest solution would be utilizing help from NGO's and individuals who can maxamize economic needs under the conforms of a minimally disturbed environemt. As addressed in the article, perhaps when the government figures out a process to recieve public opinion, the means in which people can express their views on environmental issues can be practiced with greater organization and with stronger impact. "Green" thought is a public issue that become more and more infectious with the access to information technology; and with the explosion of text messaging and internet, hopefully the public will gain the awareness to make informed decisions about their environment and can take the Xiamen victory to a greater scale. TRS Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:05:57 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6974 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6974 Encouraging news from Xiamen, but it seems the legal framework for public participation in China, though ultimately progressive, is ill-defined and inconsistently enforced. Participation is a good way to make policy, particularly in the case of the environment, but everyone needs to be clear what we really mean by this, and that needs to be reflected by detailed legal frameworks, which need to be enforced. SL Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:41:01 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6962 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/1626#comment-6962