Latest comments posted about The environment needs public participation on ChinaDialogue en-gb http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/604-The-environment-needs-public-participation http://staging.chinadialogue.net/images/cdlogo.gif http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/604-The-environment-needs-public-participation In China, power resides heavily with the government. It would be far more effective and quick if the leadership were to motivate the masses. China is a large and complicated country, and it would be impossible for people of every social strata to initiate participation themselves. Moreover, the current situation may well be that powers over environmental protection are too scattered within the central government, so that no individual government organisation could actually make a call and get enough responses. Sun, 17 Dec 2006 06:19:15 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-773 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-773 Pan Yue argues that Chinese citizens need to be able to participate in the environmental protection movement and that China's democratic and legal systems need to be strengthen. He cites developments in other industrialised countries as a precedent. However, in these other countries many feel that the environment as an issue is still not given the priority that it deserves. To some degree indeed our environment has been cleaned up because the heavy and dirty industries have been shifted to China. That leads some people to feel that we need a fundamental re-think of what democracy means in an ecological age - what some would call "Gaian democracy". This would go a lot further than the kind of public participation that Pan Yue advocates. Gaian democracy is based on a number of propositions which derived from a systems analysis of our ecological and economic and political systems. I suppose the nearest Marxist jargon would be to write about the dialectical interrelationships between elements in an era of ecological crisis - the contradictory relationship between the biological and the material production systems. This contradiction can be thought of as impelling a peaceful evolution towards a new socio-ecological system which functions because the citizens share ecological and moral purposes. A participative social process is needed for this to occur initiated by leaders who do not command or control so much as facilitate and inspire. They would assist active citizens to think, learn and act together in reconfigurative processes of ecological and social design - this would be much more than participating "to set environmental restraints on the economy". Most ecological design thinking is essentially about saving energy and resources close to home - in the design of buildings, in gardens, in reducing the need for transport, in the installation of renewable energy systems that match local topology and circumstances. That cannot be planned in detail centrally but it can evolve democratically and in a networked way if citizens share purposes and ideas and learn together how to bring it about. In this process a special effort will be needed to ensure that the needs of vulnerable people are included and protected. (Ideas like these are discussed in Roy Madron and John Jopling's "Gaian Democracy" Schumacher Society/Green Books, 2003) Brian Davey Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:27:27 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-735 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-735 This article mentioned two important problems of China environment protection: first, “The “environment interests” of Chinese citizens have, for the first time, been enshrined in law. But despite this, details of the conditions and procedures for public participation have not yet been clearly stipulated. That is to say, faced with a specific problem, the public still does not know how to participate.” This situation makes us worried. We are calling for increasing the understanding of environment protection. But even if public consciousness increases, there is no way for them to express their will. When this happens, what reaction will the public have?! Second, “Our current environmental law states that only the victims of environmental incidents have the right to bring such a lawsuit”. The lack of necessary regulations will decrease the confidence of public to attend environment protection and destroy the quality of environment inspection. Pan Yue indicated the crucial problems. I am wondering if there is any plan or development for problem-solving in China. Is it possible for Chinadialogue to publish some environment laws and inspection regulations which is using in western countries for the reference of developing countries? Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:28:56 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-666 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-666 They cannot hear the truth. Their subordinates, reporting only for the sake of reporting, tell them nothing more than good news. As a matter of fact, material investments have been made for environment issues. But why is there little tangible result? A large proportion of our people are "money-oriented", among which power is also concentrated. Due to their presence, many projects of huge value end in vain. What's the point in all of these? They are huge obstacles for the improvement of the environment. It is no longer the time when "development means everything"! Think more about our future generations. A qualified leader should be a good listener to public opinions, trying to find out the fundamental solutions that really work, rather than mechanically passing down hollow words of no real meanings and "beating the air". When the Chinese environment improves, we are likely to see the true leadership of public opinions in China. But now, we still have a long way to go. Sat, 09 Dec 2006 06:50:21 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-719 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-719 Don't you know that Pan Yue is a leader in the Chinese central government? But only one leader's support won't have a big effect. Only with the necessary support of a large portion of leaders and the general public will there truly be hope for the environment. Fri, 08 Dec 2006 03:24:32 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-711 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-711 Comment No 1 says China's top leaders should take a few minutes to read this stong and convincing argument by Pan Yue. But strongest thrust of the article is that it is not a matter for the leaders. In today's world leaders follow. If citizens demand environmental reform, then the leaders will 'make it happen' (and try and claim the credit). If the public does not demand it, then the leaders will remain passive. The problem is how to convince the public, whether in China, India or Brazil, that they can make a difference. Anthony Barnett Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:05:00 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-700 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-700 I completely agree - thanks to the author for writing this here, after reading this article, it cheers me in lots of ways. The brave question is answered: "Why we need conservation?" Frankly speaking, for the sake of ourselves. Then who are we? We are from the public. Wed, 06 Dec 2006 04:39:45 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-692 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-692 If China's top leaders were to take a few minutes out of their schedules to read this article, China's environment would probably change for the better. These practical suggestions for environmental protection are very important. The ideas put forward in this essay are very pertinent and key to improving the environment. Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:37:41 -0500 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-664 http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/summary/604#comment-664