china and usa pollution
Ivan Bahena
10/09/13
Social Science 102
Pollution Problems
The United States and China are the two largest economies which makes sense in why they are the top polluters in the world. China is constantly growing economically but at the same time it’s causing many damages on its environment. Many things are made in China because of the cheap price they have to pay its workers for labor and since theirs isn’t any labor laws to protect the workers many people are taken advantage off. People are paid little but work for 12-15 hour shifts and they can’t really complain because the owners know if they don’t do it another person will. There are also poor people who have no option but to do anything to make some money even if it means hurting environment. Some of the things they do to survive are called illegal logging and slash-and-burn. Illegal logging is pretty much making wood floors or wood illegally by cutting miles of trees. Slash-and burn on the other hand involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields. Both of these techniques are one of the causes why only 14% of China is covered by forests and why desertification which means fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of inappropriate agriculture is rising. Since many things are made in China then it means there’s so many factories and industries which are releasing many toxic chemicals which are affecting the environment. Some of the things that are affected by toxic chemicals are lakes, rivers, air, and the land which is used for farming. These toxics have done so much damage that the air problem is now known as airpocalypse. This airpocalypse isn’t only hurting the environment it’s also hurting the economy because according to Life in a toxic country by Edward long foreigners are either leaving or asking hardship pay from their employers. In the Article, The East is grey they also mentioned that big Chinese businessmen are also leaving and taking their business to other
10/09/13
Social Science 102
Pollution Problems
The United States and China are the two largest economies which makes sense in why they are the top polluters in the world. China is constantly growing economically but at the same time it’s causing many damages on its environment. Many things are made in China because of the cheap price they have to pay its workers for labor and since theirs isn’t any labor laws to protect the workers many people are taken advantage off. People are paid little but work for 12-15 hour shifts and they can’t really complain because the owners know if they don’t do it another person will. There are also poor people who have no option but to do anything to make some money even if it means hurting environment. Some of the things they do to survive are called illegal logging and slash-and-burn. Illegal logging is pretty much making wood floors or wood illegally by cutting miles of trees. Slash-and burn on the other hand involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields. Both of these techniques are one of the causes why only 14% of China is covered by forests and why desertification which means fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of inappropriate agriculture is rising. Since many things are made in China then it means there’s so many factories and industries which are releasing many toxic chemicals which are affecting the environment. Some of the things that are affected by toxic chemicals are lakes, rivers, air, and the land which is used for farming. These toxics have done so much damage that the air problem is now known as airpocalypse. This airpocalypse isn’t only hurting the environment it’s also hurting the economy because according to Life in a toxic country by Edward long foreigners are either leaving or asking hardship pay from their employers. In the Article, The East is grey they also mentioned that big Chinese businessmen are also leaving and taking their business to other