The Influence Of Climate Change In China

Introduction
Climate change has been the forefront of international news and how leaders will take specific measures on tackling environmental challenges. China has faced much pressure and criticism, domestically and internationally with their actions or lack thereof on the environmental crisis. China is the world’s leader when it comes to the release of carbon emissions. Approximately, one third of all accountable greenhouses gases that are emitted from the planet is due to China’s activities. China is home to sixteen of the world’s twenty most polluted cities (Xu 1). The contribution of severe contamination, air pollution, and scarcity of land deterioration has led to the decrease of life expectancy in the north by 5.5 years. According to the World Bank, the cost of environmental degradation of the country is an estimated nine percent of its GDP.
Confucius Philosophy/Influence
Economy writes, “China's current environmental situation is the result not only of policy choices made today but also of attitudes, approaches, and institutions that have evolved over centuries," The Book of Rites is a classic Chinese text contributed by Confucian scholars that has instructions to not leave untapped resources alone (Economy 4). Confucians argued the exploitation of the wealth of nature is needed for the duties of the states to provide the livelihoods needed for the people. Some took this as legitimate reasoning to exploit and manipulate the environments for the ‘glory of the states’. However, this view only accounts for one school of