China vs. the environment

Today I am attempting to finish compiling final grades for my university classes. In my English Writing class, the students all did pretty well with mostly A’s and B’s, some C’s and two D’s. We have been advised that failing a student is not really an option here. In their final exam, one of the essay questions asked the students to reflect on recent changes in China and whether all these changes have been good. Almost every student commented that while the economy has greatly improved, the environment has paid the price.

The environment is a big topic in China right now. However, I wonder if it’s a true concern or if environmental protection is just a trendy, utopian ideal. The English television channel here, CCTV9, frequently covers stories on China’s great leaps towards environmental consciousness and loves the term “harmonious society”. One notable ad campaign shows people throwing trash in the garbage and giving their seat to a pregnant woman on the bus. Watching Chinese friends throw their empty bottles out car windows and getting shoved from all sides as I climb on the bus, this so-called “harmonious society” seems a distant goal. And while my students are aware of the dangers associated with polluting the environment, when pressed for solutions, popular suggestions are “save every drop of water” or “throw your trash in the rubbish bin,” all nice ideas – but a far cry from a real solution.

However, small steps do appear to be in action. Kunming has dedicated one day a month as “car-free” for its downtown district. Kunming is inundated with 400 new private automobiles every day, which is easy to believe after hearing every one of my students divulge their dream to own a car someday. And while recycling is not publicly funded, it’s created a source of income for the destitute who ensure that just about every piece of cardboard, bottle and can is dug from the trash and exchanged for its worth to private recycling companies. The news today announced that Beijing has implemented a ban on dispensing free plastic bags as the city had previously handed out three million plastic bags per day.

Baby steps.

On a lighter note, here are some pictures of my adorable, yet naughty students in Dongchuan. The school is very disorganized, leaving me without an assistant and the 35 children in my class, aged 3-5, get crazier by the minute. As my Chinese is still completely incompetent, direction and discipline is next to impossible. Class always starts off well for the first 20 minutes or so, but by the end of the hour, any activity I attempt to direct ends with all the children running at me and hugging my legs, not wanting to let go. And who can get mad at children who just want to hug?