Chinese Official Pledges Cleaner Water, Even If It Costs 15% Of Economic Growth

[hatrack]

Well, dude, it's not like you have a choice.

BEIJING -- The top official of an eastern Chinese province said he would be willing to sacrifice 15 percent of its booming economic activity to clean a lake beset by pollution-fed algae, state media reported on Monday. Jiangsu Communist Party secretary Li Yuanchao "vowed to introduce strict no-compromise measures to curb water pollution at Taihu Lake, even if doing so slows economic growth," the China Daily reported.

Li demanded "the measures must be strictly implemented even if they caused a 15 percent downturn in the province's gross domestic product", the paper said.

In late May, many residents of Wuxi, a thriving Jiangsu industrial centre with an urban population of some 2.3 million, had tap water cut off after the lake was blanketed in putrid blue-green algae feeding on run-off from farms, homes and factories.

For years, officials have been vowing to clean up Taihu Lake with little to show for their promises. But Premier Wen Jiabao and other central leaders have said the country must tame its frantic growth to avoid environmental havoc. Li, who has been widely mentioned as a future central leader, said cutting the lake pollution was now an "urgent" priority. Heavily polluting industries and farming activities would be curtailed, he said in a speech on Saturday, according to the People's Daily.

EDIT

http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=13108

[hogwyld]

1. Well, he's not going to have a long life

with comments like that. The greedy bastards will take care of anyone that will cost them a few pennies.

[NMDemDist2]

2. I dunno, I just heard on FSTV today that the Chinese executed

(yes, killed him dead) their former Food and Drug safety Chief for taking bribes.

they don't fool around once they decide to move

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/14DAD91C-73EC-4970-9A32-B31EAD02DF99.htm

[Dead_Parrot]

3. Dead men tell no tales...

...Just sayin'...