China is one of those developing countries that have most recently gone through the process of industrialization, and thereby changing from a societal focused on agricultural production into secondary industrial production. This change brought tremendous wealth and empowerment to the Chinese people, allowing China to become the second largest economy in the world. However, this rapid progression did not come without a social cost, industrialization has caused great destruction to the natural environment of the industralizing regions, causing social problems such as untreated chemical sewage to skyrocketing green house gases. Shenzhen, now one of the largest metropolitan areas in China, is a perfect example to show the environmental costs that industrialization brings to a local region
As part of the ‘Open Door’ economic reforms of 1979, Deng Xiaoping set up 5 special economics zones (SEZ) to encourage foreign investment and foreign-funded industrialization in China; Shezhen was amongst the five regions chosen. Before this, Shenzhen was only a small fishing village with a small local population. The speed of industrialization increased continuously throughout the 80s, especially after the industrial flight started in Hong Kong as producers began to move their production units to the mainland. As of 2007, this small fishing village has already become a large metropolitan area with a population of 8 million. The population density is 4400 persons/ sq mile. Much of the original landscape have since been altered to make way for silver skyscrapers and apartment buildings. The government tax incentives such as rebates and low export taxes lored factory owners from nearby regions, while relaxed environmental requirements further reduced production costs. Now, Shenzhen is also one of the most polluted urban cities in the world, showing the world yet another example the negative effects of industrialization.
Due to all the production activities occurring in the Shenzhen area, air pollution levels have reached levels never seen before. Due to lack of funding and governmental regulation, a lot of the factories are not required to process their production byproducts. The production industry is not the only major source of carbon emissions; private vehicles are also amongst the major contributors to the city’s high level of carbon emissions. Chemicals that are released into the air during production also form irritating smog days that pose serious threat to human health. In the year 2003 only, the city had 131 days of smoggy days, the most in fifty years. Throughout the 1970s, the amount of hazy days total to 8 days compared to 773 days in the 1990s (Daily). Another major contributor to Shenzhen’s deteriorating air quality are the surrounding coal powerplants that Shenzhen and nearby cities (such as Hong Kong) depend on for maintaining their enormous population. Due to lack of technology and financing, most of the coal power plants lack the equipment to remove smaller particles such as sulphur dioxide, which merge with H2O particles in the atmosphere and create acid rain.
China is one of those developing countries that have most recently gone through the process of industrialization, and thereby changing from a societal focused on agricultural production into secondary industrial production. This change brought tremendous wealth and empowerment to the Chinese people, allowing China to become the second largest economy in the world. However, this rapid progression did not come without a social cost, industrialization has caused great destruction to the natural environment of the industralizing regions, causing social problems such as untreated chemical sewage to skyrocketing green house gases. Shenzhen, now one of the largest metropolitan areas in China, is a perfect example to show the environmental costs that industrialization brings to a local region
As part of the ‘Open Door’ economic reforms of 1979, Deng Xiaoping set up 5 special economics zones (SEZ) to encourage foreign investment and foreign-funded industrialization in China; Shezhen was amongst the five regions chosen. Before this, Shenzhen was only a small fishing village with a small local population. The speed of industrialization increased continuously throughout the 80s, especially after the industrial flight started in Hong Kong as producers began to move their production units to the mainland. As of 2007, this small fishing village has already become a large metropolitan area with a population of 8 million. The population density is 4400 persons/ sq mile. Much of the original landscape have since been altered to make way for silver skyscrapers and apartment buildings. The government tax incentives such as rebates and low export taxes lored factory owners from nearby regions, while relaxed environmental requirements further reduced production costs. Now, Shenzhen is also one of the most polluted urban cities in the world, showing the world yet another example the negative effects of industrialization.
Due to all the production activities occurring in the Shenzhen area, air pollution levels have reached levels never seen before. Due to lack of funding and governmental regulation, a lot of the factories are not required to process their production byproducts. The production industry is not the only major source of carbon emissions; private vehicles are also amongst the major contributors to the city’s high level of carbon emissions. Chemicals that are released into the air during production also form irritating smog days that pose serious threat to human health. In the year 2003 only, the city had 131 days of smoggy days, the most in fifty years. Throughout the 1970s, the amount of hazy days total to 8 days compared to 773 days in the 1990s (Daily). Another major contributor to Shenzhen’s deteriorating air quality are the surrounding coal powerplants that Shenzhen and nearby cities (such as Hong Kong) depend on for maintaining their enormous population. Due to lack of technology and financing, most of the coal power plants lack the equipment to remove smaller particles such as sulphur dioxide, which merge with H2O particles in the atmosphere and create acid rain.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
