Having the world’s largest population and second-largest economy, China has an environmental footprint that is unique to other countries. The lifestyles of affluent consumers in China are built upon high levels of consumption and unnecessary waste of resources. Such affluence is based mostly on the assumption—fueled by mass advertising—that buying more things will bring happiness. This type of affluence has an enormous harmful environmental impact. Read the article “As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes” and view the video “The Environmental Cost of China’s Growth” Spend some time thinking about how China’s environmental impact may affect its citizens and the world at large. How do you foresee economic growth when you consider the impact that the environment must endure?
