There is a limit for everything, especially when it comes to the health and well-being of your family. Chinese people have become overtly concerned with environmental issues over the last few years, and they have protested for this cause more passionately than for anything I can remember. They have demonstrated such a heart for these matter than the Chinese government is evaluating the "social risks" and starting to take action ("To Stem Protests, China Mandates ‘Social Risk’ Reviews for Big Projects", by Keith Bradsher, Nov 12th 2012, www.nytimes.com).
People's rights and voice in China have always been overshadowed by the industrial euphoria that made the country one of the strongest economies of the modern world. That euphoria implied the presence of factories and mineral exploitation plants all over the country, and in most cases right next to densely populated cities. But now that China is starting to see the fruits of the economic boom and the middle class is growing exponentially, some people are not happy with the idea of living next to highly polluting industries. And they take the streets to ask for regulation, somewhat a new word in China's industrial landscape.
The problem I see with the government's apparent willingness to evaluate and regulate industries and making environmental risk assessments before the installation of plants, is that it seems to be focused on avoiding social distress rather than on ensuring a safer, cleaner place to live for millions of people. The fear of opposition and chaos (rare things in the recent and history of China) is so strong that government officials are totally missing the point.
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/world/asia/china-mandates-social-risk-reviews-for-big-projects.html?hp
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