China's environmental Problems Challenges and Opportunities With a population of 12.5 billion and relatively low economic, scientific and technical capabilities, Chinas socioeconomic development before 1986 was difficult and inefficient Industries did not adhere to a standard of environmental performance and environmental agencies lacked sufficient funds and authority to enforce environmental regulations Cities are the engines of economic growth. Unfortunately, cities in China are facing serious environmental problems. Its urban air is laden with harmful particulates, gases, and toxins; its solid and hazardous wastes are often dumped untreated. Environmental pollution is still growing and gradually extending from the urban areas to the rural areas. The scope of ecological destruction is expanding and intensifying. Furthermore, eco-environmental problems have begun affecting overall social and economic development. Environmental pollution problems can also stem from mismanagement caused by a variety of h as carelessness, indifference or ignorance as well as a lack of measurement and monitoring methods to provide baseline or background data. Such data is critical to serve as a technical basis for an engineering plan and design to prevent and control pollution, and as verification of adverse effects on health and the environment The environment is everybodys business: everybody is a producer and consumer of products and services, but how many people in China understand Chinas critical environmental issues? The answer is very few because most of the 1. 25billion people in China do not have the opportunity to attain knowledge and information on current environmental knowledge and information Traditionally, China's policy has been controlling releases of pollutants and wastes. Most environmental laws and regulations were enacted in the 1980,'s, focusing on the end-of-pipe and er, or landrather tha ipation and prevention for sustainable development Many of nmental professionals in gover end-of-pipe controls appropriate for the specific media. They did not have the opportunity to see environmental problems from more than one perspective. As to pollution control technologies environmental professionals generally followed point-source control technologies of developed countries Such technologies helped solve only short-term problems, rather than eliminate pollutants. In Dition, they merely transferred pollutants from one mental medium to another potential secondary pollution problems that required further treatment and dispose The performance of our environmental program has being complicated by a lack of real political commitment to environmental policies and programs. The environmental protection agencies lacked sufficient funds and the authority to implement their plans and programs. As a result, they haphazardly enforced these laws and regulations that were criticized as vague and lax Industries generally did not allocate the necessary management time and other resources to implement even potentially successful environmental programs unless they faced a real demand from local and national environmental protection agencies or the general public to improve their environmental performance. No matter how well intentioned,most industries did not behave in anChina’s Environmental Problems Challenges and Opportunities With a population of 12.5 billion and relatively low economic, scientific and technical capabilities,China’s socioeconomic development before 1986 was difficult and inefficient. Industries did not adhere to a standard of environmental performance and environmental agencies lacked sufficient funds and authority to enforce environmental regulations. Cities are the engines of economic growth. Unfortunately, cities in China are facing serious environmental problems. Its urban air is laden with harmful particulates,gases,and toxins; its solid and hazardous wastes are often dumped untreated.Environmental pollution is still growing and gradually extending from the urban areas to the rural areas.The scope of ecological destruction is expanding and intensifying.Furthermore,eco-environmental problems have begun affecting overall social and economic development. Environmental pollution problems can also stem from mismanagement caused by a variety of reasons such as carelessness,indifference,or ignorance,as well as a lack of measurement and monitoring methods to provide baseline or background data.Such data is critical to serve as a technical basis for an engineering plan and design to prevent and control pollution,and as verification of adverse effects on health and the environment. The environment is everybody’s business:everybody is a producer and consumer of products and services,but how many people in China understand China’s critical environmental issues?The answer is very few because most of the 1.25billion people in China do not have the opportunity to attain knowledge and information on current environmental knowledge and information. Traditionally,China’s policy has been controlling releases of pollutants and wastes.Most environmental laws and regulations were enacted in the 1980’s,focusing on the end-of-pipe and single-medium issues (such as air,water,or land)rather than attempting “anticipation and prevention”for sustainable development. Many of the environmental professionals in government and industry were trained to apply end-of-pipe controls appropriate for the specific media.They did not have the opportunity to see environmental problems from more than one perspective. As to pollution control technologies, environmental professionals generally followed point-source control technologies of developed countries. Such technologies helped solve only short-term problems,rather than eliminate pollutants.In addition,they merely transferred pollutants from one environmental medium to another, causing potential secondary pollution problems that required further treatment and disposal. The performance of our environmental program has being complicated by a lack of real political commitment to environmental policies and programs.The environmental protection agencies lacked sufficient funds and the authority to implement their plans and programs.As a result,they haphazardly enforced these laws and regulations that were criticized as vague and lax. Industries generally did not allocate the necessary management time and other resources to implement even potentially successful environmental programs unless they faced a real demand from local and national environmental protection agencies or the general public to improve their environmental performance.No matter how well intentioned,most industries did not behave in an