Environmental Problems Will Slow China's Growth - Chinese Official

[hatrack]

BERLIN, March 5 (Reuters) - China's strong economic growth could soon be endangered because of the damage it is causing to the environment, a Chinese government official warned on Saturday in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel.

Pan Yue, vice director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, said air and water pollution were already costing China between 8 and 15 percent of its gross domestic product, although he did not explain what data had been used to calculate that figure.

"The (economic) miracle will soon be over because the environment won't be able to bear it much longer," he said. "Acid rain already comes down on a third of China's territory, half of the water in our seven largest rivers is completely unusable and a quarter of the population has no access to clean drinking water."

EDIT

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L05696599.htm

[NNadir]

1. I'd guess this situation is not unique to China.

They at least have some action, including family planning laws that, even if they are draconian, work.