The question of environment and development is of common concern to
various countries in the world. The numerous developing countries are
speeding
up the development of their national economies and, in the course
of such development,
are protecting and improving the environment so that
economic development and
environmental protection can be co-ordinated with
each other. This is a question of
special concern to the developing
countries and their people.
The question of environmental pollution and its damages has cropped up in
many areas of the
world. Pollution has become a scourge of society in some
countries with highly developed
economies. What is the root cause of
environmental pollution and damage? The main social cause
of environmental
pollution and its damages lies in the fact that, as a result of the development
of capitalism into imperialism, the monopoly capitalist groups, in their
quest for big profits,
are unscrupulously plundering the natural resources
and disposing of harmful substances at will,
thereby polluting and poisoning
the environment. The developing countries also face certain
questions
concerning the environmental pollution and damage. But their environmental
question
is different in nature from that in the developed countries. Over a
long period in the past, the
colonialists and imperialists dominated the
Asian, African and Latin American regions by various
means, controlling
their economic lifelines, carrying out savage plunder and ruthless exploitation,
and
engaging in indiscriminate development and utilization of natural
resources, thereby wreaking
serious havoc on their national economies and
natural environment. This is the root cause of the
poverty and backwardness
of the developing countries and of the damage to their environment.
In the
face of superpower hegemonism, this state of affairs has become even
more
serious in these regions.
Now some people still regard economic development as the root cause of
environmental pollution,
while others consider poverty its root cause. All
these views represent an attempt to evade the essence
of the matter and seek
the causes of the problem from superficial phenomenon, thus making it
impossible to reach a correct conclusion in conformity with objective
reality, and leading to
pessimism about the future of the human environment.
Economic development and environmental protection are interrelated and
promote each other. The
former gives rise to the environmental problem and
the latter constitutes an important condition for
developing the economy;
economic development increases the capability to protect the environment,
and environmental improvement in turn promotes economic development. This is
the interdependent
relationship between the two.
At present, the developing countries have a pressing need to develop their
national economies,
gradually build up a modern industry and modern
agriculture and achieve economic independence
so as to consolidate their
political independence. This is the urgent task of the developing countries
in freeing themselves from imperialist, colonialist, neo-colonialist and
big-power hegemonist control
and plunder; it is also a basic guarantee for
the protection and improvement of the environment. In the
absence of
political independence and economic development, how can the environment be
effectively protected and improved? Economic development will be bring with
it the problem of
environmental pollution, which, however, can be solved
only in the course of development, not
by calling a halt to development or
slowing down its pace. We hold that in the struggle against
nature, man has
constantly to sum up experience and go on discovering, inventing, creating and
advancing. With social progress and scientific and technological
development, the problem of
environmental pollution can be prevented and
solved in the course of development so long as we
proceed from the interests
of the people and adopt effective measures to this end.
China is a developing socialist country. We have in the course of advance
also come across the problem of economic development causing environmental
pollution. The main cause of pollution is the
problem left over from the old
China. It takes some time to transform the lopsided economy in the
old
society. So far we are still short of adequate experience and knowledge of
environmental protection
work, which is a new problem for us. Chairman Mao
has taught us that we should proceed in all cases
from the interests of the
people. Economic development is in the interests of the people and so is
environmental protection. The development and protection are in harmony with
each other. We
are constantly summing up experience and striving to reduce
and eliminate pollution while developing the economy so as to create good living
and working conditions for the working people.
In developing the economy, we should make an overall planning and arrangement
when handling
the relations between industry and agriculture, between town
and country, between production and
livelihood, between economic development
and environmental protection, so that they will advance
in co-ordination
with each other. This is an important measure for preventing industrial
pollution.
As to the development and utilization of natural resources, we should also
make an all-round
planning to ensure multiple benefits, pay attention to
immediate and long-term effects, take into
consideration the accruing gains
and the possible effect on the ecological conditions. Our practice
in the
building of water conservancy projects over the years has proved that by making
an overall
planning and striving to ensure multiple benefits in
flood-control, power-generation, irrigation,
navigation and cultivation of
aquatics, we can make the best use of water resources and at the same
time
reduce and avoid damage to the environment.
Geographical distribution of industries should be put on a rational basis,
with greater stress put
on small cities and towns. The small cities and
towns have characteristics favouring the environmental
protection such as
the integration of cities with the countryside, of workers with peasants,
facilitating production and conveniencing daily life. Meanwhile, the
difficulties which often arise
in big cities can be averted in small cities
and towns: difficulties in housing, communications and
transport, supplies
of agricultural and sideline products and other public welfare facilities. This
is also
beneficial to environmental improvement.
To prevent industrial wastes from contaminating the environment, we put
anti-pollution measures into
practice simultaneously with the designing,
construction and commission of the projects in our industrial construction. Such
practice has proved effective. In so doing, we can ponder over the ways and
means,before the construction work starts, of getting rid of the harmful
substances as best we can in the course of production, or adopt purifying
measures against any possible damage which might accrue from these harmful
substances. This may cost more money when a project is under construction, but
the cost will be much smaller than the price which has to be paid for keeping
the pollution under control after it has occurred, and the results have proved
much better.
Will the environmental protection and improvement affect development and slow
down its pace?
This depends on what policies are adopted. Our country
regards the multiple-purpose use of resources
as an important policy for
economic development. Thanks to the development of modern industrial
technology, the natural resources discovered and used by mankind are
increasing daily. Discharge
of industrial wastes at will will contaminate
the environment. Multiple-purpose utilization of industrial wastes makes it
possible to turn many harmful things to good account and make useless things
useful.
This will help to open up new sources of raw materials for industry,
expand social production, increase
social wealth and promote the development
of production.
Agriculture is the foundation for the development of the national economies of the developing countries. Without the development of agriculture, industrial development cannot go very far. Protection and improvement of the environment is of particular importance to promoting the development of agriculture.
Agriculture production, including food crops, forestry, livestock breeding,
side occupations and fishery,
depends to a large extent on natural
conditions. There is a certain limit to the development of agriculture under
certain natural conditions, that is, it will be hampered by natural conditions.
However, through its own hard work, mankind can change the existing natural
conditions and strive to master the natural law governing the reproduction of
living things, and create still greater productive forces. On the question of
the natural conditions for agriculture, the naturalist point of view is wrong,
and the ideas of pessimism and inertia are both groundless. In the old China, as
a result of the long years of oppression and plunder by the imperialists and
their lackeys, rural natural environment was seriously damaged, agricultural
production was ruined because large tracts of land turned alkaline or became
deserts. One-third of the cultivated lands were red soils or alkaline,
sand-stony and cold-swampy fields and lands susceptible to drought and
waterlogging. Some lands became barren. Since the founding of New China,
our Government has given the first place to agriculture in developing the
national economy. By extensive mobilization of the masses, relying on our
own efforts and transforming our country in an indomitable spirit as displayed
by the legendary Foolish Old Man who removed the mountains, it has worked
with great will to transform the natural conditions for production. After more
than two decades of hard work, we have improved over one half of the alkaline
land in north China, reclaimed, utilized and improved over 120 million mu of red
soil which is sometimes called "red deserts," and brought one-fifth of the land
subject to erosion under preliminary control. With the planting of shelter belts
over large areas and the improvement of water conservancy conditions in the
desert regions in northwest and north China, more and more oases have emerged.
The improvement of natural conditions for agriculture has enabled China to reap
good harvests for 14 years running, with the broad masses of the people enjoying
a happy life. Certain people assert that speedy development of agriculture would
reduce the fertility of soil and bring about an ecological crisis. The fact that
China has improved the natural conditions for agriculture and reaped good
harvests in succession shows that mankind can transform nature and create a more
suitable environment. So long as the creative power of the people is brought
into full play and necessary measures are taken, the fertility of soil will not
be destroyed; instead, poor soil can be turned into fertile soil and produce
more food grains.