According to BBC, China is fastest-growing economy and is undergoing a second industrial revolution. This is no surprise to me near my house, I constantly see new shopping malls being built. New migrant families are constantly moving into the city, in pursuit of economic opportunity and the chance to move up in society by accumulating wealth and possessions.

Growth in Chinese markets is driving greater production around the world, just as growth in other developing countries?? markets are doing the same. Unfortunately, all production results in some sort of waste and pollution. Let?s take a brief look at some sectors we see fast-growing Chinese demand and the environmental implications of growing demand.

More information about China here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13017877

Automobiles:

Increasing demand means increasing demand for oil, which may prose a serious challenge for the energy supply. China is the globe?s second largest oil consumer after the United States.

The exhaust from cars contributes to air pollution and smog, especially in cities, where the cars are very concentrated. The increase in motor vehicles in cities is especially concerning, because more pollution results from slow travel speeds (traffic) and less restrictive standards.

The necessity of more roads to provide for the expansion of the automobile industry may also entail cutting away forests that help to filter pollutants out of the air and water and lead to habitat fragmentation, detrimental to nearby wildlife.

https://www.cbd.int/impact/case-studies/cs-impact-cciced-eia-en.pdf 

Luxury Goods:

The mass production of textiles often requires a lot of resources non-organic cotton growing uses 22.5% of the world?s insecticides and 10% of all pesticides, on 2.5% of the globe?s agricultural land (http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/clothing/designerclothing.aspx). In countries with poor environmental regulation, chemicals used to dye and finish fabric are released directly into nearby waterways.

Read more about how China?s toxic water is connected to the textile industry here:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/Dirty-Laundry/

However, for consumers, more eco-friendly alternatives exist for both the automobile industry and the textile industry.

Automobile:

- choose to walk or bike

- choose to use public transportation, such as the subway or the bus system

- choose to buy a hybrid car or an electric car

- buy a car with good mileage and fuel efficiency or make your existing car more fuel efficient.

Textiles:

- Ascribe to a ?slow fashion? mentality: the idea consumers should buy fewer, good quality pieces rather than buy many cheap clothes in attempt to keep up with the current fashion trend. Fashion trends change every year, so it could be wasteful to buy clothes only to throw them away when they are no longer in sytle.

-  Choose from ethical clothing companies

- be mindful of the difference between ?needing? and ?wanting? something.

Although this is just a brief overview of the issue of consumerism in China, I hope this encourages you to read more about the issue and take appropriate lifestyle steps J

-Jane