China's engine of environmental collapse / Richard Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Smith, Richard, Ph. D., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Authoritarianism--China.

Authoritarianism.

Environmental policy--China.

Environmental policy.

China--Economic conditions.

China.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (320 pages)

Place of Publication:

London : Pluto Press, [2020]

Summary:

As the world hurtles towards environmental oblivion, China is leading the charge. The nation's CO2 emissions are more than twice those of the US with a GDP just two-thirds as large. China leads the world in renewable energy yet it is building new coal-fired power plants faster than renewables. The country's lakes, rivers, and farmlands are severely polluted yet China's police state can't suppress pollution, even from its own industries. This is the first book to explain these contradictions. Richard Smith explains how the country's bureaucratic rulers are driven by nationalist-industrialist tendencies that are even more powerful than the drive for profit under 'normal' capitalism. In their race to overtake the US they must prioritise hyper-growth over the environment, even if this ends in climate collapse and eco-suicide. Smith contends that nothing short of drastic shutdowns and the scaling back of polluting industries, especially in China and the US, will suffice to slash greenhouse gas emissions enough to prevent climate catastrophe.

Notes:

Description based on: online resource; title from PDF information screen (JSTOR, viewed September 27, 2022).

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9781786806635

1786806630