The Devastating Effects of Pollution in China (Part 1/2)
Summary
TLDRThe video script documents a journey to Linfen, China, dubbed the 'dirtiest place on the planet', with pollution levels equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. Linfen, once known for its fruits and flowers, has become a symbol of China's unbalanced economic growth, now a hub for coal mining and factories releasing toxic chemicals. The script explores the city's environmental challenges, including air and water pollution, and the impact on the local population, all while reflecting on the broader implications of China's rapid industrialization.
Takeaways
- 🎥 The script features David Feinberg, a cameraman sent by VBS to film in Linfen, China, which is considered one of the most polluted places on Earth.
- 🚭 Breathing the air in Linfen for a day is said to be equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes, highlighting the severity of the air quality.
- 🏙️ Linfen is a city in Shanxi Province with a landscape dominated by factories that contribute to the toxic smog and pollution.
- 🌍 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China, indicating a widespread environmental issue.
- 🌳 The economic growth of China has led to an increase in environmental problems, with a focus on energy consumption and an unbalanced development model.
- 🌁 Linfen's permanent toxic smog has a significant impact on the health and daily life of its 4 million residents.
- 🚚 The city's reliance on coal trucks for energy contributes to the pollution, with trucks constantly moving between Linfen and other cities.
- 🏫 Despite Linfen's reputation as the most polluted place on Earth, life continues with schools and construction projects ongoing.
- 😷 Contrary to expectations, the locals in Linfen do not commonly wear masks, and Feinberg also chooses not to wear one to avoid standing out.
- 🌾 Linfen was once known as the 'fruit and flower town' of Shanxi Province, but has since transformed into a major coal mining area.
- 💧 Water pollution in China is also a critical issue, with over half of the rivers and a significant portion of lakes and urban groundwater polluted, often due to industrial waste and agricultural pesticides.
Q & A
Who is David Feinberg and what was his mission in China?
-David Feinberg is a cameraman sent by VBS to China to film the environmental conditions in Linfen, which is considered one of the most polluted cities on the planet.
What is the comparison made between breathing in Linfen's air and smoking cigarettes?
-Spending a day in Linfen and breathing in the air is said to be equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes, highlighting the severe air pollution in the city.
How many of the world's most polluted cities are located in China according to the script?
-The script mentions that 16 out of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.
What is the primary source of energy in Linfen and what are its environmental impacts?
-Linfen primarily relies on coal for energy production, which results in the emission of toxic chemicals, poisoning the land and water, and creating a permanent toxic smog.
What is the significance of Linfen's location in Shanxi Province?
-Linfen's location in Shanxi Province is significant because the region is a major coal producer, and the city serves as a hub for coal transportation to other parts of China.
How does the script describe the economic growth of China in relation to environmental issues?
-The script suggests that China's economic growth is fundamentally linked to environmental degradation, with the more rapid the economic development, the worse the environmental situation becomes.
What is the World Bank's designation for Linfen and why?
-The World Bank has called Linfen the most polluted place on Earth due to its severe air and water pollution caused by industrial activities.
How does the script depict the daily life of people in Linfen despite the pollution?
-The script shows that life in Linfen seems relatively normal, with people going about their daily routines, including children leaving school amidst the pollution.
What precautions did David Feinberg initially consider taking against the pollution in Linfen?
-David Feinberg initially planned to wear painters masks and was advised by his mother to wear a mask at all times to protect himself from the pollution.
What was the surprising observation about the use of masks by the locals in Linfen?
-Contrary to his expectations, David Feinberg found that nobody in Linfen wore masks, which led him and his team to leave their masks behind to avoid standing out.
What historical perspective does the script provide about Linfen's transformation?
-The script contrasts Linfen's past as the 'fruit and flower town' of Shanxi Province with its current state as a major coal mining area, highlighting a transformation that occurred within the span of a generation.
How does the script address the issue of water pollution in China?
-The script discusses the severity of water pollution in China, with over half of the rivers, a third of the lakes, and 80-90% of urban groundwater being polluted, primarily due to industrial waste and agricultural pesticides.
What is the connection between water pollution and the emergence of 'cancer villages' in China?
-The script explains that many 'cancer villages' are a result of water pollution, as people in these villages rely on polluted rivers for their water sources, leading to higher cancer rates.
What is David Feinberg's personal reflection on the food he ate in Linfen?
-David Feinberg reflects that although the food in Linfen might have been contaminated with toxins, it was at least grown in the ground, implying a preference for naturally grown food over potentially harmful processed alternatives.
Outlines
🌏 Environmental Impact of Industrialization in Linfen, China
The first paragraph introduces David Feinberg, the cameraman sent by VBS to document the environmental conditions in Linfen, China, known as one of the most polluted cities globally. Linfen's air pollution is likened to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. The city's landscape is dominated by factories emitting toxic chemicals, contributing to land and water poisoning. The city's reliance on coal transportation further exacerbates the pollution issue. Experts discuss the link between China's economic growth and environmental degradation, highlighting the unbalanced development and the city's notoriety as the most polluted place on Earth.
🏫 Life Amidst Pollution: Observations from Linfen's Elementary School
In the second paragraph, the narrative shifts to the daily life of Linfen's residents, particularly school children who are seemingly unfazed by the pollution. The paragraph describes an encounter at an elementary school where children are exposed to what appears to be a large fire, indicative of the regularity of such sights. It also touches on broader environmental issues in China, such as the prevalence of air pollution due to coal burning and construction activities. The speaker reflects on the cultural contrast of wearing masks in China and the decision to blend in by not wearing one.
🌳 Transition from 'Fruit and Flower Town' to a Coal Mine Hub
The third paragraph delves into Linfen's transformation from a picturesque 'fruit and flower town' to a major coal mining area within the span of 20 years. It discusses the severe water pollution affecting over half of China's rivers, a third of its lakes, and the majority of urban groundwater, primarily due to industrial and agricultural pollutants. The paragraph also connects water pollution to the emergence of 'cancer villages' and reflects on the irony of consuming potentially toxic food in Linfen, which is still considered healthier than some lab-grown alternatives in the West.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pollution
💡Linfen
💡Energy Production
💡Economic Development
💡Environmental Challenges
💡Air Quality
💡Toxic Smog
💡Coal Mining
💡Water Pollution
💡Cancer Villages
💡Transportation
Highlights
David Feinberg was sent to Linfen, China, by VBS to film the city considered the dirtiest on the planet.
Breathing in Linfen's air for a day is equivalent to smoking three packs of cigarettes.
16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are located in China.
Linfen's economic growth is linked to severe environmental degradation.
The city is surrounded by factories emitting toxic chemicals, causing land and water poisoning.
Linfen is situated in Shanxi Province and is a major hub for coal transportation.
The World Bank labeled Linfen as the most polluted place on Earth.
Despite the pollution, life in Linfen appears relatively normal with traffic and construction.
Local media in China has acknowledged the environmental disaster in Linfen.
Feinberg noticed the absence of mask-wearing among locals despite the severe pollution.
70% of Chinese cities fail to meet air quality standards, primarily due to coal burning.
Transport and construction also contribute significantly to air pollution in China.
Linfen was once known as the fruit and flower town of Shanxi, but has since become a coal mine.
Over half of China's rivers and a significant portion of lakes and urban groundwater are polluted.
Pollution from factories and pesticides in agriculture are major contributors to water pollution.
Many 'cancer villages' in China are a result of severe water pollution.
Despite the pollution, Feinberg found the local food in Linfen to be surprisingly good.
Transcripts
-Nice face Feinberg, nice face.
Yeah, that's it.
Minu, can you duck a little bit?
I want to get his face in the window.
There we go.
That's the guy who we rely on to do our camera work.
That ape.
DAVID FEINBERG: I'm David Feinberg, and VBS sent me to
China with the camera to film the dirtiest
place on the planet.
It is the city of Linfen, and spending about a day here
breathing in the air is about the same as smoking three
packs of cigarettes.
The scary part is that there's a lot of cities
in China like this.
16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.
And my bosses convinced me to come here and spend a week
filming and breathing in all this crap so
they don't have to.
[MUSIC- BLACK LIPS, "NAVAJO"]
Linfen produces what any nation of over a billion
people need-- a ton of energy.
It's an endless landscape of factories all spewing a bunch
of toxic chemicals into the air and poisoning the
land and the water.
There's no clouds, just a permanent toxic smog hovering
over the city.
Linfen is located in the heart of Shanxi Province.
Every day, thousands of coal trucks go between Linfen and
the rest of China's to cities.
Then they come back empty for more.
WANG HONGYING: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
AILUN YANG: China suffers from both local problems and global
environmental challenges.
So the combined impacts of climate change and local
pollutions are causing enormous consequences.
A lot of the environmental problems in China are very
closely linked to our energy consumption because there's
something fundamentally wrong with the economic model.
That's why the more the economy grows, the more the
environment starts to get worse.
Linfen really shows the other side of Chinese economic
development, which is actually the ugly side of it.
And this is about how unbalanced the Chinese
development has been.
DAVID FEINBERG: The sky in Linfen was taken from a sci-fi
movie, but life there seems relatively normal.
There's 4 million people and like any other town in China,
its roads are clogged with cars and trucks, and there's a
lot of construction.
Linfen has had a bit of a PR problem ever since the World
Bank called it the most polluted place on Earth.
Even the Chinese media has reported on the disaster,
admitting that people have been moving
away because of pollution.
I didn't see anyone leaving town except
all the coal trucks.
They're actually a big source of pollution themselves, and
are everywhere.
Linfen has no tourism, and I think we were the only
foreigners in the entire city.
Everywhere we went we really struck out.
[SIDE CONVERSATION]
[SPEAKING CHINESE]
When we pulled up to this elementary school, some kids
were leaving for the day, and it looked like there was a
huge fire burning down the neighborhood.
The kids weren't too worried, and I realize that this is
probably what they see every time they leave school, or go
outside to play.
AILUN YANG: Just take the example of air pollution.
70% of Chinese cities cannot meet
their air quality standards.
The burning of coal is the main cause of air pollution in
China, but of course the increasing transport and also
the constructions going on everywhere in China are also
reasons for air pollution.
QIU LIN: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
WANG HONGYING: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
QIU LIN: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
-[SPEAKING CHINESE]
DAVID FEINBERG: When I found out I was going to Linfen, I
found some painters masks under the sink in our office.
My mom also told me I should wear a mask at all times and I
saw a lot of photos of people on the streets of Chinese
cities wearing masks.
When we got to Linfen we were surprised to find out that
nobody wore masks.
I didn't want to stick out anymore so we
left the masks behind.
However, I still took a photo wearing a mask just to show my
mom when I got home.
-Back from the waters of the Yellow Sea, far inland from
the eastern plains, for unnumbered generations,
farmers have plowed the fertile soil.
After the harvest, the plow.
And after the plow, the planting.
This has been the cycle, endlessly repeated.
Through the ages, waters from the mountains have been fed to
the fields of the valley for crops that have never failed.
One day the farmer looked up from his work in age old
fields and saw a strange new carriage.
The engineers of a far off land devised new uses for
flowing streams, producing a strange new power.
To the valley came electricity, that bring the
valley home the signs of a changing world.
DAVID FEINBERG: It was only 20 years ago that Linfen was
nicknamed the fruit and flower town of Shanxi Province.
Since then it's basically been turned into China's coal mine.
It's even more remarkable to think that this has all
happened in the span of my lifetime.
WANG HONGYING: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
-[SPEAKING CHINESE]
-[SPEAKING CHINESE]
-[SPEAKING CHINESE]
-[SPEAKING CHINESE]
AILUN YANG: In China over half of all
the rivers are polluted.
One third of the lakes are polluted, and over 80% or 90%
of the urban groundwater are polluted.
So this is about how serious the water
pollution is in China.
Those pollutions mainly come from industry processes.
It's about factories who do not clean up their pollutants
before they release those things into the river.
And also another main contributor is the pollutants
from the pesticide used in the agriculture process.
Most of those cancer villages are actually
caused by water pollution.
And because the people in those villages depend on this
river for their water sources, that's why you see a higher
percentage of cancer patients in those villages.
DAVID FEINBERG: All of the food I had in Linfen was
actually quite good.
It may have been full of cancerous toxins, but at least
I could tell it was grown in the ground as opposed to in
some laboratory.
I have a feeling a lot of the stuff I eat back home may be
just as bad for me.
QIU LIN: [SPEAKING CHINESE]
関連動画をさらに表示
The Devastating Effects of Pollution in China (Part 2/2)
Paryavaran Pradushan || पर्यावरण प्रदूषण || प्रदूषण के प्रकार और रोकने के उपाय
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