Bret Stephens of the Wall Street Journal has a snappy column on why the environmental problems plaguing China are not a result of its transition to a market economy, but stem from its lingering State-led development strategy.
“The real source of China’s pollution problem is a state-led industrial policy geared toward production, and state-owned enterprises (especially in “dirty” sectors like coal and steel) that strive to meet production quotas, and state-appointed managers who don’t mind cutting corners in matters of safety or environmental responsibility, and typically have the political clout to insulate themselves from any public fallout.”
Stephens is addressing the campaign by the Global Humanitarian Forum, among others, to bring about drastic reductions in Co2 emissions. But as Indian Environment Minister Jairam Rameshn was recently quoted as saying, “There is simply no case for the pressure that we, who have among the lowest emissions per capita, face to actually reduce emissions. And as if this pressure was not enough, we also face the threat of carbon tariffs on our exports to countries such as [America].”
India and China, with a combined population of 2.3 billion, share a contentious border region, but also the shared experience of emerging from a controlled economy to reap heretofore untold economic and social benefits that accompany economic growth. If they are to see their environments improve, it will come from market innovations, a free press, and the pressure from citizens that tags along behind economic empowerment.
This is a topic that will be hotly discussed at the upcoming Summer School being held under the auspices of the AGI’s Guomin Liyi program. Beginning this Sunday, our program will host over 50 students and ten faculty members to discuss the contours of classical libertarianism, and its relevance to real world problems, including environmental pollution. I’ll post photos an updates as the conference unfolds next week.
Editor’s Note: We’ll be discussing this topic on a panel called Supply Side Energy Policy later this week at the Atlas Experience. One of the speakers on this panel, Rod Richardson recently wrote a blog post on Atlas’s founder, Sir Antony Fisher and his stance on energy policy, read it here. We’ll be streaming this, and the other panels at The Atlas Experience live, so be sure to check out the Program, and tune in to our Ustream Channel to stay updated on all the action.
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