Sustainability from Chinese point of view
Climate ChangeSustainability is becoming the motto of many Europeans. But how is the topic of climate change and the critically rising need to protect the environment viewed from a perspective of a young girl from China? I asked our classmate Nuo Chen about her opinions.
Nuo is a 23 years old girl similar to many girls from other countries. She’s interested in photography and art, enjoys movies, music, walking in parks and travelling. She studies her master’s in International Organization and International Communication. During her bachelor’s she spent six months in Paris as an exchange student and now she’s been living for nearly two months in Munich. She also travelled to some other European countries like Spain or the Czech Republic for a couple of days. Thanks to this experience she can compare some of the European habits to the Chinese ones. You might be surprised.
What does the environment mean to you?
I think that the environment has quite close connection to us because we are living in the environment and a lot of our behaviour has an impact on it.
Are you concerned about the climate change? How it resonates with you?
Yes, I kind of care about climate change, but I am not too worried about it, because I think that only myself, I cannot help the whole thing to change. But I think I try my best, for example when I have lunch in the canteen, I try to finish all the food and when I go shopping I take my own shopping bag instead of the plastic bags.
Are you worried about the next generations? And are you maybe reconsidering having children because of that?
Yes, I am worried that the Earth might become warmer and there might be shortage of drinking water and energy, so I think we are the last lucky generation. And yes, I am really thinking about that. I think that they would meet more challenges because of the climate change.
Do you think that your Chinese friends and relatives are as concerned about the climate change as you are?
I think that especially young people are, because at least my friends really care about it. A lot of school courses are often about the protection of the environment, and we organize some activities to let more people join the action too. But I think that older generations don’t pay so much attention to this issue, maybe there are just a few that realize that the weather is getting wild these days, but they don’t connect it with the climate change. Honestly, I think that I have more concerns about it because of what I study.
Are those friends from your college or are some of them less educated? Do you feel privileged?
Most of my friends go to the university, but there are different standards. Based on your grades you can end up in university, which is not so good. But yes, most of us went to universities. Education is very important to our parents. But no, I don’t feel privileged. All of my friends travel a lot and I had to use financial support to afford studying here.
You already mentioned some activities, but what are other steps that you are taking to live more sustainably?
In my daily life the biggest step to live sustainable life is to use public transport and I personally like cycling. I prefer not to use the car or taxi not only to save money, but I think that when living in the city the public transport is more convenient. If you take the car there are always traffic jams. But I don’t even have one. Also, in China lot of people don’t have the habit to take their bag because the plastic ones are very cheap, so people just buy them for one shopping only. But young people realize it and prefer taking their bag several times for shopping.
What about your relatives and friends? Are they taking some concrete steps as well?
In my opinion they are trying. In the markets they always give you lot of plastic bags for each fruit and my mum reuses them for the trash, so we don’t have to buy another. My father usually drives to work but sometimes he takes the public transport too, maybe several times a week. Some of my friends join activities like picking up trash near rivers as volunteers and also there are many classes about environmental protection and many of my friends join them.
What do you know about fast fashion? Where do you buy your clothes and what is important for you while making fashion choices?
Personally I don’t really like it. I used to like fast fashion like H&M or Zara, but they don’t have good quality, so you can throw it out after one season. Now I’m trying to buy more expensive but more durable clothes that I can use for a long time. I consider If the quality matches the price.
Do you care about brand’s values like rewarding their employees with reasonable wages, not wasting water etc.? Do you shop in second-hand shops?
Actually no because I think that lot of companies are advertising what they have done, but maybe they haven’t. I was doing research and we were studying how many fashion companies are branding themselves as environmentally friendly, but they are not. So, I just buy what I like, but not that often. And yes, I buy clothes in second hands, because I like the vintage style.
Let’s move to the topic of food. Are you on a special diet because of the environment – for instance are you vegan or vegetarian? Does your family eat meat? How often?
I don’t have any diet, but I don’t like the taste of meat that much, so I eat more vegetables, but not because of the environment. But I am aware of the pollution connected to meat production, I read papers about it. My mum cooks usually meet for dinner, practically every day, because we try to have the balance of nutrition including the protein from the meet. Even my friends don’t care about going on vegan diet, only if they want to lose weight.
Is it common to waste food in China?
In China we don’t waste food. Older generations taught us to save food (and money as well) by eating all the food from our plate. Even in restaurants you have signs asking you to clear your plates.
What about recycling? Is it easier or more difficult here compared to your hometown?
There is a difference about water bottles. Here you get refund, so I collect and return them to the supermarket. And about waste sorting – inside every community (blocks of residential buildings) in my region there is one sorting centre and every day there is a fixed time to send your trash there. There is a person on duty checking if you put trash into the right classification. That is quite funny.
What happens if you don’t recycle?
I think you receive a fine. But people don’t want to lose their reputation, so they follow the rule anyway. This strict rule started recently, maybe four years ago.
Is China taking steps to protect the environment as a country?
From my perspective I think it changed a lot from the year 2000. In my province there are lot of tourist’s sights of nature like mountains and rivers and there is one slogan printed everywhere:
“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”
绿水青山就是金山银山
It means that you must protect the environment because of the economy. When I was younger, local rivers weren’t very clean, but I think China is now caring more about the climate protection and the rivers are now cleaner which is very good news. I am quite positive about the future. Other provinces have for example deserts and shortage of water, but they are now planting many trees there. There is an app for payments which gives you credits to plant trees for every time you pay some money. I think all parts of China are taking some action.
Could you compare China to the EU in matter of the environment?
I feel like there is more nature here in the city, probably because of less population compared to big cities in China. European countries are well developed so they have more experience in protection of their nature. China is taking the initial steps and is seeing the importance of it as well. They are trying more compared to the past. For example, today in China if you buy an electricity car you get a discount. So there is less pollution compared to oil-fired cars.
But what sources do you use to produce electricity? Do you use mostly coal?
Yes. That’s very critical.
Do you know in which world’s place China stands in terms of production of carbon dioxide? Do you think it produces the most, the least or something in the middle?
I think maybe in the middle, I am not sure about the statistics.
And when it comes to the reduction of the pollution, do you know whether is the government discussing stricter policy? Do you believe that they are doing enough?
In governmental yearly reports there are parts only about how to improve the environment by restricting some factories and building areas in cities. I think it’s never enough, but they are taking some steps and that’s positive.