【新唐人2012年11月14日訊】中國是全球能源的消耗大國，同時也是二氧化碳排放量大國，空氣污染和水污染以及工業污染都非常嚴重。在中共十八大期間的記者會上，中共的環境保護部長周生賢指出，這是經濟發展到一定程度，按規律就會出現的環境問題，未來會加強依法環評，建立健全的社會風險評價機制。然而環保人士認為，這是給貪官污吏的腐敗做辯解，一些地方官員為追求政績而忽略環境評估工作，從中撈取利益，罔顧老百姓的健康。
在中共十八大期間的記者會上，有記者問到，中國近年來由環境問題引發的群體性事件不斷增多，執政者應該如何防止和解決。
環境保護部部長周生賢回答說，經濟、社會發展到一定程度，按規律就會出現環境問題。當前，中國在環境方面正處在敏感時期。
大陸環保人士陳雲飛認為，這些不是民眾選出來的官員，基本上不知民間疾苦。
大陸環保人士陳雲飛：「環境變了，你發展……要到了錢來幹甚麼，環境污染你人生病，生態破壞了，我們還要那些錢、那些物資幹甚麼，顯然我們國家的主席官員，他們根本不是甚麼專家出生，換句話說，他根本沒有去看真正的專家在這方面的論證。」
美國「北大筆會」副會長何哲認為，經濟發展和環境保護沒有太大衝突，反而是跟腐敗的利益集團有直接關係，國家法治不健全影響更大。
美國「北大筆會」副會長何哲：「哪個國家都有經濟，美國也在發展經濟，也在搞化工廠，但是你如果有一個健全的法律，讓這些問題有申訴的地方，不合理的那些項目，就及時的被阻止，不會引起很大的衝突，所以主要是一個國家的體制問題，不是經濟問題。」
在記者會上，周生賢還說，十六大以來，黨中央、國務院在原來工作的基礎上，進一步加強了環境保護工作，把環境保護放在更加重要的戰略位置。換句話說，就是執政者的環保意識已經抬頭。
然而，這幾年來，中國發生了一連串由環境引起的群體性事件。
去年（2011年）8月，大連上萬市民參加了反對大連化工廠PX項目的集體「散步」活動，民眾對有害公眾健康的項目建在當地表達了不滿。
今年3月，河南省新鄭市鄭港辦事處，砍掉新港大道旁的數百棵百齡古棗樹，理由是為了美化環境和綠化，遭到眾多村民的投訴。
今年7月，四川什邡市，上萬民眾擔心鉬銅開發工程將嚴重破壞當地環境，與警方爆發激烈衝突。同一時間，江蘇啟東市民發起抗議造紙廠排污污染環境的抗議。
10月，浙江省寧波市鎮海區，爆發數千人抗議當地一座石化工廠擴建的大規模示威。
中共為追求利潤和經濟增長不惜一切代價，污染問題已成為中國民眾動亂的主要原因之一，然而民眾對於可能在自家後院造成環境污染的各種工程計劃，也愈來愈敢於表達反對意見。
未來中共新領導人接班的時候，他們要面臨的挑戰之一，就是如何面對越來越有環保意識的中國公民的訴求。
採訪/李麗 編輯/黃億美 後製/郭敬
CCP officials are practically shouting slogans for the environment,
so why are people still protesting frequently?
China is a high energy consumption country and has
a high discharge level of carbon dioxide as well, thus, air, water and industrial pollution is serious.
However, Communist China’s Environmental Protection
Minister, Zhou Shengxian, stated in a press release during the 18th Congress,
that when economies develop to a certain level,
these environmental problems naturally appear.
In the future, they will strengthen the Environmental
Assessment in accordance with the law,
and establish an evaluation mechanism
to avoid the social risk.
Environmentalists say this is an excuse to protect
officials from corruption,
and some local officials ignore the environmental
assessment to gain interest, and disregard the health of the people.
During the press conference, a reporter asked Zhou
due to recently mass incidents triggered by
environmental issues have increased in China,
and how the regime will prevent and resolve this.
Environmental Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian replied,
“When economic and social development reaches a certain level,
the environmental problems will naturally appear.
Right now is a sensitive period for the environment of China.”
Mainland environmentalist Chen Yunfei said that
these officials who are not elected by the people basically cannot sense the suffering of the people.
Chen Yunfei: “Your living environment has been destroyed
to develop the economy, what’s that for?
The environmental pollution caused sickness and ecological
destruction, what do we need the money and materials for?
Obviously, the officials in charge do not understand this,
or they simply do not listen to what the real experts say regarding this."
Vice president of the “Beijing University Pen” in US,
He Ze, thinks
there is no conflict between economic developments
and environmental protection, but economic developments
have a direct relationship with corrupt interest groups,
and an unhealthy legal system has a worse impact.
He Ze: “Every country has economy, the US also has
economic development and engages in building chemical plants,
but they have a healthy legal system
so that problems can be solved legally.
Unreasonable projects can be prevented in time,
and won’t cause a lot of conflicts.
Thus, the bottom line is the country’s institutional problem,
not an economic problem."
At the press conference, Zhou also said that since the 16th
Congress, the CCP Central Committee and State Council,
have further strengthened environmental protection,
and placed it in a more important strategic position.
In other words, the awareness of environmental protection
has been stronger in officials’ minds.
However, in recent years, a series of mass environmental
incidents have taken place in China one by one.
Last August (in 2011), tens of thousands of people
participated in the “walking" against the Dalian Chemical Plant PX project,
to express their dissatisfaction with
the local projectthat is harmful to public health.
In March of this year, Xinzheng City, Henan Province,
cut off hundreds of old date trees along the Xingang Blvd.
Their excuse was that it was for landscaping and greening,
and they received many complaints from villagers.
In July, Sichuan Shifang City, thousands of people worried
that the molybdenum copper development project
would seriously damage the local environment,
and thus had strong conflicts with the police.
At the same time in Qidong, Jiangsu, the public protested
against paper mill sewage pollution of the environment.
In October, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, there was an outbreak
of mass demonstrations of thousands of people protesting against a local petrochemical plant expansion.
The Communist regime, pursues profit
and economic growth at all costs.
The pollution problem has become one of the main reasons
for the unrest of the Chinese people.
More and more people are brave enough
to express opposing views regarding possible
environmental pollution caused by various engineering
projects in their homeland.
The new leaders of the Chinese Communists
have to face the challenge of
how to deal with the demands of the growing
environmental awareness of Chinese citizens.
