Economics, the environment, and health

摘要

Is a trade-off between economic development and environmental pollution inevitable for developing countries such as China? Last month, 20 tonnes of cadmium were discharged into a river in southern China, potentially threatening the water supply of millions of people. The source was local industrial waste, and eight executives from two suspected companies have been detained by the police. The local government was also blamed for not disclosing the contamination for at least 2 weeks, and several local government officials were dismissed.