Respect for the public's right to know is vital to environmental
protection, says a signed article in People's Daily. An
excerpt follows:
Ma Jun, an environmental protectionist, compiled a data bank on
China's water pollution based on government environmental
information reports. But Ma found that more than 100 cities have no
public environmental information.
This means that ordinary citizens have no way to know about the
environmental situation where they live: how many days of clean air
they have in a year; if the rivers beside their homes are polluted;
whether emissions from the factory next door are within acceptable
standards.
The public is increasingly concerned about environmental
protection while their right to know is ignored. There are three
possible causes. First, the relevant departments are not aware of
the public's interest. Second, the environmental quality of some
regions and enterprises cannot meet required standards so they dare
not publicize the information. Third, some government departments
keep the information confidential to avoid public complaints and
demands for environmental controls.
Authorities at the State Environmental Protection Administration
advocate building a unified front for environmental protection and
stress the importance of public participation. In Fuyang, in East
China's Zhejiang Province, environmental quality is publicized
regularly and the public is invited to make inspections.
Such practices have mobilized public interest and put pressure
on enterprises. Experience has shown that guaranteeing the public
right to know encourages environmental protection, rather than
stirring up trouble.
(China Daily April 25, 2007)