Dr. Michael J. O'Connell commented on China's growing pollution problem, which has caused severe smog in many cities where buildings cannot be seen from across the street. Workers wear masks due to poor air quality. Beijing temporarily banned pollution before the Olympics so the city could be seen, but factories resumed operations afterwards. What Americans don't understand is that China went through a similar industrialization as the U.S. did decades ago, but many polluting industries were moved to China through outsourcing. While this outsourcing has hurt some Americans, it has improved air quality in the U.S. since much of the pollution is now in China.

1. Fate of China…
Dr. Michael J. O’Connell commented that many articles are being written on the fate of China
with its huge and growing pollution problem. During many days in China's largest cities, one
cannot see buildings across the street. Workers wear face masks for respiratory protection.
Beijing ‘outlawed’ pollution generation for the weeks before hosting the Olympics a decade ago,
so attendees could see this amazing city, actually see it without the choking fog of pollution.
The day following, the factories all began spewing once again.
What Americans do not understand is that China was us, about thirty years ago. Through
economic/capital forces (the now infamous “flight of jobs overseas”"), most all of our highly
polluting industries were transferred to Southeast Asia, many to China. Now our old problem is
theirs. Our air is cleaner than since 1950; our rivers support fish that haven't existed since before
I was born; toxic waste dumps are disappearing here, developing everywhere over there.
Remember Wal-Mart when Sam Walton was the owner and he claimed honestly that his
products were all made in the USA? Now all they sell is what's made overseas with rare
exception. The great bulk of products are made in China. Check the labels on shirts, shoes,
underwear, hardware, etc.
So while the shift of jobs overseas has been brutally difficult for many Americans, particularly
those without particular skills, the shift has a silver lining, removing the clouds of toxic pollution
from our skies.