262
W. Yang
1930s. As he discovered, since the Tang dynasty (618–907 A.D.), regions on the
northeast of this line made up 40% of China’s total land area but supported 94% of
its population. The fifth population census in 2000 and sixth census in 2010 found
that this pattern had remained basically unchanged.
China’s total area of plains is about the same as that of the U.S. and Europe, but
the average area of plains in China is just 860 square meters. This highlights plains
as a valuable asset for farming, urban development, and infrastructure. Many people
have only a general idea that China has a vast territory without knowing the fact that
the land suitable for construction, development, and living is quite limited. A large
population, relatively little land available, and limited spaces constitute the basic
reality of China.
4 Ecological Goods
There is only agricultural produce and a small quantity of handcrafted products in an
agricultural society, while industrial goods and services are dominant in an industrial
society. Today, we have an adequate supply of agricultural produce and industrial
products and services but fall short in supply of ecological goods.
What are ecological goods? In our opinion, they include fresh air, clean water, a
comfortable natural environment, pleasant climate, and more. A large part of ecological goods are created by nature and have existed and been used by mankind all the
time. These products of nature seem in inexhaustible supply and free of charge. This
is why the concept of ecological goods is often neglected.
Over the past forty-plus years, China’s capacity to supply agricultural produce,
industrial goods, and services has improved by leaps and bounds; in contrast, its
supply capacity for ecological goods has weakened.
Like agricultural produce, ecological goods also need to be produced on “cultivated land,” namely ecological spaces such as forests, wetlands, lakes, and
oceans.
Clean water sources are a type of ecological goods. China is suffering from a
severe water shortage, with the total amount reaching around 50 billion cubic meters
a year. The primary reason is that lakes and rivers have become less and smaller.
The area of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, has contracted
from around 5100 km
2 in 1954 to over 3000 km
2 today.
It can be seen that the “basins” that hold water are shrinking, including not only
lakes and rivers but also groundwater sources, forests, and wetlands. The reason for
water shortages is not that there is less rainwater but the “basins” have become small
or even disappeared.
In the era of ecological civilization, ecological goods should be regarded as products, which certainly have their worth. General Secretary Xi Jinping stresses that
“lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” This means that lucid waters
and lush mountains can translate into wealth through suitable approaches. There
are multiple approaches to turning ecological goods into assets, such as purchase
W. Yang
1930s. As he discovered, since the Tang dynasty (618–907 A.D.), regions on the
northeast of this line made up 40% of China’s total land area but supported 94% of
its population. The fifth population census in 2000 and sixth census in 2010 found
that this pattern had remained basically unchanged.
China’s total area of plains is about the same as that of the U.S. and Europe, but
the average area of plains in China is just 860 square meters. This highlights plains
as a valuable asset for farming, urban development, and infrastructure. Many people
have only a general idea that China has a vast territory without knowing the fact that
the land suitable for construction, development, and living is quite limited. A large
population, relatively little land available, and limited spaces constitute the basic
reality of China.
4 Ecological Goods
There is only agricultural produce and a small quantity of handcrafted products in an
agricultural society, while industrial goods and services are dominant in an industrial
society. Today, we have an adequate supply of agricultural produce and industrial
products and services but fall short in supply of ecological goods.
What are ecological goods? In our opinion, they include fresh air, clean water, a
comfortable natural environment, pleasant climate, and more. A large part of ecological goods are created by nature and have existed and been used by mankind all the
time. These products of nature seem in inexhaustible supply and free of charge. This
is why the concept of ecological goods is often neglected.
Over the past forty-plus years, China’s capacity to supply agricultural produce,
industrial goods, and services has improved by leaps and bounds; in contrast, its
supply capacity for ecological goods has weakened.
Like agricultural produce, ecological goods also need to be produced on “cultivated land,” namely ecological spaces such as forests, wetlands, lakes, and
oceans.
Clean water sources are a type of ecological goods. China is suffering from a
severe water shortage, with the total amount reaching around 50 billion cubic meters
a year. The primary reason is that lakes and rivers have become less and smaller.
The area of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, has contracted
from around 5100 km
2 in 1954 to over 3000 km
2 today.
It can be seen that the “basins” that hold water are shrinking, including not only
lakes and rivers but also groundwater sources, forests, and wetlands. The reason for
water shortages is not that there is less rainwater but the “basins” have become small
or even disappeared.
In the era of ecological civilization, ecological goods should be regarded as products, which certainly have their worth. General Secretary Xi Jinping stresses that
“lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.” This means that lucid waters
and lush mountains can translate into wealth through suitable approaches. There
are multiple approaches to turning ecological goods into assets, such as purchase