294
T. Zhu
mankind created unprecedented material wealth and scientific and cultural achievements. With the rapidly increasing capability of the mankind to transform nature, the
contradiction between man and nature has intensified accordingly. In this process,
human beings have carried out unprecedented and large-scale development of the
natural environment, leading to the depletion of natural resources and the deterioration of the environment. In the meanwhile, the survival and development of human
beings themselves have been increasingly constrained.
To get rid of the current resource and environmental crisis, we must abandon
the “predatory” development model during the industrial civilization, but pursue
instead a sustainable development model featuring the “harmonious development
between man and nature.” In the pursuit of socioeconomic development of yore, we
paid more attention to the coordinated relationship between economic development
and environmental protection, with the latter giving way to the former from time
to time. Such choice had been inevitable, given the historical background and the
national conditions characterized by a huge population, weak economy, unbalanced
development, as well as the major task of improving people’s living standards. After
40 years of reform and opening up, China has made outstanding achievements in
economic and social development, while the problem of excessively exploiting the
ecological environment has become increasingly prominent. It has become more and
more challenging for the ecological environment to support such a large economy
to grow rapidly in the traditional and extensive model. The resource supply is facing
severe challenges, the environmental quality of some regions has fallen short of the
standards for a long time, and regional ecological functions have weakened. In line
with the philosophy of ecological civilization, we need to follow the objective law
about the nature’s limited carrying capacity, making it urgent to solve the problem
of overloading resources and environment. Against such backdrop, it has become
an important issue for China to develop a socioeconomic development model based
on the carrying capacity of resources and environment in the new era of reform and
development.
2 The Carrying Capacity of Resources and Environment
Serves as the Fundamental Principle and Important
Basis for the Development of Ecological Civilization
In a bid to fully implement the philosophy of ecological civilization and in line with
the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, the carrying capacity of resource and environment
should be regarded as an important component in the top-level design and incorporated into all aspects and the whole process of advancing economic, political,
cultural, and social progress, so as to realize the harmonious development of man
and nature. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee adopted
the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some
Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Continuing the Reform.” It highlighted
T. Zhu
mankind created unprecedented material wealth and scientific and cultural achievements. With the rapidly increasing capability of the mankind to transform nature, the
contradiction between man and nature has intensified accordingly. In this process,
human beings have carried out unprecedented and large-scale development of the
natural environment, leading to the depletion of natural resources and the deterioration of the environment. In the meanwhile, the survival and development of human
beings themselves have been increasingly constrained.
To get rid of the current resource and environmental crisis, we must abandon
the “predatory” development model during the industrial civilization, but pursue
instead a sustainable development model featuring the “harmonious development
between man and nature.” In the pursuit of socioeconomic development of yore, we
paid more attention to the coordinated relationship between economic development
and environmental protection, with the latter giving way to the former from time
to time. Such choice had been inevitable, given the historical background and the
national conditions characterized by a huge population, weak economy, unbalanced
development, as well as the major task of improving people’s living standards. After
40 years of reform and opening up, China has made outstanding achievements in
economic and social development, while the problem of excessively exploiting the
ecological environment has become increasingly prominent. It has become more and
more challenging for the ecological environment to support such a large economy
to grow rapidly in the traditional and extensive model. The resource supply is facing
severe challenges, the environmental quality of some regions has fallen short of the
standards for a long time, and regional ecological functions have weakened. In line
with the philosophy of ecological civilization, we need to follow the objective law
about the nature’s limited carrying capacity, making it urgent to solve the problem
of overloading resources and environment. Against such backdrop, it has become
an important issue for China to develop a socioeconomic development model based
on the carrying capacity of resources and environment in the new era of reform and
development.
2 The Carrying Capacity of Resources and Environment
Serves as the Fundamental Principle and Important
Basis for the Development of Ecological Civilization
In a bid to fully implement the philosophy of ecological civilization and in line with
the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan, the carrying capacity of resource and environment
should be regarded as an important component in the top-level design and incorporated into all aspects and the whole process of advancing economic, political,
cultural, and social progress, so as to realize the harmonious development of man
and nature. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee adopted
the “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Some
Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Continuing the Reform.” It highlighted