Mankind Will Awaken to Ecological Civilization
425
tangible and inestimable benefits. We must change our old way of thinking and the
old development mode and shift to green economy and blue economy that gives
priority to ecology—that’s the only way to achieve sustainable development.
In green economic mode, carbon emission is reduced, natural resources are rationally used and environmental pollution is addressed. The use of renewable energy
promotes the development of green energies, improves infrastructure and gives a
boost to green food and eco-friendly agriculture. The financial sector has turned
green too. Intelligent and innovative eco-cities have appeared, urban–rural interaction is promoted, trade and traffic infrastructure is bettered, Internet and big data
reform display evident advantages, and green and clean technologies are applied
extensively.
All industries should deepen their understanding of green transformation, press
ahead toward green economy, green society and eco-city, and eventually realize
ecological civilization. Public participation is very important in this process.
It is critical for China, a major manufacturing power, to practice circular economy
at this stage, which is, inter alia, the most common and prominent way for us to change
the production mode given the current national conditions. Much has been achieved
in this field in the country. The basic guiding principle for circular economy is to
“minimize the input of natural resources at the front end of economic activities while
strengthening the research and development of technologies for back-end treatment,
so as to reuse wastes and minimize waste discharge to the point of zero.” Following
ecological laws, circular economy is guided by the notion of minimization, reuse and
recycling and by the principle of low consumption, low emission and high efficiency,
which is obviously different from the traditional productive mode.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the holy figure of India, once said, “The world
has enough for everyone’s need, enough for anyone’s greed.” The capitalist system
is bound to create false or distorted demand to prompt irrational, endless excessive
consumption in order to avoid or delay its periodic crisis while pursuing maximal
profits. One needs only one bed to sleep on no matter how big the house is, and only
three meals a day no matter how wealthy he is. Natural resources on earth and the
carrying capacity of the ecological environment are limited. The expanding economic
scale driven by increasing population and technological progress will approach or
even exceed the limit of earth’s carrying capacity. In fact, the call for the society to
shift its consumption pattern is more a matter of values.
In recent years, explorations have been made both in China and across the world
for the strategy and path of sharing economy, leading a revolutionary change of
consumption pattern as more and more people, especially the young, prefer the right
of using and sharing to ownership. By revitalizing idle resources, sharing economy
realizes optimal allocation of social resources—that’s its core value and chief objective. As a result, it is an important means to addressing the unbalanced and inadequate
development, meeting “people’s growing demand for a better life,” and realizing the
coordinated development of the economic, social and natural systems. It won’t be a
plain sailing for something new to stand out, but the wave of change of production
mode and consumption pattern initiated by sharing economy has primarily shown
its prospects and vitality.
425
tangible and inestimable benefits. We must change our old way of thinking and the
old development mode and shift to green economy and blue economy that gives
priority to ecology—that’s the only way to achieve sustainable development.
In green economic mode, carbon emission is reduced, natural resources are rationally used and environmental pollution is addressed. The use of renewable energy
promotes the development of green energies, improves infrastructure and gives a
boost to green food and eco-friendly agriculture. The financial sector has turned
green too. Intelligent and innovative eco-cities have appeared, urban–rural interaction is promoted, trade and traffic infrastructure is bettered, Internet and big data
reform display evident advantages, and green and clean technologies are applied
extensively.
All industries should deepen their understanding of green transformation, press
ahead toward green economy, green society and eco-city, and eventually realize
ecological civilization. Public participation is very important in this process.
It is critical for China, a major manufacturing power, to practice circular economy
at this stage, which is, inter alia, the most common and prominent way for us to change
the production mode given the current national conditions. Much has been achieved
in this field in the country. The basic guiding principle for circular economy is to
“minimize the input of natural resources at the front end of economic activities while
strengthening the research and development of technologies for back-end treatment,
so as to reuse wastes and minimize waste discharge to the point of zero.” Following
ecological laws, circular economy is guided by the notion of minimization, reuse and
recycling and by the principle of low consumption, low emission and high efficiency,
which is obviously different from the traditional productive mode.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the holy figure of India, once said, “The world
has enough for everyone’s need, enough for anyone’s greed.” The capitalist system
is bound to create false or distorted demand to prompt irrational, endless excessive
consumption in order to avoid or delay its periodic crisis while pursuing maximal
profits. One needs only one bed to sleep on no matter how big the house is, and only
three meals a day no matter how wealthy he is. Natural resources on earth and the
carrying capacity of the ecological environment are limited. The expanding economic
scale driven by increasing population and technological progress will approach or
even exceed the limit of earth’s carrying capacity. In fact, the call for the society to
shift its consumption pattern is more a matter of values.
In recent years, explorations have been made both in China and across the world
for the strategy and path of sharing economy, leading a revolutionary change of
consumption pattern as more and more people, especially the young, prefer the right
of using and sharing to ownership. By revitalizing idle resources, sharing economy
realizes optimal allocation of social resources—that’s its core value and chief objective. As a result, it is an important means to addressing the unbalanced and inadequate
development, meeting “people’s growing demand for a better life,” and realizing the
coordinated development of the economic, social and natural systems. It won’t be a
plain sailing for something new to stand out, but the wave of change of production
mode and consumption pattern initiated by sharing economy has primarily shown
its prospects and vitality.