55
and pain in the extremities, dysarthria, ataxia, auditory disorders, and concentric
constriction of the visual fi eld. However, Minamata disease was caused by methyl
mercury poisoning following the consumption of fi sh and shellfi sh contaminated by
environmental pollution. The levels of contamination and pollution varied; therefore the way in which each symptom appeared also varied. This is why the criteria
for offi cial certifi cation are considered to be too strict. Sufferers who did not have
acute symptoms—perhaps only one or two symptoms (sensory disorder, numbness,
etc.)—were left uncertifi ed as victims.
Since several thousand applications were rejected or left pending in the 1990s, the
Japanese government decided in 1995 to relieve these “uncertifi ed” patients by paying their medical expenses and lump-sum amounts. Patient support groups are
requesting large-scale medical checkups and revised criteria for offi cial certifi cation
of Minamata disease. However, the Japanese government decided to review uncertifi ed patients using different criteria instead of changing the offi cial legal criteria. For
political, social, and economic reasons, the criteria for diagnosing Minamata disease
are not well defi ned and detailed scientifi c knowledge on the minimum level of
Minamata disease (or methyl mercury poisoning) is still not available. More scientifi c
data and large-scale medical checkups are necessary to understand the overall picture
of Minamata disease as well as the entire mechanism for environmental pollution
caused by the methyl mercury discharged by Chisso. Why hasn’t this been done? Of
course, the extent of suffering of “uncertifi ed” Minamata disease patients is generally
smaller than typical acute Minamata disease patients found in 1950s and 1960s.
Nonetheless, when we try to defi nitively answer this question, we may well face
renewed discussions similar to those outlined above. This is why the authors think the
Minamata disease issue has not yet been put to rest and is still an example of one of
the hottest topics in environmental issues: health risks and low-level exposure.
3.3.2 China’s Air Pollution Case Over Last Three Decades
3.3.2.1 China’s Economic Growth
Over the last three decades, why has China’s environment been drawing so much
worldwide attention, along with its rapid economic growth? The rise of China as an
economic power is one of the most remarkable stories of the latter half of the twentieth century. There were annual growth rates of from 8% to 12% of GDP, and by
the end of 2011 China had become the second largest economy, after the United
States. However, the progression was different from other developed countries. For
instance, Japan progressed through the stages of industrialization, urbanization,
and globalization over a much different time span. But China’s economy boomed
in the face of a raging wind of concurrent industrialization, urbanization and globalization. In China, industrialization depends heavily on intensive energy and
resource use, urbanization is not based on a sustainable model, and globalization,
through exporting many goods and absorbing manufacturing from other countries,
3 APIEL Compulsory Course: Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia
and pain in the extremities, dysarthria, ataxia, auditory disorders, and concentric
constriction of the visual fi eld. However, Minamata disease was caused by methyl
mercury poisoning following the consumption of fi sh and shellfi sh contaminated by
environmental pollution. The levels of contamination and pollution varied; therefore the way in which each symptom appeared also varied. This is why the criteria
for offi cial certifi cation are considered to be too strict. Sufferers who did not have
acute symptoms—perhaps only one or two symptoms (sensory disorder, numbness,
etc.)—were left uncertifi ed as victims.
Since several thousand applications were rejected or left pending in the 1990s, the
Japanese government decided in 1995 to relieve these “uncertifi ed” patients by paying their medical expenses and lump-sum amounts. Patient support groups are
requesting large-scale medical checkups and revised criteria for offi cial certifi cation
of Minamata disease. However, the Japanese government decided to review uncertifi ed patients using different criteria instead of changing the offi cial legal criteria. For
political, social, and economic reasons, the criteria for diagnosing Minamata disease
are not well defi ned and detailed scientifi c knowledge on the minimum level of
Minamata disease (or methyl mercury poisoning) is still not available. More scientifi c
data and large-scale medical checkups are necessary to understand the overall picture
of Minamata disease as well as the entire mechanism for environmental pollution
caused by the methyl mercury discharged by Chisso. Why hasn’t this been done? Of
course, the extent of suffering of “uncertifi ed” Minamata disease patients is generally
smaller than typical acute Minamata disease patients found in 1950s and 1960s.
Nonetheless, when we try to defi nitively answer this question, we may well face
renewed discussions similar to those outlined above. This is why the authors think the
Minamata disease issue has not yet been put to rest and is still an example of one of
the hottest topics in environmental issues: health risks and low-level exposure.
3.3.2 China’s Air Pollution Case Over Last Three Decades
3.3.2.1 China’s Economic Growth
Over the last three decades, why has China’s environment been drawing so much
worldwide attention, along with its rapid economic growth? The rise of China as an
economic power is one of the most remarkable stories of the latter half of the twentieth century. There were annual growth rates of from 8% to 12% of GDP, and by
the end of 2011 China had become the second largest economy, after the United
States. However, the progression was different from other developed countries. For
instance, Japan progressed through the stages of industrialization, urbanization,
and globalization over a much different time span. But China’s economy boomed
in the face of a raging wind of concurrent industrialization, urbanization and globalization. In China, industrialization depends heavily on intensive energy and
resource use, urbanization is not based on a sustainable model, and globalization,
through exporting many goods and absorbing manufacturing from other countries,
3 APIEL Compulsory Course: Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia