Working with China on key issues necessary
The air pollution challenges facing China are so severe they are potentially destabilizing for the Asian giant, according to former World Bank President Robert Zoellick. Zoellick, who is currently a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, spoke at Harvard’s Science Center on Wednesday. Many democratization movements got their start with environmental parties, Zoellick said, because severe pollution is something that directly affects people. “People can see it, feel it, touch it in their daily lives.” Though the thick air pollution blanketing many Chinese cities is potentially destabilizing, Zoellick also said that Chinese officials are acutely aware of the problem and are gathering information and seeking ways to address it. Zoellick made the comments in response to questions from Michael McElroy, Harvard’s Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies and chair of the Harvard China Project. (The China Project focuses on research on China’s energy, economy, and atmospheric...