Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Here is a link to some disturbing photos on China's pollution problems. Great shots of something that appears to be out of control.

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/ama ... -in-china/

wow.. remind's me of Louie Palu's work on the sewer cleaners in India.

The cost of cheap products to the west.

Holy, wonder if the guy with four arms get twice as much work done?

It's sickening to see the kind of conditions people have to live in when companies skimp on proper pollution control.

You should have a look at that documentary Manufactured Landscapes it's shocking and depressing. Nice combo there to really get you in a funk. lol

Give them time, we were every bit as bad 150yrs ago during our industrial revolution, why should theirs be any different.

incredibly sad images

I second Carlton's recommendation for Manufactured Landscapes- some great, but frightening photographs in that film.

What is really scary is the scale at which they are destroying their environment. Given the regime, and its emphasis (and reliance) on development to stay in power, I don't know what will stop this.

So you're saying that it's okay for China and other world polluters to keep going at the rate they are for another 100yrs? I don't know if our current environment has much more time left at the rate some countries are polluting. I'm not pointing a finger at just China. A 150yrs ago the world's population and demands wasn't anywhere close to what it is today. I'm no saint but I try and do what little I can to save the environment.

I just feel very hypocritical bashing them for it when my very recent ancestors were doing the exact same thing, towards the exact same goals.

It's very easy to blame the Chinese government. It also needs to be remembered that many of these polluting industries are being financed by Western companies, investment funds and financiers. It's a global economy. We can't simply look at what is going on in China and think that we don't have our hands dirtied by the process.

So it's NOT OK that the Chinese government allow this. And it's NOT OK that OUR multinationals, OUR financial investment funds & banks fund it. It's the lowest common denominator - our investment capital goes to whereever the labour and environmental laws are lacking.

cannot agree more.

ya there really is NO excuse for this type of reckless polluting to happen, especially when we know it's harmful affects to the planet and to anyone or any living creature that comes in contact with it.

Yes we are to blame for exporting our jobs and pollution in return for cheap goods. While we all have dirt on our hands, multinationals have no morals so blaming them is an pointless endeavour. National governments are by their nature nationalistic and democratic governments in particular are focused on short term goals.

So when it comes down to it I have to blame the Chinese government for not protecting there own people. Ever wonder where all the wealth generated from the development of all the peoples owned land? It's the greed of the rich and powerful "communist" and "military" leaders or are at the centre of the pollution issue. The same non elected people that were meant to be running the country for the good of their own citizens. China has a new revolution going on which is based on greed.

you mean capitalism?

capitalism is not a system of government so no I don't mean capitalism.

Yet I know of many national governments with no morals either. Therefore, by your own reasoning, blaming any government (including the Chinese gov't) is equally 'a pointless endeavor'.

BOTH governments, multinationals and financial investment institutions that finance their behaviors are ALL to blame equally. I cannot understand how you choose to ignore some and reserve blame solely on one.

very easy because it is the responsibility of the government while it is not the responsibility of the financial institutions or corporations, you can blame who ever you want to but it is a somewhat pointless whine to blame faceless amoral corporations when only the government has a moral responsibility to it's people only the government has the power to bend the local and international institutions to their will. Placing blame equally is a useless token gesture you might as well blame the workers who work in the factories (going to extremes to make a point), governments may act immorally but they are not amoral. As history has shown blaming the government has resulted in dramatic changes to society so blaming the government is not a completely pointless endeavour of course in China it might get you imprisoned.

So depressing. I cry for my home country They should stop the greed and wise up. They are the richest nation on the planet soon but they achieve that by destroying their environment and their people. God bless China.

I second or third that
One time I saw a battery operated toothbrush on sale in the US Wallmart at US$1. All made in China and with a battery too. And it worked.
You can figure it out the production costs minus the paint, the corrosive chemical, shipping, wholesale, overhead and of course profit

Daniel

It's disgusting, the contrast and tone really brings it out.

The tone was done like this on purpose. I am sure there are lots of manipulations to the pictures. This can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. In this case, it works well.

Amazing imagery and sad photo story.

While the working conditions are terrible over there and we here are way ahead in that depertment, I think we have to stop blaming "them" and look at the crap we create in our backyard while extending helping hand in bringing up to speed countries that have fallen behind, regardless of the reason. After all this is our planet, and I am not sure she can handle this for much longer.

This is Toronto (with a hint of contrast for added drama

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I believe differently. I believe ALL people and organisations should behave in a moral fashion. That includes government as well as non-governmental organisations. I cannot think of any moral precept that excludes non-governmental individuals and groups from behaving morally. What ethical system states corporations should do whatever they want and shouldn't care? I reject any moral philosophy that allows financial institutions and corporations to behave immorally yet requires only governments to act morally. Can't understand why anyone would adopt a moral philosophy that says organisations like corporations and financial institutions have no moral obligations to not only their employees, clients as well as the general public. Corporations aren't faceless as you state. They have boards of directors, they have executive branches. They have stakeholders that meet annually. Why are these individuals all of a sudden absolved of all moral culpability just because they registered their organisation as a corporation? I don't agree with any ethical system that allows a few of us to get together, become incorporated and then feel that we are no longer bound by any moral principles.


History also shows that financial and corporate interests can be pressured in to altering immoral behavior as well. I don't believe it is OK for corporate interests to fund, build and profit from immoral behavior. That it enrichens Communist party bureaucrats is just as bad as enrichening Wall Street financiers.

BOTH governments and corporate interests should behave according to moral principles and both need to be held accountable when they don't. Neither of the 2 social organisations are faceless, neither of them should be seen as not bound by ethical precepts.

I have no problem blaming 'them' so long as we also blame interests in our country that are equally culpable. I have no problem blaming myself if I've purchased a product manufactured under abysmal circumstances. Environmentalists here fought hard against both governments and corporate interests to have minimal standards set up here. We need to fight hard against governments overseas as well as corporate interests here to prevent other people on our planet becoming the unfortunate victims of toxic poisoning. Corporate interests can no longer manufacture/process/extract materials without minimal environmental/safety/wage standard laws. For that reason they play developing nations off each other ensuring they can profit by setting up shop over there. These nation's governments are absolving themselves of their obligation to protect their citizens. Nor should our financial institutions be funding or constructing commercial interests that are moral reprehensible.
It's a global village and we can't assume our actions here aren't adversely harming others in places far far away.

philmar Blame without action is useless it's the action that gets thing done. You can sit around tattering about blame and moral responsibility. Sure you can believe that large corporations should not rape the land, but they do and blaming them will not make one bit of difference. People talk about what should be done and what is right and noble it's all talk. Give me an example of a corporation that is still in business and has bowed to public pressure to do the right thing and with a little research I can most likely show you that have done it for show only, take Starbucks and fairtrade coffee for example.

We don't live in a world where everything is cuddly bunnies and ethics are the same as morality. You have no idea what my moral philosophy is so keep your insults to yourself.

What insults?

Metrix - I don't read an insult - he's quite clear - [I] Can't understand...

take a breath and ask yourself if this is really worth arguing about...