Chinese Pollution Linked to U.S. Trade Deals

By Phillip Yu

If you’ve ever been to one of the more populous cities in China or have seen recent photographs, you’ll know that China has a pollution problem, with a sky of grey during the day and everyday citizens donning masks. While industrial coal complexes are certainly large contributors to the pollution, some experts blame trade agreements established in the 1990s by President Bill Clinton that harnessed the West’s demand for consumer products while taking advantage of cheap labor and lax environmental standards.

Not only are the Chinese suffering from ailments like lung cancer just simply breathing, the United States is getting hit with lost jobs and a downward pressure on wages. While changing the way China generates electricity will be difficult, experts hope that China will take initiative to capture and sequester carbon emissions.  

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