From: Digital Cutup Lounge (subbass@netvigator.com)
Date: Sun Jan 23 2000 - 00:05:46 MST
GBurch1@aol.com wrote:
> > It seems to me that the gov'ts with the best enforced environmental
> > protection laws have the best environmental protection; this may have
> little
> > to do with how much they regulate their populations in other respects.
> > Anyone care to disagree?
> >
> > BTW, I live in Hong Kong, where companies have much more freedom to pollute
> > than in the US and take full advantage of it...
>
> Consider that it may have less to do with the level of government regulation
> than it does with the quality of general civic consciousness in a particular
> culture or region. Common expectations of civil behavior may have as much to
> do with how individuals AND institutions (governmental and business) act
> toward both public and private goods than explicit law or regulation.
No doubt, but we have little control over people's attitudes as a matter of
public policy. Yes, the HK gov't has tried for years to convince people that
keeping the city clean would be better for everyone, but...
Also, I doubt that expectations of civic behavior significantly deter the really
serious polluters (big oil companies?) when profits are at stake.
I used to live in Tokyo, BTW, and while the streets *are* a lot cleaner there
than in HK because of Japanese cultural attitudes towards hygiene, I understand
that the industrial pollution was almost as bad as in south China today before
the gov't started cleaning it up.
John
-- John von Seggern digital DJ -- producer -- bassist Digital Cutup Lounge Hong Kong http://www.ourfounder.com/digitalcutuplounge http://www.mp3.com/digitalcutuplounge http://www.mp3.com/globevibrate
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