Ma Jun
Ma Jun
Ma Jun, courtesy name Deheng, was a Chinese mechanical engineer and government official during the Three Kingdoms era of China. His most notable invention was that of the south-pointing chariot, a directional compass vehicle which actually had no magnetic function, but was operated by use of differential gears. It is because of this revolutionary devicethat Ma Jun is known as one of the most brilliant mechanical engineers and inventors of his day. The device was re-invented by many after Ma...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionEnvironmentalist
Date of Birth22 May 1968
CountryChina
At the end of the day, the government, local government all bow to public pressure.
To deal with local pollution, China has put on the agenda the capping of coal, which has long been a sensitive issue.
I hope to see an integrated solution created to deal with both the local pollution problem and the global climate change problem.
If major companies sourcing in developing countries care only about price and quality, local suppliers will be lured to cut corners on environmental standards to win contracts.
Environmental agencies in China are hamstrung by local officials who put economic growth ahead of environmental protection; even the courts are beholden to local officials, and they are not open to environmental litigation.
It's true that hydropower exploitation can bring economic development, but not necessarily to the benefit of local people.
We firmly believe the environmental issues cannot be addressed without extensive public participation, but people need to be informed before they can get involved.
We copied laws and regulations from western countries, but enforcement remains weak, and environmental litigation is still quite near impossible.
Even the government understands that the environmental challenge is so big that no single agency can handle it. It needs collaboration among all the stakeholders - companies, governments, NGOs and the public. Public accountability will be the ultimate driving force.
The government and central bank are determined to tighten and if they don't see the target being met, there could be more measures coming.
With its imagination and large sales, Apple has become the world's most valuable IT company. However people are starting to have doubts regarding Apple's silence on heavy metal pollution problems.
We want to use the environment to shift the way our society works.
What we aim to do, through public pressure, is help the environment protection bureau to enforce the law.
Brands who come to China, often they just care about price - so they actually drive the suppliers to cut corners on environmental standards to win a contract.