September15,2017:VolunteersridebicyclesinaparkinChongqingMunicipalitytopromotegreentravelandlowcarbonpractices.byZhouYi/ChinaNewsService/VCG
VolunteersfromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAssociationofAnhuiUniversityperformbehavioralarttitled“revengeofnature.”VCGThe49thEarthDayfellonApril22,2018,atwhichtimetheChinesegovernmentpresentedaseriesofactivitiestopromotenaturalresourcepreservationandenvironmentalprotection.
VolunteersacrossChinabecameahighlightoftheseactivities.Theycleaneduptrashincommunities,gavethepublictipsonhowtolivegreenerlivesandpublicizedenvironmentalprotectionideas.SinceChina’sreformandopening-uppolicywasimplementedfortyyearsago,risingenvironmentalprotectionawarenesshasinspiredmanyvolunteerstotakeupthechallengeandbecomepartofthecentralforcepropellingthecountry’sgreencampaign.
RisingPower
Tibetanantelopesinhabitthetundraataltitudesbetween4,000and5,300metersontheQinghai-TibetPlateau.Everyyear,nearly1,000volunteersventureintotheanimals’habitattojoinprotectionwork.
Since2010,YangGang,anativeofFuzhou,capitalofFujianProvince,hasdriventotheSonamDargyeProtectionStationinHohXil,themainhabitatofTibetanantelopes,everyyeartoworkfortwoweeksasavolunteer.Heperformscleaning,cookingandtourguidework.Healsodriveshundredsofkilometersalongapatrollinetomendfencesinwildanimalreserves.Yangcoversallthecostshimselfwhilelocalsprovidehimwithsimpleaccommodation.
IttakesYangsevendaystodriveover2,500kilometersfromFuzhoutoHohXil.The50-year-oldattributeshisdevotiontothe“meaningful”work.InHohXil,YangGangisnotalone.Allthevolunteersendurehardshipsiniceandsnowwhilebravingthewindanddew,helpingfightpoachingandillegalminingaswellasaidingdistressedanimals.
UnlikeYang,thevastmajorityofChina’senvironmentalvolunteersarecommittedtotheirowncommunities.Theyoftenbuyenvironmentalequipment,usetheirownmoneytoprintpublicityflyers,cleanuptrashandmonitorpollutingbehaviors.Thesevolunteersincludestudents,white-collarworkers,civilservantsandmanagersofprivatebusinesses,andtheyalldedicatemajoreffortstomakingacleanerworld.
TheChinesegovernmentstilllacksanaccuratecountofitsenvironmentalprotectionvolunteers.ButaccordingtoadocumentissuedbytheMinistryofCivilAffairsinAugust2017,bytheendof2016,Chinahadover6,000socialgroupsengagedinenvironmentalprotection.“Ifeachgrouphasanaverageof200members,thatwouldmeanmorethanonemillionlong-termenvironmentalvolunteersinChina,”estimatesZhangBoju,secretary-generalofFriendsofNature,aBeijingbasedenvironmentalorganization.Accordingtohim,mostvolunteerscomefromhighschools,colleges,publicinstitutionsandcompanies.Thegroupsareeithergovernmentsponsoredornon-governmental,workingtogethertoimproveChina’secology.
Alocalenvironmentalvolunteerpicksupaplasticbagfromalakeatanattitudeof3,200metersinQinghaiProvince.VCG
ChinesephotographerWuDiuseshisworktohighlightthepollutionissueandalertthepublictopossiblehealthproblemsbroughtbysmog.Thisisoneofhisphotographicworks.VCGGrowingPains
Overthepastfourdecades,enhancedawarenessofenvironmentalprotectionhasfueledtheriseinthenumberofChineseenvironmentalvolunteersfromafewtooveramillion.However,thegrowinggroupalsofacessomegrowingpains.
Despitethebignumbers,Chinatodayhasjustafewinfluentialenvironmentalprotectionorganizationsandmostneedtoimprovetheircapabilitiestoparticipateinenvironmentalaffairs.Andtheyoftenlackprofessionalsanddiversefundingsources.
XinHao,secretary-generalofGreenZhejiang,understandsthesituationalltoowell.Asthelargestnon-governmentalenvironmentalprotectiongroupofZhejiangProvince,the18-year-oldGreenZhejiangemploys400peoplefull-timeandutilizes100,000volunteers.Comparedtoothergroups,theorganizationhasmanyfull-timestaffers.“Butonlyafewmembersgraduatedwithenvironmentrelateddegrees,”Xinadmits.“Theshortageofprofessionalsmakesithardforustoprovideprofessionalservicestosociety.”
MiaoQing,aprofessoranddoctoraltutorwiththePublicAdministrationSchoolatZhejiangUniversity,explainsthatenvironmentalorganizationsare“neithergovernmentdepartmentsnorenterprises.”Manylackstablesourcesoffunding,makingitdifficulttoemployprofessionals.MiaoalsobelievesthatChina’senvironmentalprotectiongroupsstillneedtoimprovetheirprofessionalism.“Manycampaignsareimpulsiveratherthanwell-plannedandlackafar-reachinginfluence,”henotes.
ExpectedDevelopment
Despitetheirflaws,China’sgreenorganizationshavegreatlypropelledtheprogressofthecountry’senvironmentalprotectioncause.Especiallyinthelastfiveyears,theChinesegovernmentraisedecologicalimprovementtothetopofitsagenda.In2017,thereportpresentedtothe19thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChina,animportanteventmappingthefutureofthecountry,declaredthatChinaisworkingonfightingthree“criticalbattles,”ofwhichpreventingandcontrollingpollutionisamongthem.ThisevidencesthetremendousdevelopmentspaceforChina’senvironmentalorganizations.
OnJanuary26,2017,theChinesegovernmentissuedadocumenttoguideandregulatethegrowthofgreenorganizations,hopingtohelpthemplayamorecentralroleinecologicalimprovement.Thedocumentalsocalledonthepublictopracticeenvironmentallyfriendlylifestylesandpromotegreendevelopment.
Thegovernmenthasalsoenactedpoliciestoencouragemoresocialcapitaltobeinvestedinthesector.OnMay14,2010,AlibabaGroup,China’slargestonlineretailer,announceditwouldinvest0.3percentofitsannualearningsintoitsenvironmentalprotectionfund,thefirstofitskindinthecountry.Sincethen,manyChineseenterpriseshavesuccessivelysetupgreenfunds.AlibabaGroup’s2017incomereached158.2billionyuan(US$25.2billion).
“Fromtheperspectiveofgovernments,thesocialservicesprovidedbyvolunteersmakeupfordeficienciesofgovernmentsinsocialadministrationandbringauthoritiesclosertothepublic,”remarksProfessorWeiNafromtheSchoolofPublicAdministrationandPolicyatRenminUniversityofChina.“Fromtheperspectiveofvolunteers,theireffortsbenefittheirowncommunitiesaswellasthegreatercause.Andintermsoffinancialresources,betteraccesstosocialcapitalalleviatesthepressureonenvironmentalprotectiongroups.Asaresult,China’senvironmentalorganizationsaremovingintherightdirection.”
May14,2017:Over300volunteersfromadozencitiesandprovincespickuptrashattheGaoguanwaterfallscenicareainChang’anDistrict,Xi’anCity.VCG