The Devastating Effects of Pollution in China (Part 1/2)
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- Опубликовано: 12 дек 2012
- We went to the single most polluted place on earth, the coal-mining town of Linfen in Shanxi Province, China, where kids play in dirty rivers and the sun sets early behind a thick curtain of smog.
Watch part 2 here: bit.ly/Toxic-China-2
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bit.ly/Water-Crisis-1
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Развлечения
As a young Chinese, watching this is killing me. The past ten years was probably China's best years in economical growth but the sacrifice is just too great to recover from. I'm studying abroad, and each time when I'm about to go back home the only thing that I hate is the pollution. I really hope the government could take serious actions to make the environment better, or we will pay the price soon.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog
The government needs to stop being communist
***** but it has everything to do with China's political landscape
21Timberwolf nationalist china would be even worse.
i hope their is a major breakthrough in science to clear out smog and pollution, i feel it is very possible. good luck to china :)
id rather be poor and have a great environment
be rich and have this shit to enjoy
Me too Jack Frost....bbbbbrrrrrrr you feel that chill too buddy?
Chris Danns lifes less complicated with less shit
Well said
than Bhutan is best for u.
I want to be rich and buy plain ticket to u.s then boom
Captain Planet would be pissed.
He'd bring this pollution down to zero!
Don't you mean Captain Earth
I am pissed I want to see them burn to death
Dude thier just trying to put food on the table the best way they know how. It sucks, but what choices do the people really have, just doing thier jobs. It's a shame tho
@@erictirado147 no ones mad at the regular people, it’s the leaders
Damn I feel like I'm choking just watching this
Jether B. Strong right
Yeah
Facts
Same… :(
Drink water, get +4 Rads.
more like 20 but funny joke
True tho
unfortunately, fallout 3 rads
I already took rad-x so I'm good.
+Johns Corey too bad I ran out of Rad-aways in 5 minutes
this is heartbreaking. all the suffering of the people and animals. just a shame.
All development requires some sacrifice. Be sorry of those poor people in other countries as well.
This was the golden age of Vice. When it had accumulated the resources to do projects like this but still wasn't corporatized and reduced to a mainstream shell of its former self.
Agreed. It's truly sad to see what Vice has become over the years.
This is the kind of video that motivates me to keep studying environmental Engineering
Figure out a way to eliminate air pollution in China, you will make a fortune.
And India too. China can steal your method to reduce pollution but India has a Supreme court and democracy to support your Copyright.
And you'll make a fortune there too
@it is what it aint You do that, not only you can't reduce air pollution but also you will create new problems such as radiation pollution and millions of lost lives. Plus, every inch of your homeland will burn to ashes because of you. Bad choice.
How was it for you? I'm thinking of studying environmental science, but I also read it's a competitive field. Environmental engineers, I heard get more job opportunities. The thing is my worst fear is chemistry in college, I hated honors chem last year, managed an 86 though. And I hear physics is hell too! XDXD Coming from a worried junior in APES.
Please solve the problem
On top of it all, they're also smoking :P
Mycenaea that’s what I was thinking
Vaping*
And eating gutter oil.
@@kylie6701 no
Might as well
Can you imagine what we are ALL doing on a global scale?! All of us, all countries, put together, we are fucking earth up so badly. Make me feel like a piece of shit for being human. Because we are the ones causing our own demise. And sad thing is we know it. No other creatures in the world do this.
So sad. The crazy thing to me is its only gona fuck us, the earth will be just fine. We can only abuse our planet so much before it cleanses itself and starts fresh.
Exactly my friend! I totally agree. Im in my twenties now. And I can honestly say since I was younger I have noticed the earth changing. And your right. It will get much worse. And I feel so helpless about it. The earth doesn't need us. It needs a good cleanse. All us humans do is abuse her. destroy her.
Well like all other closed systems (take for example human body if it gets infected) will have counter-measurments to kill. Earth will be fine. It has happened in the past and it will happen in the future. Human mind is not yet developed enough to past this obstacle.
exactly. Our time will come. Us humans have the wool over our eyes rightnow. By the time we dont have the wool over our eyes. its going to be to late.
That's because other animals have not developed the amount of intelligence we have.
this is so heartbreaking, those poor people
Those Chinese are aware of their fuck ups...
The guy who was talking about how beautiful Linfen was, and about the hot springs, it broke my heart when his voice cracked. The CCP really has failed it's people
It has never been successful :(
@@abhdoplrou o and check Linfen now!! LOL
CCP never Failed us. actually if It weren't for CCP. we would still be in poverty.
@@yangzhao3676 Agreed bro. CCP really a great change in China.
@@yangzhao3676You are totally correct. China has changed from an ultra poor country to a superpower. All in the span of 70 years.
When we cut down the last tree, catch the last fish, pollute that last river and trap the last animal; man will realize he cannot eat money.
Fumfig people it's not good for you but you can still eat money, stop trying to write deep shit
Quotez he stole that quote anyway...
Fumfig yup.
You sound dumb
Quotez It's the truth and you obviously just want to turn a blind eye to it. Have fun living in denial
Back in the around the 1960's rivers in the USA would sometimes catch on fire due to industrial waste, Los Angeles had a permanent brown dome overhead, it stunk and burned your eyes. The people (particularly the youth) protested and the clean water act, EPA and other environmental initiatives were created and things have improved dramatically since.
That's true the US was disgusting in the industrial era
LOL, a painters mask will hardly do anything for you, might as well not wear it, you need a full faced mask with a good chemical filter on it. The particles go into your eyes and into your blood.
agreed and yellow cdc suits because our pores do "breathe"
LinkedBIGBOSS
Exactly what you said.
its europe and US fault thry shifted their factories to china to cheaper the cost of production
It's because China doesn't have laws on the air you can spew out into the air, whereby EU, US, have laws that specify what air comes out.
The very fact companies moved their industries to China was due to the lower cost workers, to be frank though it's all bs.
Companies could do something about it, a long with Chinese government however they are corrupt as fuck, so nothing will get done
+girl 101
We are cheap mon,, cheap!
In life U get what U pay for.
By the way, your hot.
"It isn't here, I don't care."
Basically the comment section.
Nah i care i imagine the pollution is every where and i wanna mkae it stop
I came here to read the comments
i agree!
Yep, flame wars are always entertaining ^_^
People try to make pollution a communism or capitalism thing. If you haven't figured it out by now, such economic ideologies have little to do with pollution. China pollutes, the US pollutes, Europe pollutes, the Soviets polluted while they were still around. So long as you have an authoritarian government with little accountability--a necessary ingredient for communism, but something that's common in many other countries including the US--the polluters will keep on polluting because the government will protect them, be they private corporations or government agencies or whatever.
You missed my point. Yes, private companies pollute, and governments should regulate them. I'm not arguing that. But regulations are worthless if the government has no motive to enforce them. Polluters have as much power as the governments that protect them. There is no way to prevent lobbyism or cronyism in government, so the best way to remove the power of polluters is to change the power of government.
I'm not anti government, just anti bullshit. Admittedly those two often coincide.
The most polluted city in the world is New Delhi. Western media hardly report be cause India is the largest democracy. Ha ha. Pollution is never a political issue in the largest democracy. At least China can justify its pollution because of its huge manufacturing industry. But what about India which economy is one fifth of China. The West keep fooling the world on its democracy propaganda.
*****
The united states has reduced it's pollution and CO2 emissions greatly, even though we have more cars and industrys than before.
Engineering cleaner energy is one of the main reasons the US has had great success.
There is just too much public pressure to "Go Green" also.
*****
Yes, Volcanoes and the Ocean are also major contributors to CO2 emissions and lowering population would be ideal,
As we watch in this video, a population as large as China needs a ton of energy to survive. Their one child policy is a joke and now moved to "two child policy" to prevent any sort of economic downfall.
Making population control a unrealistic approach. Only thing that's possible is some sort of super virus wiping out the population.
SmashBrosBrawl
And animal flatulence (methane) from animals raised for food accounts for more VOC gases than all of the other sources heretofore mentioned!
Add to that the fact that much of the particulate pollution in the major cities is due to suspended concrete dust from the astronomical amount of construction that is occurring in CN.
It sure would be nice if folks knew what they were talking about before tossing about anecdotal BS.
Having lived in china for months on end I can say I got sick everytime I visited for at least a week. It's like catching the worst cold.
@JLO L Hangzho
Everytime I work with chineese tourists I got cought. I am a tour guide. Ppls are avoiding them on the streets.
@JLO L Why should I? Buddy I live in Bosnia where's economy very low and to change job you have to be very brave plus I work with ppls from other countries too. I don't have intention to quit because of current situation.
That's what you get for going to China, you should have traveled to Kenya Africa you idiot....
vice really doesnt make documentaries like this anymore, which is a shame because I love their older videos.
china has dealt with this problem nicely as firms grow they become less grounded so is the case with vice these days
The zeitgeist has changed with the younger generation of reporters that now run Vice. They subverted the meaning of the word "toxic" from referring to an environmental catastrophe like Linfen. Toxic now refers to dysfunctional workplaces and people, which really cheapens that word. There are long term effects to your health, both mental (from mecury poisoning) and physical from living in a place like Linfen, than having to deal with a terrible boss or coworkers.
RIP Earth... I love my ipad, iphone, laptop, tv, refrigerator and dishwasher is my favorite one...my level of selfishness is too high...
it's a sarcasm, and u r humor noob...
Sorry for noob too...
The Desolation of Smog.
This could honestly happen anywhere in the world once the population reaches a certain point. This is a little preview of what our future could become if we don't start finding better ways to support our population
No because USA make it legal to kill people and cops are never charged..
This isn’t true at all. Los Angeles had horrific quality and changes were made and now the air isn’t bad.
@@blackinews6779 stop breaking the law 🙄
@@blackinews6779 you sure have a lot of hatred. #alllivesmatter
@@blackinews6779 from what ive been able to research from many sources more white people are killed by year in the usa by cop than african americans. okay so you will bring up the population percentage of both races. then id say look at the crime rates it makes total sense when you look at the big picture. why do african americans vote 90 percent democrat or about that in any election? thats odd to me when the democratic party literally stood and was fighting for segregation a half century ago. i want a free country for all people but this bull S that both sides buy into is exhaustiing. F bush F obam F biden and many more we need to elect people that have our best interests in mind as a nation of free people. and i believe if you have half a brain its very obvious we have had very few people in our leadership in the usa who have supported the people. its all about maintaining power and dividing the people on bs. thats why you have pelosi biden mcconnel bush in politics for 50 fucking years. its corrupt man. im all for fixing the issues we have but in the right way, voting free speech and so on. that was a lot i know but that sums it up best i can on a youtube comment section
The world really needs more Eco Heroes 🌍❤️
Total bullshit
@@polishlass5067 glad you finally accepted what your ideas really are
@@polishlass5067 why tho??? 🤦♂️
what an ugly place to live..i m glad i live in argentina, in my ranch with my 2 horses and my dog! I hope those companies that pollute will shut dowm..they must shut down..When they will get that the enviroment is more important than money?
+Mesfuerzo Mezguello Meh, its china who cares+
are you kidding? this is polluting not only china its polluting the whole earth you moron
+Mesfuerzo Mezguello si viste la pelicula Hijos del Hombre, el ultimo nacimiento fue en Argentina, a veces se siente bien estar en el ombligo del mundo.
+Lord Pussydick lol that's funny because in the states we think "oh man, poor guy living in argentina with nothing but a small plot of land, his 2 horses and his dog!"
+Lord Pussydick I heard from the news that there are now Chinese companies are going and investing in Argentina. Sooner or later, some of your cities will look like this.
''The food here is grown in the fields, with cancerous chemicals, but I'm sure it's just as bad than the food back home grown in labs!''
*facepalm*
Not an exact quote and you took the grown in labs part a bit too seriously
I love watching these videos from 7 years ago when Vice was just getting going & they’re so rough cut😂 I luv it!! 🤑👍
Take a deep breath, feel that in your chest? You're feeling the Bern.
lol
GenericFakeName Communism =/= socialism
This this Capitalism
Yeah, Bernie was our last hope...
Now with big oil lobbyist Trump things will only get worse
+Андрей Мишин Nah. Trump is awesome.
is sad to see this
it's not sad this is what they created themselves
gl7rwh34 but still is sad to see the earth is getting destroy
gl7rwh34 looks like west virginia
Chinese immigrants increases.
What happens Then?
Your country is going to be the same environment as China.
depend on which country
Air quality so bad, they'll buy your bottled fart.
remember it's better burp n taste it then fart n waste it
C6Roadster made me laugh
Hehe... Light bulb moment there partner
Air quality so bad that they would gladly welcome America's politicians that spew nothing but hot air.
My farts smell like cum & blood... aids blood
Excellent video.
Wow. Vice documentaries have gotten WAY better over the years.
and this smoke travel all the planet
no it doesn't.
+eyes2 theSky wind
MazariegoS what?
+eyes2 theSky Yes it absolutely does. NASA just released a report about it.
***** you're a moron if you believe NASA . NASA stands for Never.A.Straight.Answer
how heart breaking.
Me watching this for school and still almost crying 🥲
yeah
China: *grows economy at the expense of their environment*
hell: it's free real estate!
China is only interested in dominating the world no matter how many people it kills - even their own. Like Russia, it's run by criminals.
12:35 Grown in toxic soil in the ground vs "some laboratory"? Did I just hear that correctly? He would prefer their food to ours lol. Our food is much safer than anything eaten in Linfen! The bias of these Vice reporters knows no bounds lmao!
Yeah. Would be great to have laboratory food: Safe, defined ingredients, energy-efficient. Definitely better than ingesting who-knows-what.
Fragenzeichenplatte Exactly, not to mention being far more precise than anything produced in nature. For instance, with gene splicing heirloom fruits and vegetables we can code for less than a handful of genes in either food source to produce a more viable and healthier candidate in a matter of a few years; vs allowing nature to play a roll of the dice with 30k-40k genes over the course of decades in order to produce the same result. The level of scientific illiteracy from this host is both laughable and pathetic.
You are right 100% just opening your mouth to eat the food in China is like smoking a pack of cigs lol and plus their food is batterd In smog
+jamilah razzaq
They tried to sneak in a hippie statement. The kind of hippie statement that misleads those who wont go out to look it up.
+jamilah razzaq yea I found that statement stupid too.. stupid hippy crap. otherwhise a good documentary!
watching this nine years later, I’m struck by how much more repressive China has become towards journalists. Nowadays I have no doubt the folks making this video would be followed constantly by public security and I doubt the local doctor or coal industry representative would be willing to speak so freely with foreign reporters.
It doesn’t matter what society you live in. Transparency and accountability is a requirement for things to get better. Unfortunately all societies seem to be moving away from transparency across the globe at the moment.
I love how we europeans are so proud to not pollute our air with factories because we just shifted our factories to china and then we complain about the chinese polluting the air, it's actually europeans and americans...
It's not my fault that they don't filter the water and people get sick because of that and honestly I don't care
yet europe is in the lead of clean energy
Kamelontti oh well. It's just that China's developing in a time when people in first world countries are brainwashed. Sucks for them :/
Speak for yourself, I'm European and totally aware that European cities heavily polluted the air during the European industrial revolution.
However, capacities back than where a lot lower compared to today. If they would have had the capacities that China has today, they would have polluted the air just as much if not worse.
China's huge manufacturing capacities actually bound them to air pollution as their is no pollution-free solution which is offering enough capacity.
China would have to slow down the export oriented economy, which would enable them to heavily reduce the overall production inside the facilities.
This however is against their interest, as they want to continue their economic growth, which is understandable. The demand is huge.
White guilt is strong with this one.
I got a water purification system ad before this video. Advertising is getting incredible.
An asthmatic's worst nightmare. My worst nightmare.
So what you’re saying, I could sell fresh bottles of country life air? Say no more.
Supply and demand, what can I say
Classic vice was so badass
I ran to my window and looked outside to calm myself. Beautiful sky and cleaner air. if we dont do something everywhere is gonna look like this
Ummmmm, I’m presuming you live una western nation were air quality has been going up
8:10 I can hear her having trouble breathing.
I feel really bad for all the children and elderly living there. Children and elderly are already so vulnerable, the air must be doing a number on everybody's lungs. And especially for kids/people who have asthma or something similar. If I went there (without a mask) I can already tell I wouldn't last long. Makes me thankful to live in the city I am in. (Odessa)
shows how fast the world changes that now your city is going through a terrible tragedy. I hope you, your loved ones and your friends are safe and well in this terrible time
Not sure if you’re fighting on the lines or if you’re staying somewhere just know we’re all with you and the rest of the Ukrainians who’ve been attacked by a monster.
I swear vice have a video for every stoned thought I have 😂😂
China: I'm the most polluted country in the world
India: Hold my Rubbish
Shamik Bera 😂
India have people shitting Broadway light on the bitch..
@@blackinews6779 yep and we use people like you to clean it
@@randomstuffswithrrd you burnt him, girl
I'm not against India and its unique anf beautiful culture.
But i think you need to stop bathing in human feces (cr4p), poluted water, and stop putting bodies in it.
I think right now its beyond possible to fix it. They will not comply weather its the people or the Gov
I remember my first year of being in university (UK) and was just weirded out by how many international Chinese students would wear a mask to uni - pollution isn't really an issue here but I get why they did it. But now, I don't see one person wearing it. I just didn't know it was this bad, thank for this video
Racist base to your comments. They wear a mask because they choose to.
Looks like District 12 from the Hunger Games
scatcat1994 this is 300 times worse
This makes me sad :(
I remember that, Los Angeles and worse, the san Fernando Valley in the early 1970's when I lived there.
Hey China, ever heard of Green Energy?
Bro ever seen 1.4 b people and they all need energy? Environment needs to be protected but please be realistic
I believe a way to fix the problem of pollution is cold fusion reactors or finding a better way to store energy so solar power can become more effective, but I don't have the expertise to solve this problem, so my opinion doesn't really matter
I'm typing this with a view of Beijing's "Tea City" neighborhood outside my window. I remember some time ago people started to use the term "APEC blue" to describe our skies during the time when Beijing hosted those meetings. This past week could have been referred to as "19th Congressional Meeting Blue". These short-lived Chinese dreams always resume with us waking up to a real life marathon miasma; it will be long, and it will put us all back into a spell of chemical seasonal affective disorder, and we'll trudge through it hoping we might rest a while longer at the next Chinese dream.
great video
I was offered a teaching job in Linfen last year. Considered taking until I Googled the town and found the Time article declaring it the most polluted city in China. Ended up going to Chongqing instead and enjoyed its gray (instead of brown) skies..
Mongolia:"our capital city is dealing with winter smoking city everyday until spring."
China:"Hold My Beer".
This is truly sad.
It’s insane how much video resolution has progressed in just 9 years
And its insane that linfen air quality are improving a lot
The scenes in the elementary school made me think of how it must have been living next to Nazi death camps.
I use my own feelings to tell you that the city environment where I live is getting better and better, and my location is in Wenzhou, Zhejiang (the east coast of China).
Are you using VPN?
@@Steven-uk2fz nah bro hes just built different
Beautiful
8 years later and I bet its even worse
fucking dumbass United States has more Co2 pollution now
CCP: 'Tis not Pollution, It's Progress.
All development requires some kind of sacrifice. Do not be so prejudiced against CCP.
Personally I think that air and water pollution is a far more pressing problem than Climate Change, though lots of the solutions go hand in hand
air pollution causes rising temp of climate change, which causes desertification, or declining fresh water and much less rain
This really shows how insane it has all got!
I feel like crying
How come Gretra T, hadn’t gone there...?
Because white guilt is easier to tap into...
The thing that scares me more, is the fact that China is incresing his military spending by 15% every year, and since they are so near to Russia, this is not bringing to nothing of good in my opinion....
The US spends more money on the military than every other country in the world, combined.
Devine Not combined, but they do spend the most.
Devine
that's because they're always invading countries
Luke Haywood No, it's actually because we can create money out of thin air and we are the only country on Earth that can do so without having immediately noticeable economic effects. Ergo, we have infinite money to spend on "defense" (which is actually just shameless resource centered imperialism).
Devine wrong. we experience “inflation” just like every other country. thats what happens when you make money out of thin air.
Just thinking about these young children basically smoking 3 packs of cigarettes each day... it's so sad. And it's not going to get better soon. Rather worse :(
2020, winter in Shanghai, PM2.5 yesterday hit 200+ again, sigh......
so sad
I wonder when human being will stop his own extintion
I would’ve brought a gas mask and a bag full of filters if I was filming there
I'm just happy they've fixed it by now.
How the hell have they fixed it , ya still gotta Wear pollution masks out there ?
It must rain more there from smoke and smog
China's now has the most energy produced by renewable resources. They may have done considerable damage quickly. But they're changing ways faster than people can realise.
Ben White don't know what ccp is? I watched it in the new global warming documentary that Leonardo DiCaprio did; Before the flood. All countries recognise china and India as the leaders in renewable energy. Some other smaller nations are already mostly dependant on renewables.
Ashotgun23 the past is the past. Start looking ahead. You are clearly misinformed.
Ashotgun23 I'm not gonna keep on arguing with you. I've seen it with my own eyes. Btw if you're American or British, you better shut the fuck up right now.
Bodiablo China produces more pollution than the rest of the planet combined. Even if they went complete carbon neutral it would take decades to fix their irreparable fuck ups in the region
Ian L if you knew anything you would know that most fossil fuel companies in China are owned by American conglomerates. You need to do some real research before spouting nonsense.
how many ppl here per year are being diagnosed with lung cancer and respitory problems?
Zenith Greyz many I assume
Zainab Mirwali more like 2-2.5 million I think
Had to transfer to Pudong on my way to melbourne and oh my lord the air was unbearable after waiting 5 hrs for my next flight.
wow i had no idea just how bad things were
The devestating effects of pollutian in China.
"Shows add for new iPhone"
How far do we need to go before we actually do something about this!?!
probaly till the earth goes out
We are, Solution: Coronavirus
What in the world did we do to deserve this earth!?!?!?!!?
Damn man, this is pretty sad actually.
We should organize a Fallout(game)-fan-meeting there :D Would be unhealthy but super cool!
Sorry poor mother earth has to deal with 'us humans" for awhile.. She can live on as we die...
I wonder what is it like now.
when i was in China i barely see the sun. and that's very strange for me. i didn't realize it's because of the amount of pollution.
yesterday when I was drinking tea in my house here in the united States I started seeing things fall into my tea and at that moment I couldn't believe that this is still going on, these companies are destroying this planet, the air we breathe everyday is truly harmful for us and for the future generations.
You mean Chinese Companies...stop generalizing.
bruh 5 years late but don't you mean DUST my guy? clean ya house 😅
'Plution.
'Murica
As Asian living in Asia, please we beg you the air pollution in north china plain is way too much.. All the air pollution in East Asia comes from this area and spreads to other regions in China and also to other countries like Korea to Japan. We can do this together to reduce the air pollution, please pressure the government to pass bill that regulates air pollution from this North China plain places like Jinan.
As an American living in China right now I can tell you that the pollution is bad. However, it's no fault but our own it's the price we pay for our consumer culture and for our goods to remain cheap.
Imagine living there all your life then going to somewhere like Hawaii
Just going 3 hours north of Toronto is strange to me! No noise pollution ! As for that kind of pollution no thanks. We live in a bubble so no doubt the joy has been spread around! Also very glad to have lived 3/4 of my life !
I've walked through the streets of Beijing seeing this, and having to wear a mask so I don't get lung cancer. I seriously don't understand how people think pollution in America even compares to this kind of stuff.
@JLO L there's a reason now.
No one in "America" thinks that.
We don't breathe our pollution here in America, it just flows down into the Gulf of Mexico.
lol, look at Linfen today!! and lets see if you dare make a vdeo on it
Imagine how scary it would be to drive a tiny old mini on a highway towards Linden and being surrounded by huge trucks
Linfen
this is actually a strategy that government adopted to use the whole countrys resources to develop the Southeast first
yes. the southeast was where hong kong, a major port was located. you could ship goods there easily and trade
The result of burning so much coal. And Trump said "clean coal", wow
lol they dont use clean coal or clean coal processing in china. at all. coal tech is unknown in china and uncared about. they use 19th century coal burners and diesel trucks with no pollution control at all to haul it. its like the early victorian age industry x1000.
Fires in Canada are making the air here in Bethlehem PA almost this bad right now
Everytime I watch Vice documentaries.. The ads is "We love the earth" by lil dicky.. LOL