> Well, the flip side to that argument is that Foma no doubt violates the > current standards in much the same way that the US (like all > industrialized countries) violated them earlier in its history. Some > argue that the ability to conform to tough environmental standards when it > comes to industry is a luxury of the richer countries, who now seek to > deny poorer ones the advantage of ignoring the environment in favour of > fast and easy progress that they themselves once enjoyed.
A pretty specious argument, seems to me. We didn't know any better then. We're learning. We still have a long way to go in the industrialized nations. In any event, there's plentiful evidence that the former Eastern Bloc and the old Soviet Union countries have far surpassed anything that was ever done in the West, and I don't doubt the same holds true for China. There's only one habitable world. When it's gone, it's gone. Won't take us forever at the rate we're going. --Mike
