Environmentalism = darkness

I am amused by the symbolism of environmentalists calling for darkness. Evidently environmental campaigners in Hong Kong tried to get individuals and businesses to dim their lights yesterday in a protest against air pollution in the city. However, according to a BBC report the campaign failed to get mass support.

No doubt economic growth can help China clean up its problems with pollution. But the drive to get China to adopt environmentalist principles is a pernicious one. China’s development approach should be geared towards improving the lives of its people rather than maintaining some kind of harmony with nature. The environmental debate in China is a particularly important one to watch.