I frequently head to Seattle’s International District (aka Chinatown) to buy groceries. Some of my favorite dishes that I like to make are Asian based. The more I learn about the ecological disaster unfolding in China, the more I concerned I get. Jared Diamond covered the massive destruction China has done to their land in the book Collapse.
Earlier this week, Mish did a post about just how much China is polluting their waters. From Pollution Creates “Cancer Villages” in China:
The river’s flow ranges from murky white to a bright shade of orange and the waters are so viscous that they barely ripple in the breeze. In Shangba, the river brings death, not sustenance.
“All the fish died, even chickens and ducks that drank from the river died. If you put your leg in the water, you’ll get rashes and a terrible itch,” said He Shuncai, a 34-year-old rice farmer who has lived in Shangba all his life.
“Last year alone, six people in our village died from cancer and they were in their 30s and 40s.” Every year, an estimated 460,000 people die prematurely in China due to exposure to air and water pollution, according to a 2007 World Bank study.
The entire post is eye opening. He also links to a 10 photo slide show.
I went through my cabinet today and located two food items that were made in China. They are now in the dumpster.