China’s “Comfort Class” | The Bling Dynasty, National Geographic Magazine: China | Increasing Number of Power Plants Contribute to Pollution

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A new coal power plant comes online every four to five days in China that could power a city the size of San Diego, yet, energy is wasted on an epic scale. One hundred cities with populations over 1 million faced extreme water shortages. China’s survival has always been built on the notion of a vastly powerful, infallible center. Thus, China has poor foundations on which to build the subtle network of institutions and accountability necessary to manage the complexities of a modern economy and society. The lack of independent scrutiny and accountability lies behind the massive waste in the Chinese government and destruction of the environment.  These new plants contribute to the air pollution that kills 400,000 people prematurely every year.