A recent report shows that cancer is now the leading cause of death in China, and it’s clear that poor emissions standards accompanying the country's rapid rate of industrialization is a likely cause of this alarming trend. As the Earth Policy Institute's Janet Larsen reports:

Chinese Ministry of Health data implicate cancer in close to a quarter of all deaths countrywide. As is common with many countries as they industrialize, the usual plagues of poverty—infectious diseases and high infant mortality—have given way to diseases more often associated with affluence, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Though China has long been recognized as one of the world’s leading polluters,  the  nation’s  wanton disregard for implementing appropriate safeguards against pollutants isn’t only harming the environment-- it’s killing its citizens.

According to Larsen, “Reports from the countryside reveal a dangerous epidemic of ‘cancer villages’ linked to pollution from some of the very industries propelling China’s explosive economy. By pursuing economic growth above all else, China is sacrificing the health of its people, ultimately risking future prosperity.”

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