4.1 Introduction “The total domination of nature inevitably entails a domination of people by the techniques of domination ― Andre Gorz”(quoted in Kothari, 1996, p.1476) In the previous chapters, we have observed that independently of the protracted debate on the construction of the TGDP, and despite the persuasive evidence adduced to show that its cost
3.6 Conclusion Ecological crisis from Daoism’s point of view was brought by the dominance of Yangcharacteristics over Yinones (Capra, 1975; Jenkins, 2002). Despite Daoists appraised the strategies of Yin, China’s recent history of mega project constructions displays, however, a notable propensity for Yang-style solutions to its needs (Dellios, 2001). Over the last 2600 years since
3.5 Destruction, Exploitation and Subjugation of Nature “Without an understanding of the Dao it is indeed possible that knowledge and civilization, science and technology, will doom man to self-slavery and self-destruction. Man simply falls into the bondage of his own conceptual prison and becomes a victim of his own desire.” (Cheng, 1986, p.357-358). Laozi cautions
3.4 Chinese Ancient Primitive Environmental Ethics “Even in ancient times people took for granted the degraded state of the environment and did not realize the beauty and richness that been destroyed. Protecting it takes constant vigilance. Likewise protecting our own nature takes constant vigilance and this is the job of ethical education. But [be]awareness of
3.3 The Development of Environmental Ethics The Bull Mountain was once covered with lively trees.. People came with their axes and choppers; they cut the woods down, and the mountain has lost its beauty.. But soon cattle and sheep came along and browsed on them, and in the end the mountain became gaunt and bare,
3.2 Contemporary China’s Environmental Crisis Since the adoption of China’s “opening-up” policy, along with the introduction in the 1980’s of what some have called the “socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics” (The Rise of State Capitalism, 2012), China’s gross domestic product (GDP) has accelerated at a growth rate of at least 10 percent per year
3.1 Introduction It has been argued by a number of philosophers that man’s relationship to the environment is largely defined by the traditional values and beliefs which derive from basic epistemological presumptions which motivate behaviors within a particular society. My aim in this chapter is to explore those basic presuppositions and to determine the extent
2.6 Conclusion Chinese government and dam proponents intended to make the TGDP a showcase of China’s ‘opening and reform’ policy. They have assured Chinese publics and the rest of the world that the Three Gorges Dam will be environmentally friendly, economically profitable, and socially compatible. They believe that the TGP plays a major role in
2.5 Economics: Is the Three Gorges Dam benefiting China’s economy? The justification for putting the TGDP forward is the emphasis on the “more efficient use of resources and the capacity of the project to generate more benefits than costs” (Oliver-Smith, 2010, p.161). For the big dam proponents, the ultimate justification rests on its economic success.
2.4 Social: Are the Social and Human Impacts of the Three Gorges Dam Positive? As resettlement is “a totalizing experience in its capacity to impact virtually every domain of individual and community life” (Oliver-Smith, 2001, p.19). People being displaced are cut off from their roots, their own communities, and social supporting networks, often with short