解決中國污染問題的答案在日本

面對不請自來的有害污染云團，日本在做好準備的同時，還加強了向中國轉讓綠色科技的力度，期望借此解決空氣污染問題。

和中國這個強大鄰居修繕關系對日本沒什么壞處。“可持續日本”（Japan for Sustainability）是設在東京的非營利性環保組織。這個組織的代表枝廣淳子稱：“日本已經在通過技術轉讓來幫助中國減少污染物排放。但這還遠遠不夠。”

現在，隨著沿海地區受到有害霧霾的威脅，日本開始進一步向污染日益嚴重的中國提供技術援助。最近，為改善雙邊關系并防止釣魚島爭端進一步激化，中日兩國簽定了一份協議，日方承諾進一步和中國分享污染防治技術。兩國政府原則上同意促進技術合作，以便遏制日趨嚴重的空氣污染。除中國以外，韓國和日本西南部也都受到了空氣污染的影響。

中國在治理污染和實施大氣污染防治法規方面一直行動緩慢。但環境污染帶來的社會問題越來越多，促使中國政府采取行動。最近曝光的癌癥村和讓人難以忍受的城市霧霾濃度更只是進一步增加了中國政府面臨的壓力。

在治理空氣污染方面，日本似乎是中國的理想合作伙伴。日本經濟團體聯合會（Japan Business Federation）自然保護協議會事務局局長巖間芳仁認為，畢竟在20世紀60、70年代，日本出現過同樣的環境災害，而日本解決污染問題的途徑是制定新法律，同時采用新技術。巖間芳仁說：“過去我們曾有過同樣嚴重的污染，后來我們解決了這些問題，特別是空氣污染，所以我們準備在分享空氣污染防治技術方面與中國合作。”

巖間同時指出，在中國運營的日本工廠實施了嚴格的環保控制，可以為中國經營者作出示范。

中國政府的首要任務是控制所謂的PM2.5污染物。這種有害浮塵的直徑只有千分之二點五毫米，它能深入人體組織，引發嚴重的健康問題。日方官員表示，日本的技術有助于追尋PM2.5污染源，還能預測它的擴散情況。

就在中日兩國政府確定環保合作細節的同時，夏普（Sharp）、松下（Panasonic）等日本私營企業通過在中國銷售空氣凈化電器獲得了意料之外的不菲收入。經中國認證，夏普的空氣凈化器可消除99%的PM2.5顆粒。這款產品今年1月份在華銷量達到了上年同期的3倍。夏普一位女發言人稱：“幾年來中國消費者的健康和環境意識不斷提高，讓我們的空氣凈化器在中國市場有了極好的銷路。”

盡管中國民間存在抵制日貨行為，但日本經濟團體聯合會官員堅持表示，中日兩國的貿易關系仍然非常理想。觀察人士指出，日本在中國有廣泛的商業利益。倘若中國確實認真對待污染防治問題，日本將通過供應鏈獲得巨大收益。

 

 

 

 

As Japan braces for a Chinese export it never asked for -- toxic clouds of pollution -- it is stepping up its green technology transfers in hopes they will clean the air.

Mending fences with its powerful neighbor wouldn't hurt either. "Japan already helps China to reduce emissions of pollutants through technology transfer," says Junko Edahiro, chief executive of Japan for Sustainability, an environmental NGO in Tokyo. "But there is much more to be done."

Now, with hazardous smog threatening its coast, Japan is offering further tech know-how to an increasingly desperately polluted China. Recently, as part of a mission to improve bilateral relations and avert further aggression over disputed islands claimed by both countries, a new accord was signed that promises to increase sharing of pollution-control technology with China. Tokyo and Beijing have essentially agreed to facilitate technological cooperation in a bid to halt the appalling air pollution that is causing havoc not just in China but in neighboring Korea and southwestern Japan.

China has been slow to adopt measures to control pollution and enforce its clean air act. But increased social unrest in China over its environment has goaded the politburo into action. The recent revelation of so-called cancer villages within China and intolerable levels of city smog have only added to the pressure.

It seems Japan is a perfect partner for China in its bid to clean up. After all, Japan had the same track record of environmental disasters in the 1960s and 1970s, explains Yoshihito Iwama, the environmental bureau director of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren in Japan. Its plight was solved by creating new laws and technologies to deal with pollution. "We have experienced some of the same terrible pollution problems on our past," he says. "And we have overcome such problems, especially those related to air pollution so we are ready to cooperate with China on sharing our anti-air-pollution technology."

He also points out that Japanese factories already operating in China abide by strict environmental controls that could be a showcase for Chinese factory owners.

High on the agenda now is to prevent the disbursement of so-called PM2.5 air pollution -- hazardous airborne particles only 2.5 thousandths of a millimeter across -- that can penetrate deep into human tissue to cause serious health problems. Japan has the technology to help trace the origins of PM2.5 and to predict its disbursement, say Japanese officials.

While both governments iron out the details of the accord, private firms such as Sharp and Panasonic (PC) have been reaping an unexpected windfall selling electronics in China that help purify the air. Sales of Sharp's air purifiers -- which China certifies "remove 99% of PM2.5" -- tripled in January compared with the same month of 2012. "Awareness of health and environment among consumers in China has increased in the past few years, so our air purifiers are selling extremely well there," says a Sharp spokeswoman.

Despite an informal boycott of Japanese goods in China, Kedieran officials insists that trade relations are still excellent between the two countries. Japan has extensive business interests in China and will benefit hugely in the supply chain if China does get serious about detoxing its landscape, say observers.