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Premature deaths linked to global trade


Claire.

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International trade shifts the burden of pollution-related deaths.

Environmentalists have long known that pollution wafting through the air can affect people far from the source of emissions. Now, a new study finds that international trade has likely “shifted” more than 700,000 pollution-related deaths from regions that import goods and services, like the United States and Western Europe, to those that produce them, like China. The study adds fuel to the debate over who bears responsibility for the health impacts of air pollution.

Read more: ScienceMag.org

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Like any sovereign nation, china and other countries now producing air pollution because of industrialization are the ones in charge of setting regulations, standards and controls.  To pretend that countries that purchase products from these other countries bear responsibility is an insult to everyone involved.

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I don't agree. I think people should make an informed decision about where their money goes. If it's OK to fret about if your tuna is dolphin friendly or not (it isn't),I think it's fair enough to consider the conditions the people who manufacture your stuff live in.  

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You realise this is almost an argument for protectionism?

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2 hours ago, oldrover said:

I don't agree. I think people should make an informed decision about where their money goes. If it's OK to fret about if your tuna is dolphin friendly or not (it isn't),I think it's fair enough to consider the conditions the people who manufacture your stuff live in.  

I'm not disagreeing with you, I don't believe that people are going to stop buying mobile phones from companies manufacturing them in China because of air pollution.  As a matter of fact since 99.9% of rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of phones, computers, pads, intelligent cars, etc, etc, is from China I'll wager spending your dollars on more responsibly manufactured items is effectively impossible at this point in time.  It's up to the Chinese people to get upset enough with their government and manufacturer's to bring about change in the way they do things, it's not our fault or up to us.

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7 minutes ago, OverSword said:

I'm not disagreeing with you, I don't believe that people are going to stop buying mobile phones from companies manufacturing them in China because of air pollution.  As a matter of fact since 99.9% of rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of phones, computers, pads, intelligent cars, etc, etc, is from China I'll wager spending your dollars on more responsibly manufactured items is effectively impossible at this point in time.  It's up to the Chinese people to get upset enough with their government and manufacturer's to bring about change in the way they do things, it's not our fault or up to us.

Yeah, I see what you mean. 

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