Ma Jun and his group for environmental protection have compiled an open-source online database of water, air and hazardous waste pollution records dating back seven years in order to encourage more public participation, and with it, change.
The database includes information from 31 provincial-level regions, with over 90,000 records from enterprises that have violated environmental protection laws.
"Public participation is of great importance in protecting our environment," said Ma, a former journalist, author and founder of the non-profit Institute for Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE).
Ma founded IPE in 2006, the same year that he started working on the database.
China's environmental problems have largely been blamed on local governments, which often pursue economic development at the cost of environmental damage. Poor enforcement of environmental protection laws has also been an obstacle.
Ma said extensive public participation will help turn the tide, especially when it comes to helping international companies police their suppliers.
Ma kicked off a related campaign in 2007, calling on major international companies to work with their suppliers to improve their practices.
Copyright ©1999-2011 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
