a larger number view other social problems as more important. Contrasting
with China, economic development does not trump environmental protection
at each occasion when opinion is measured.
CONCLUSIONS
China has the world’s oldest continuous civilization, and in this chapter we
have investigated the impact of that history on the environment. We began by
describing orientations in thought toward nature and conservation. The main
philosophical systems of traditional China – Confucianism and Legalism –
took an anthropocentric stance, assigning value to humans over non-human
animals and other species. Taoism, never a reigning system, adopted a more
ecocentric view, as did popular religions, such as Buddhism and minority
cultures with animistic beliefs. However, the prevailing elite mindset, which
influenced policy, advocated utilitarian ends.
During the long dynastic histories, population growth surpassed the
34 Governance of biodiversity conservation in China and Taiwan
Table 2.1 Environmental problems in Taiwan
1999 Social problem % answering serious 1986 1983
rank or very serious rank rank
1 Air pollution 86.2 1 2
2 Soil erosion 80.4 8 8
3 Water pollution 79.3 4 5
4 Solid waste disposal 76.8 6 4
5 Noise 76.1 2 3
6 Depletion of natural 74.8 7 7
resources
7 Industrial waste 73.6 n/a n/a
8 Pesticides 73.5 5 6
9 Nuclear waste 57.4 9 11
10 Natural disasters 57.0 11 9
11 Overpopulation 49.1 3 1
12 Energy shortages 48.9 10 10
Note: * Industrial waste not included in 1983 and 1986 surveys.
Source: Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao, Russell A. Stone and Chun-Chien Chi (2001), ‘Taiwan’s
Environmental Consciousness: Indicators of Collective Attitudes Toward Sustainable Develop-
ment’, paper presented at the workshop on Sustainable Development Indicators, National Central
University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, for the Program for Southeast Asian Area Studies (PROSEA),
17–19 November, p. 5, available at http://www.sarcs.org/wwwroot/documents/chi%20paper.pdf.