Anti-incinerator movement in China
[3][4] While the individual protests have differed in terms of participants, tactics used and government response, each has been demonstrably oriented around environmental and health concerns emanating from the pollution and potential human cost associated with operating waste-to-energy incinerators.
In Guangzhou inhabitants of the residential Panyu district began opposing plans to construct a municipal waste incinerator in their area after coming across a posting on a government website.
[6] Similarly, in Pingwang, a town located outside Wujiang city in China's Jiangsu province, residents began opposing the construction of a nearby incinerator plant that was already nearing completion.
In the 2006 Beijing Liulitun protest, participants were largely made up of scholars and science or engineering professionals from nearby universities and businesses who resided the Haidian district.
Given the academic backgrounds of these individuals and their prior objection of a noxious landfill already present in the area, the ensuing anti-incinerator protest was particularly conscious of the potential health risks associated with waste incineration.
During the Panyu protest in Guangzhou, participants consisted of long-time residents as well as recent migrants to the newly developed district, a majority of whom were unaware or felt they were not properly informed of the plans to construct an incinerator.
[12][13] Tactics employed during anti-incinerator protests have included appealing to local officials, communicating over online services, conducting public demonstrations and utilizing media attention.
[12] Eventually concluding that the proposed plant would be detrimental to their community, protesters in Panyu began writing letters to government officials and later took to the streets to publicly express their concerns.
A month later, following the government's announcement of a public reception to discuss community issues, protesters mobilized via online blogs and social media sites and arrived at the event in such numbers that the venue was incapable of accommodating everyone present.
When online methods proved ineffective thousands residents took to the streets during October 2009 and occupied the planned incinerator facility for 2 days, leading to police being brought out and the protest being peacefully dispersed.
[4] Despite various concessions having been made with regard to anti-incinerator protests, the Chinese government has maintained its commitment to waste-to-energy incinerators as a means to lessen the nation's ongoing waste burden.
Following the cancellation of the Panyu plant in Guangzhou, the government, in a press conference during April 2012, affirmed its plans to build 4 new incinerators throughout the city to deal with growing amounts of municipal waste.
