China has strong pollution laws on the books, but enforcement lags behind, harming the environment and human health. Through a multi-faceted capacity building program, we help grassroots community groups identify pollution problems and work with local governments to find solutions for cleaning up toxic waste and dangerous emissions.

Among Coal’s Toxic Emissions

Blog Post | May 3, 2013 | Zhao Zhong
On April 3, 2013, I met two girls playing outside their rural home in the Xigu District near Lanzhou, in Gansu Province, China. Like most kids, they were playful...

Law Students Help Chinese Grassroots Activists Challenge Polluters

Blog Post | March 29, 2013 | Kristen McDonald
  At the orientation meeting for Pacific Environment’s new environmental law internship program in China this past weekend, I walked with a group of law students down a broad...

Harnessing Social Media to Challenge Coal in China

Blog Post | February 21, 2013 | Alex Levinson
In China, where coal is king, Pacific Environment is harnessing the power of social media to show that the emperor is wearing some very dirty clothes. We just launched...

The World’s Top 3 Climate Change Threats

Blog Post | January 31, 2013 | Alex Levinson
Do you know what China, Australia, and the Arctic have in common? Apart from stunning scenery, it turns out that each is home to one of the 3 biggest...

Coal: It’s What’s for Dinner

Blog Post | January 16, 2013 | Kristen McDonald
A while ago I stopped eating fish, in part because I worried that it might contain an unhealthy helping of mercury—a potent neurotoxin that can cause birth defects and...

Bean Sprout Theater: Learning to Love the Environment

Blog Post | December 20, 2012 | Kristen McDonald
At the stage of Flower Theater in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, a group of environmental volunteers engaged in a strange but wonderful rehearsal. Each of them took a deep...