Environmentalist Ma Jun fights for change to clean up China’s pollution

Single-handedly, eco warrior Ma Jun has brought about more reform for the environment 

than anyone else in China. The former journalist was in Toronto Tuesday to attend the World Social Media Conference.

Ma Jun, a well-known Chinese environmentalist, was in Toronto on Tuesday, April 23, 2013, to speak at the World Social Marketing Conference. Time magazine named Ma one of the 100 most influential poeple in the world in 2006.

By: Raveena Aulakh Environment, 

Ma Jun is called an eco warrior, an innovator, a modern-day hero.

He is all that, but he is a strategist, too. Here is why: Ma, China’s best-known environmentalist, isn’t drawn to sit-ins or demonstrations, which are often met with government crackdowns. He first approaches corporate decision makers, shows them data — evidence — of environmental pollution and talks about benefits of change.

It has won him many victories, grudging respect even from the government, and a legion of fans.

He smiles shyly.

“When I was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine (in 2006) one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine (in 2006) , I remember saying out aloud that I wish I had that kind of influence,” he says.

Ma is sitting in a lobby at the Westin Harbour Hotel in Toronto where he is a speaker at the World Social Marketing Conference, which is hosting delegates from 40 countries. As people mill around, Ma talks about China, the environment and the changes that are slowly happening.

Ma was working with the South China Morning Post in the early 1990s when he saw environmental pollution and eco-degradation during his travels. He focused on research into water, and the result was China’s Water Crisis, the 1999 book that became a clarion call for environmental protection.

He soon realized that for people to be motivated, it was vital for them to have access to information. In 2006, he founded the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, an agency that gathers data from the government concerning water, air and hazardous waste, and makes the information available online.

Information about how companies violate environmental laws has appalled people and forced corporations to clean up.

Ma and his team have exposed more than 120,000 violations by local and multinational companies in China. At least 900 companies have made efforts to change their techniques and amend what has gone wrong.

But Ma admits being an activist isn’t easy in China.

When he first launched the agency, companies that were identified as polluters tried to bribe or threaten him. Local government officials also visited regularly.

“They were quite concerned that we were disrupting investment in the country,” he says.

It was then Ma decided to “always, always” use government data because such information would be reliable and corporations couldn’t debunk it.

Of course, finding the data is not easy, says Ma.

“It’s in bits and pieces and has to be brought together on Excel spreadsheets.”

Local government officials still visit sometimes, he adds.

Ma says he was upset, like most Chinese, when dead pigs were found floating in the Shanghai River recently.

“It took so long to identify what had happened, how the dead pigs showed up, and all the time I wondered — if we can’t do [identify] this, then how will we identify invisible toxic pollutants in our environment?” says Ma.

But overall, Ma is hopeful for China’s future.

“I have faith in the new leadership . . . they have shown commitment,” he says. “It’s a huge challenge because China is still going through urbanization and industrialization. I know the government needs to ensure economic growth … we just hope it takes care of the environment, too.”

Eighty cities, including Beijing, now monitor and regularly disclose their air quality, says Ma. “They tell the exact levels of air pollutants. . . it’s great progress.”

What he would like to know now is the source of the emissions.

Beijing, his beloved hometown, is plagued by air pollution. Recent pollution levels were up to 40 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization.

“I would really like to see a blue sky there again someday,” says Ma. “I know it’s there somewhere behind the smog. I have seen it.”