David you are somewhat correct. However, after living in Beijing for these past two months, on the 12th floor with a great view of the area. Most days here are so bad that you can barely see 4 blocks and some days less than one block. I mean a complete white out or grey out. You cannot walk on bare floors without your feet getting dirty from the soot and smog. My wife cleans the floors everyday and it is still this way. The only way to keep them clean is to close all of the windows and turn the air on. And still you get some dirt in. Each morning when i wake up, my eyes are filled with sand. Like the "sandman" has been here. I did not see this in Wuhan or Xi'an when there, but not to say is doesnt happen.
Now there are days when you can see clearly, it depends on which way the wind is blowing and how much rain the day before. So I believe anything the Chinese do can only improve the situation. But, "voluntary" is a big word. if it cuts profits, I cannot see them doing anything just as in the states. the only time businesses with do anything "voluntarily" is if there are either penalties involved or government subsidies to help defray the costs. Major industries are very impersonal. There is no one person to bring to the carpet as it were. I saw this all of the years I was with GM. it was always someone Else's fault. Theoretically the Chairman of the Board is ultimately responsible but that is in name only not the person and until that can be corrected nothing will change. You can fine the corporation but the shareholders are the ones to feel it. There again, corporations are the biggest shareholders, now you can devalue the shares a little bit but that is not really hurting an individual that has any real say. So, in my opinion, the only way to make real progress is to make the fines so terrible that they have no choice or make it profitable to do so. Any fines have to have real teeth into them. but right now with the economy the way it is, how can you justify large fines that may make businesses cut more jobs, so right now you are in a catch 22. Because cutting jobs is the easiest way to immediately affect the bottom line. That is my biggest complaint against any business. The first thing is to cut jobs, not lets sit down and see how we can do the job better or more efficiently, that takes too much intelligence and work. lets cut jobs and go from there.
