Many of the environmental disasters erupting in the country could have been avoided, or at least wouldn't have been so bad, if there was strong public environmental awareness.

One example is the recent public protest against the PX chemical plant planned for Xiamen in East China's Fujian Province. The plan has to be changed under heavy pressure from local residents who fear possible health hazards of the giant chemical plant in the scenic city.

Meanwhile, construction of the Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev also seems to have been stopped, at least for the moment, due to the strong protest of people living along the planned route over possible magnetic radiation pollution.