Wildlife of China

As my regular reader will know, I have been taking delight with the Natural History series Wild China that has been showing on BBC television over here. The series has been criticised in reviews as being PR for the Beijing Olympics. While I will not shy away from critiquing any government regarding environmental abuse, Human Rights abuse or for just being plain stupid, this is a Natural History series and had the films been critical of China then it would no longer have been about the wildlife.

While a film that was critical could possibly be made, this also is a co production with China TV and if it had been made with the intention of being critical of China then the series would never have been made. Nor would we have discovered all the hidden delights of the previously hidden and unknown wildlife that we have seen thus far. In fact one of the scenes shown tonight would never have been filmed. That of Wild Giant Panda courtship and mating.

Also one of the remarkable aspects of tonight's broadcast was that there was at least some comment of some of the environmental mistakes of the past. Additionally, and this may be seen as propaganda, it appears that China and its dictatorship have realised that serious environmental damage has been done in the past and are at least trying to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. There was also an acknowledgement that greater industrial extraction of water from the yellow river, risks the ability of the central plateau to grow the fifty percent of Chinas wheat that it currently grows.

All the way through the series there have been comments that have highlighted some of the environmental impacts that have occurred in China. And while not apportioning blame, the series has not been shy in providing examples of these. One that was illuminated tonight was the fate of the Crested Ibis. It was thought to have been made extinct, but in 1981 seven individuals were found. A conservation programme was initiated and there are now just over five hundred individuals

While I could be critical, I would rather be constructive. There is no a single political geographic area on this planet that could not do a much better job on the environment, therefore I would rather that we had this limited openness that none at all. There is obviously a tacit propaganda exercise by China, but only from learning more about the world can we hope to change what's wrong and keep what's right.