Chinese environmental care means spraying grass, trees, rocks oil paint “green”

Winston Sterzel (Serpentza) describes how in China people are paid to spray dead grass green, not with fertilizer or seed, but with oil paint. They even paint whole trees, rock faces and cliffs too. Sometimes the quickest way to keep the environmental inspectors happy at a mine site is by rolling out plastic “camo-net”. Sometimes they staple fake leaves to a tree. The government mandated that “we are going to care for the environment” and offered cash incentives from the local government.

It’s not just an environmental hazard, polluting the soil and water, but apparently emblematic of the kind of industrial grade absurdity that communist regimes do better than anyone. Sterzel used to live in China. He talks about the culture of “face” and the overriding importance of looking good. Many things about China, he says, are just a shortcut for appearances sake… everything about government propaganda works like “painting the grass green.” Lying becomes a way of life. Not that we in the West will get too high and mighty about this. There are worse lies, and we have them: like “Safe and Effective”.

Where are Greenpeace when […]