When Deng Xiaoping introduced market reforms in the late 1970s, few could have envisioned the transformative impact that would unfold over the next four decades. China’s GDP has grown at an average rate of nearly 10 percent annually since then, positioning its economy as the second largest in the world. The landscape has drastically changed; from the prevalence of bicycles to becoming the world’s largest car market, and from farmland along the Huangpu River to the futuristic cityscape of Pudong. These material advancements are a source of pride for the Chinese people and legitimacy for the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

However, this progress has come at a significant cost: extreme pollution in China’s air, water, and soil has severely affected public health. In Environmental Pollution in China: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Daniel K. Gardner explores the multifaceted factors—economic, social, political, and historical—that contribute to environmental degradation. The book delves into the public response to widespread pollution, the governmental measures being implemented to clean up the environment, and China’s efforts to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels in favor of developing cleaner energy sources. Concise, accessible, and authoritative, this essential primer serves as an indispensable guide to one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.