A public opinion survey found that 60.7 percent of respondents were concerned about food safety, which the survey said was an indication that many citizens were worried about the impact of environmental pollution on the food supply.
The survey, titled "2007 environmental protection and people's livelihood index," was conducted by the China Environmental Culture Promotion Association, which is affiliated with the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA). It had 9,011 respondents from 29 provinces and autonomous regions.
Other specific concerns were the quality of painting materials for interior decoration, noted by 39.7 percent of respondents; air pollution, cited by 25.8 percent, and pollution from garment-making, mentioned by 41.8 percent.
The survey also graded public environmental awareness, activities and attitudes. These were scored at 42.1, 36.6 and 44.7, respectively. The fact that the scores didn't even reach 60, or a C, was a sign of major problems with China's environmental consciousness, the association said.
Pan Yue, the deputy director of SEPA, said that public involvement was the strongest force for environmental protection, which was a national necessity.
The survey, conducted annually since 2005, provides the only environmental-protection concerns index in China. Source: Xinhua
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