What is the point of a slide show of images of China, emerging in its own fast-forward version of the Industrial Revolution?

Simply to arbitrarily air a handful of photos, some dating back several years, as if this motley collection can be passed off as 'current affairs'?
Or to allow we in the West to *tut-tut* at the known degradation of the environment that accompanies that sort of massive steam and steel-based industrialization?

As if the US, UK and many parts of Europe have not tracked through decades of the same slate-skied gloom and oil-slicked rivers, in our own eager clamber up the material consumption slope?

We can tut sagely and sympathetically all we like; meanwhile, a nice irony is emerging as our global sweatshop-banker hustles to dominate the clean energy technologies sector (and Africa)... Tut on !

This photo essay barely scratches the surface. I was expecting at least one photo of Suzhou, a city that would be beautiful if not for the glowing green canals everywhere that smell like they look.

Here in Ft. Worth, Texas as in the most of this planet we are daily bombarded by "POISON PLANES" dropping tons of Aluminum Oxide and Barium that turns our skies white. Chemtrails are sickening us. Most of the population is suffering upper respiratory problems and the gardens don't produce due to the high level of Aluminum in the soil. We have poison (FLUORIDE) put into or water supply and our money is almost worthless and phony trillions of debt to the NWO/Fed will assure our children of being debt slaves... unless we arrest the thieving criminals. Eugenicists (mass killers) claim to want 85% of the people to die. Time to outlaw governments, they are the threat and the problem!

The amount of pollution the Chinese have allowed in order to sustain positive economic growth models is staggering and still unchecked. As some of the pro-China pollution commenter have mentioned of course there have been thousands of incidents in the west. The difference is that in the west these are being cleaned up and companies are fined. In China there is rarely substantial punitive sanctions against major polluters and the mentality is backward. Chinese feel they should be allowed to pollute because the west did it 100 years ago. Wow. That's backward and upside down thinking - almost Schizophrenic. Chinese companies are starting to develop green technologies... but more than likely to sell to the west. Who would pay for that in China?

...While I agree the west focuses a lot (too much) of attention on the problems of others...I am very surprised at just how tame the photo's were of what was supposed to be China's pollution problem.
As an American living in mainland China for the last two years, I found the photo's to be a rather weak pictorial of the pollution problems here.

Why does everyone have to politicize this? When I look at the photos I am heartbroken. Heartbroken for the masses that toil away in those disgusting conditions for meager pay so that government officials and corrupt businessman can buy Ferraris and Chateau Lafitte. Heartbroken for the beautfiul landscapes that are forever ruined. And heartbroken that I along with anyone who has ever bought anything "Made in China" shares a piece of the blame. I only hope someday people can agree that economic development at any and all cost is just that. Doesn't matter how many many Dollars, Euro or RMB you have in your bank account if we destory our home on this planet.

A group of wild geese FLIES, not FLY ... A group FLIES. This error made the annoyingly pointless photo essay really stink.

American birds poop
in Chinese nests.

China it probably one of few countries on which crisis is not swept up, they both made all successively, and make creating a strong competition all