The Normalization of Environmental Protection Is a Historical Inevitability

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, environmental protection has been elevated to an unprecedented level, with environmental inspections from top to bottom being arguably the "strictest in history." However, due to the long-standing nature of my country's environmental problems, despite the government's swift and decisive pollution control efforts, these problems cannot be completely eradicated.

In another sense, environmental protection is a fundamental guarantee for a country's sustainable economic development and a symbol of its economic prosperity. In other words, environmental protection is not a short-term solution but a long-term commitment, and my country has already delayed its efforts for decades. The current environmental crackdown is intense for two reasons: first, it is paying the price for past unrestrained environmental damage; second, it is initiating the normalization of environmental protection with a swift and decisive approach, marking the beginning of a mature environmental protection system in my country.

Therefore, the normalization of environmental protection is inevitable, and environmental inspections will continue for a long time to come. There are three core reasons for this:

First, there is insufficient understanding of the importance of environmental protection within the system, especially at the local level. This deficiency cannot be eradicated without environmental inspections. Currently, four rounds of environmental inspections have achieved comprehensive coverage. The main significance of this round of environmental protection is that it has conducted a comprehensive examination of my country's environmental problems. The results, of course, reveal numerous problems, but the most prominent issue is the lack of awareness and understanding at all levels. The inspection results revealed six common problems across various regions:

1. Inadequate implementation of environmental protection work, including inaction, arbitrary actions, and reluctance to act;

2. Simplistic and brutal enforcement processes, lacking coordination, differentiation, and a one-size-fits-all approach;

3. Falsification and fabrication of data, deception, and dereliction of duty;

4. Lowering standards and relaxing requirements, arbitrarily issuing local policies;

5. Lack of protection for key areas, with prominent problems remaining unresolved for a long time;

6. Ignoring public demands and losing the awareness of serving the people.

Clearly, judging from the feedback from the Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team, the so-called "iron-fisted pollution control" in some places is merely a slogan and a document. When facing the inspection team, they are perfunctory, even fabricating data and deceiving themselves. These problems are fundamentally ideological and have been ingrained for a long time, impossible to eradicate in the short term. They must be regulated through long-term inspections. This is the first and most important step in building an environmental protection system. As the saying goes, success comes from careful planning and failure from carelessness; currently, local governments are too "casual" about environmental issues.

Second, my country has never established a mature and effective environmental protection system. Local governments prioritize political achievements, and business owners prioritize performance; both are inherently resistant to environmental protection. Therefore, supervision is indispensable in the construction of an environmental protection system. In the future, environmental inspections will be conducted in a cycle of inspection—feedback—re-inspection—further feedback. Environmental inspections are not a passing fad, but rather a regular and institutionalized guarantee.

Some believe that with full coverage of environmental inspections now achieved, the environmental storm will come to an end. This is purely wishful thinking. In the long run, the current environmental storm is just the beginning. In the short term, the environmental tax will be levied in two and a half months. Whether the collection is effective, unreasonable, or what the situation is will definitely require supervision. In recent years, the state has issued many environmental protection-related regulations; their implementation and existing problems will also require supervision.

It needs to be emphasized that the aforementioned supervision not only oversees enterprises but also governments. It not only supervises whether enterprises' rectification meets standards but also whether the government's enforcement work is in place. Many people's understanding of environmental protection inspections is currently limited to supervising businesses. This is mainly due to the simplistic and crude enforcement methods used by local authorities, leading the public to blame the central environmental protection inspection teams for these poor enforcement practices. To establish a credible and deterrent environmental protection system in the future, it is essential to eliminate the negative impact of such poor enforcement on the public and to supervise government policies alongside businesses.

Third, there is no turning back once the arrow is released; environmental protection is not something that can be solved overnight. Environmental protection is a systemic project, involving many aspects and spanning a long period. The advancement of environmental protection work must be coordinated from beginning to end; otherwise, all previous efforts will be in vain. Therefore, "look-back" inspections are crucial.

The central environmental protection inspection teams wield their swords with swift and effective results wherever they go. However, it must also be recognized that under such high-pressure environmental governance, some areas remain in a passive situation where "wildfires cannot be extinguished and pollution cannot be driven away." According to reports from the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the phenomenon of "resurrection" is not uncommon. Some enterprises shut down and lock themselves up during the day, then work overtime at night, resulting in continuous pollution and a resurgence of pollution despite remediation efforts.

Some netizens have suggested that inspections should include frequent "look-backs" and that the rules should be stricter. For example, could the Criminal Law be amended to directly prosecute those who illegally discharge pollutants and falsify data? Another crucial point is that current regulatory departments operate on an eight-hour workday. While many enterprises comply with the law during this time, illegal discharges increase significantly after environmental protection departments and other regulatory bodies close. This situation needs attention.

Environmental protection as a routine practice is a historical inevitability. Rather than viewing it as a catastrophe, it should be seen as a valuable experience. As the saying goes, "Though the process of sifting through sand is arduous, only after blowing away the sand can gold be found." Environmental inspections act as a large sieve, removing the dross and retaining the essence. For China to regain its position at the top of the world, it must first have a solid economic foundation, and the economy is centered on enterprises. If our enterprises cannot even withstand environmental inspections, how can we talk about rejuvenation?