Green ideas from democratic parties
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Stronger Incentives for Forestry
Forests are the anchor of an ecosystem, and their role in carbon sequestration is very important. The seventh national survey on China's forest resources (2004-2008) found that forests totaled 195 million hectares covering 20.36 percent of Chinese territory. Their growing stock stood at 13.72 billion cubic meters, and carbon storage 7.81 billion tons. The forest resources are however far from abundant when measured against the huge territory, and the forest ecosystem is still fragile.
In response to this situation the China Zhi Gong Party proposed greater inputs in forestry and major ecological projects, to increase afforestation subsidies and step up efforts to restore and sustain the ecosystem, mainly through planting more trees. The work should be accelerated to build shelter forests in the "three northern areas" (Northwest, Northeast and North China) and along the coast. And the nation should better manage its forests by providing stronger policies, technical and financial support for young forests and low-yield forests. A national plan for forest management should be formulated and strictly implemented, so that better management may lead to healthier forests and more carbon sequestration.
The Jiu San Society also called for greater investment in key ecological projects and better management of forests. In addition, it proposed the state should give the forestry administrations more clout, moving them up the government hierarchy, and allowing them all the resources needed to take up the daunting tasks confronting them.
Accelerating the Professionalization of Plant Protection
As the planet has warmed up and agricultural practices have changed profoundly, the world has seen a steady rise in the frequency of crop disease and insect infestation, posing a serious threat to agricultural production.
The Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party suggested that for the security of main agricultural products such as grains and of the ecological environment, it is imperative to build a plant disease prevention and treatment system in which services are professional and well coordinated at both regional and national levels. This system needs strong leadership that can ensure all preventive and remedial measures are implemented properly and in full. The state should expand investment into the system, setting aside special allowances, making preferential policies and encouraging social capital to invest in the specialization of plant protection. Meanwhile the government should steer plant disease prevention and treatment organizations towards ordered, stable and healthy development, offering them more services and guidance and handing special assistance to those of decent size, good performance and standard-compliant management. Plant-disease prevention and treatment mechanisms should be designed to reflect local conditions.
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