The value of citizen science: The controversy over municipal solid waste incineration and dioxin pollution in contemporary China

Abstract

Municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) has become the subject of one of the most heated environmental debates in mainland China. While government officials and industry representatives are in favour of this technology, claiming that incineration is the most advanced and effective way of managing waste and that the risks are minimal, residents in the vicinity of incinerators are concerned about toxic pollutants, particularly dioxins. This article traces the rise of the anti-incineration movement in China since 2006. It shows how citizens have mobilised, gathered evidence, and informed themselves with the help of internet bulletin board systems; joining forces with NGOs and independent scientific experts, they have petitioned the government and called on government representatives to respond to their concerns in public debates. Dioxin pollution from MSWI continues to be a problem, but the controversy has demonstrated the resourcefulness and determination of Chinese citizens in making their voices heard.

Uniting citizen science and natural history in China

“…When they generate and evaluate outcomes/data from a CS project, they are forced to use scientific metrics rather than other approaches to evaluating environmental issues based on ethics and emotions. According to Brombal and other authors, CS-environmental CS in particular-needs to connect to broader social and cultural issues [18], which is also implied by the ten CS principles published by the European Citizen Science Association, which are also…”

“…Air and water pollution monitoring projects have been most successful in terms of scientific impact and numbers of volunteers. The best practices included float Beijing (attach small pollution monitors to kites) [1], anti-incineration movements (citizens turn down the government's decision to build incineration plants near their communities) [2], and the black and smelly river program [3]. Citizens engaged CS on mobile apps, such as the Black and Smelly Waters app and Blue Map [4].…”