Chinese activists promote green living by stripping their pants

This took guts to do in China, where law officials are often harsh about displays of flesh in public, but about 20 Chinese men and women took off their pants during a subway commute to promote sustainable consumption. China hasn’t been particularly receptive to international pressure regarding green living and business practices but some citizens, like these, are making their voices heard.

The symbolism may not immediately be clear, but the activists were removing one item of clothing to point out the carbon that pants and skirts create, about 7kg. None of those involved knew each other and it was organized through local bulletin boards online, which indicated that they might be confronted by police. An online sales manager organized the event and wanted to do something that would draw attention without violence.

With China’s economy churning out a massive 8% growth per year the country’s carbon emissions are expected to double within 15 years, according to The Guardian. That’s no laughing matter considering China already has the world’s largest carbon emissions in the world.

40 minutes in a subway ride without pants won’t necessarily change the world, but it has certainly started conversation among people and brought attention to the idea of starting change from the ground up. One female who participated said “of course I feel a little bit shy, after all we are Chinese. But I think it is OK to promote environmental protection in this way”.

The concentration of factories in China is a large cause of its output of carbon and environmental pollution. China’s government is investing heavily in green living and there are some signs it’s making progress as entrepreneurs take advantage of the readily available funding. Contaminated water and toxic spills aren’t going anywhere overnight but maybe with activist movements like this change will happen faster.