There has been a discussion recently in the newspaper about a picture——a young tree growing well, yet with a long shadow under it, in the warm sunshine. Simply designed, as it is, the symbolic meaning the picture conveys is profound and thought-provoking. Just as the picture shows, where there is sunlight, there is shadow.

A specific example is the economic development and the environmental problem. Developing at a high speed, Chinese economy really admitted much sunshine to the welfare of our nation and the livelihood of the people. However, it also casts its shadow on our road——it has much negative effect on the natural environment. Therefore, we are heading for a variety of human environmental disasters if nothing is done to change the course.

As for the best way to get rid of the shadow of the environmental disasters, the picture, I think, can give us a big hand. With more and more people, including government officials, attaching importance to the problem and much research work done to it, a new way ——the sustainable development——is to be adopted. That is, economic growth should meet the needs of the present without undermining the ability of the future generations to meet their needs. Only by doing so, can we kill two birds with one stone?