The Chinese government is aiming for a more scientifically literate population and has therefore stepped up its science popularization work. One field in which it attempts to increase people’s scientific knowledge is the ecological environment. Related science popularization efforts are often informed by state policies. Chinese bookstores therefore carry many books on topics such as green consumption and low carbon lifestyles in their science popularization sections.
In my paper I address science popularization work in China by analyzing popular science books that discuss environmental problems in the context of people’s everyday lives. Specifically, I look at how they treat a concern that ranks high in terms of Chinese citizen’s priorities – environmental food safety risks, i.e., foodborne health risks that are caused by environmental pollution, often stemming from agrochemical use – to reveal how these books envision citizens' roles in tackling the environmental food safety problem. I will compare my results with official policies to understand what this can tell us about science popularization and its relationship to the state’s political priorities.
I argue that popular science books on topics such as green consumption and green living teach readers to deal with environmental food safety risks through their own lifestyle and consumption behaviors. They shift responsibility away from the government and onto citizens, telling people that they can consume safely if they shop “scientifically” and follow popular science advice. In doing so, these works of science popularization closely reflect the state’s neoliberal approach to dealing with environmental food safety risks.