I've travelled a lot, and can tell you the difference in pollution is wealth.

Take East Malaysia and Indonesia for example, parts of which share a border. On the Malaysian side there are some bad things but overall, nature is respected, things are reasonably clean, areas are set aside as national parks (because they're too steep to build on) etc.

Over the border people are poorer, still operate "slash n burn" agriculture, polluting all of SE Asia each year, their rivers and drains flow with plastic garbage, which is everywhere you look.

Same people, on the same island, same culture, same religion, virtually the same language - the difference is Malaysia is wealthier, via capitalism. To give you an idea, one Malaysian ringgit is worth over 3,000 Indo' rupiah.

When I hear Westerners talk of poverty I recall a rural trip in Indonesia, where I saw adults arguing and haggling over the prices - of empty plastic bottles. There's plastic crap everywhere, but good, clean, large plastic bottles fetch a few rupiah, apparently too many for some people.

I also find it funny when Westerners talk of natives eating low-protein diets - that's cos they can't fucking afford meat! They love it when they can get it.