Environmental issues in Senria

Senria suffered severe environmental degradation between the 1930s and 1970s, with environmental concerns downplayed by the Senrian government in favor of an emphasis on rapid industrialization and maximizing economic growth. This had serious consequences, both for the integrity of the environment and public health. Between the 1950s and 1970s, improper handling of industrial waste by Senrian corporations and chemical contamination resulting from unsafe working conditions, corporate error, or deliberate adulteration caused a spate of man-made diseases and mass poisonings popularly known as the Six Big Man-made Diseases - cadmium poisoning, methylmercury poisoning, sulfur dioxide poisoning, arsenic poisoning, diethylene glycol poisoning, and polychlorinated biphenyl poisoning. In response to increasingly widespread public anger, efforts to address the issue were made by the government of Tokiyasu Kitamura through legislation and court action in the early 1960s, but many of these measures lapsed or were overturned during the subsequent government of Takesi Takahata. A renewed push for environmental protection legislation occurred in the 1980s, and several laws aimed at limiting pollution, protecting consumers, and expanding Senria's national park system were passed with the assent of Prime Minister Kiyosi Haruna; these laws served as the basis for stricter legislation passed during the premiership of Sigesato Izumi.

Nonetheless, several issues persist. Air pollution remains a serious problem in Senria, particularly photochemical smog caused by industrial fumes, vehicular emissions, and the incineration of garbage. Senria is a major consumer of fossil fuels; in 2017, roughly 85% of the country's electricity production came from coal, oil, or natural gas. This use of fossil fuels contributes both to the country's own air pollution and to global climate change. While strict standards for the cleanliness of drinking water and treated wastewater have been successfully implemented, water pollution is still a persistent issue, with the damage to aquatic ecosystems being compounded by overfishing, eutrophication, algal blooms, and the destruction of coastal ecosystems by land reclamation efforts. Environmental watchdog groups have alleged that the country's environmental regulations have been poorly and inconsistently enforced by the governments of Hayato Nisimura and Reika Okura. The continued practice of whaling, defended by the Senrian government as a scientific necessity and a cultural tradition, is a source of international controversy. Senria's government has also been accused of participating in and funding the denial of climate change.

The Senrian government has responded to criticism by claiming that the critiques put forward by environmentalists exaggerate the scale of environmental issues within the country, insisting that Senrian environmental protection legislation is strictly enforced and alleging that claims to the contrary are invented or amplified by bad faith actors, particularly the government of Shangea. It has also pointed to the funding put by both the Senrian government and Senrian companies into green technology. Since 2010, the government has also overseen reforestation campaigns aimed at restoring local environments and preventing erosion.