Winds of change in China's
smog By Brendan O'Reilly
Air pollution in Beijing has reached truly
apocalyptic proportions. Last week saw the highest
smog measurements for north Chinese skies since
the implementation of modern monitoring methods.
Vulnerable residents of the Chinese capital were
advised to stay indoors, as facemasks and air
filtration systems were sold in record numbers. On
Monday, kindergartens and primary schools in
Beijing suspended outdoor physical education
classes to protect vulnerable young bodies from
the noxious haze.
The toxic air that
stagnates around Beijing could be blown away by a
serious rearranging of national priorities. There
are signs that China's new leadership is taking
the issue seriously. Beyond incremental policies
to ease the current situation, the most
important indication of
change is the fact that China's state-run media
has extensively covered the ongoing
"Airpocalypse".
On January 12, readings in
Beijing for PM 2.5 particles (the most dangerous
particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less)
reached 993 micrograms per cubic meter. The World
Health Organization considers readings above 100
to be dangerous for sensitive groups, such as
infants, the elderly, and asthmatics. The index
for measuring PM 2.5 particles tops off at 500. In
recent days the level of pollution in Beijing was
literally off the charts.
Geography and
weather play a role in exacerbating Beijing's
acute pollution situation. The area around Beijing
often suffers from stagnant air. Furthermore, the
particularly cold weather has seen an increase in
the use of coal for household heating. However,
the primary cause of the "Airpocalypse" is China's
singular focus on economic development. In the
last several decades China has made historically
unprecedented strides in alleviating poverty and
increasing the material standard of living for the
Chinese people.
Polluting factories of
heavy industries are found throughout the Chinese
landscape, and especially concentrated in the
areas around Beijing. Furthermore, most of the
electricity generated in China comes from coal.
China's newfound love for the automobile
also plays a huge role in the ongoing crisis. As
Chinese incomes have grown rapidly, personal
automobiles are now seen as an essential status
symbol for the emerging middle class. In 2011 the
number of private vehicles on China's roads
reached more than 100 million - up 11% from the
previous year. [1] According to the Chinese
Machinery Industry Federation, that number will
double by 2020. This is a robust sign of China's
growing affluence - and a logistical and
environmental nightmare for its crowded cities.
Beyond rapid economic growth and
government policies myopically focused on
sustaining such growth, there are cultural issues
at play. It is understandable that the Chinese
people - who suffered from the world's deadliest
famine merely half a century ago - are focused on
increasing material prosperity. However, the
rampant materialism that has come to dominate
Chinese society is having serious environmental
impacts. A contestant on a Chinese dating show
sparked widespread controversy (and reflected
common values) with her famous assertion that she
would rather "cry in a BMW than laugh on a
bicycle."
Winds of change There
are signs that China's leaders are beginning to
take the issue of pollution seriously. On the
local level, steps were taken to ameliorate the
drastic situation in and around Beijing.
Fifty-eight particularly polluting factories were
forced to idle their operations, as several dozen
construction sites suspended work and the Beijing
municipal government ordered a third of its
vehicles off the road.
Such incremental
measures are to be expected in such a dire
situation, but the real indication of change has
come from China's state media. Instead of
minimizing or censoring the issue of pollution,
official media outlets have addressed the problem
in emotional terms. A prominent image on Xinhua's
Beijing news website shows an infant wearing a
respirator, and reports record numbers of children
admitted to hospitals for pollution-related
ailments. [2] A piece in China Daily entitled
"Pollution may make the economy splutter" pointed
out the severe threat pollution poses not only to
public health, but also to the all-important
Chinese goal of sustained economic growth. After
all, few tourists will be keen on visiting a city
with unsightly and unsafe levels of pollution.
Even the Communist Party-run Global Times,
renounced for its nationalistic stance, addressed
China's environmental situation:
On this issue, the government cannot
afford to make decisions for the society.
Previously, governments used to deal with the
pollution information in a low-key way and made
the choice between development and environmental
protection for public. However, when public
opinion didn't go for this way of thinking, it
led to some conflicts. In future, the government
should publish truthful environmental data to
the public. Let society participate in the
process of solving the problem.
[3]
Such media coverage and criticism
would not be possible without sanction from
China's top leadership. Obviously, there is a
growing awareness on the part of China's leaders
of the need to address China's deep and growing
environmental problems.
Concerns over
environmental degradation are increasingly popular
in the People's Republic of China. According to
Yang Chaofei, vice-chairman of the Chinese Society
for Environmental Sciences, the number of major
environmental protests increased 120% between 2010
and 2011. [4] Last year saw several mass protests
devolve into riots. Popular movements involving
thousands of local residents have successfully
shut down plans for major industrial plants in
Qidong on China's coast and Shifang in China's
interior. Environmental concerns are becoming a
serious threat to China's current economic and
political structure.
What these movements
represent is a significant realignment in popular
priorities. When China was largely impoverished,
the people focused singularly on improving their
material conditions - often at the expense of the
environment. Members of China's growing middle
class can now afford to worry about issues beyond
the immediacy of putting food on the table.
Somewhat paradoxically, China's nascent
environmental movement is a reflection of China's
increasing prosperity.
The widespread
awareness and official media coverage of Beijing's
pollution woes signal a potential for a massive
change in priorities on the individual and
governmental levels. A new balance must be struck
between growing China's economy and ensuring that
children can safely breathe the air in China's
booming cities. The pressing issues of China's
environmental situation cannot be postponed for
much longer. The threats posed by pollution to
China's health, economy, and political stability
are very real. Incoming President Xi Jinping must
breathe the same air as the lowliest migrant
worker.
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