Nakagawa 1

Marina Nakagawa
ID: 201743
Professor Steele
Global Environmental History
20 December 2016
Air Pollution: China
Air pollution is a problem that effects the entire earth, including myself, which is why I
am interested on this topic. China has had major with different forms of pollution since the
country has industrialized, and it has led to environmental and public health problems. The
article I chose, Beijing Bracing for 5 Days of Heavy Pollution Issues Red Alert written by Jane
Perlez for the New York Times on December 16, 2016.
Recently, Chinas air pollution has been headlining in the news, with Beijing issuing its
first red alert of 2016. On the 16th of December, a thick layer of grey smog filled the skies, as air
pollution would be the worst 5 days of the year. Beijing wasnt the only city affected. The
following day, the Ministry of Environmental protection urged 22 other northern cities to issue
red alerts. Lead colored air blanketed the capital with an air quality index of more than 300 (US
gov. labels 200+ as unhealthy and 300-500 as hazardous). The geography of Beijing is a
culprit for this problem, with Chinas heavy coal-burning industry bordering its south.
Mountains surround the north and west, trapping air emissions into the capitol. Due to the bad
visibility from smog, even planes had difficulty landing.
Unfortunately, Beijing officials have legally classified smog as a natural disaster. This
has led to much controversy, but China has a precedent for regarding manufactured disasters to
nature. This means they dont find human activity (polluting) to be the root of the problem. Still,
this problem affects the world. Smog from mainland China was observed to reach as far as
California. Chinas current environmental situation is the result not only of policy choices made
today but also of attitudes, approaches, and institutions that have evolved over centuries.
Elizabeth C. Economy, Council on Foreign Relations. As Chinas economic boom continued
after the countries industrialization, so had their energy consumption. The deterioration of their
environment is a process of several centuries. Currently, the country has become the worlds
largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, which is the main cause for global warming. As greenhouse
gasses increase in our atmosphere, it traps the radiation from the sun and increases the average

Nakagawa 2
temperatures. This then leads to even greater problems, with the polar ice caps melting, the sea
level rising, and more natural disasters.
The air pollution poses as a huge health concern for the Chinese. Coal-burning produces
particulate matter in the air known as PM2.5. Though in China there are few studies linking
PM2.5 and lung cancer, US researchers find it otherwise. A study of physicists from UC
Berkeley found that Chinas air pollution kills 1.6 million people a year from heart, lung, and
stroke problems. The US EPA has also found that the small particulates in the air can asthma,
bronchitis, and other respiratory related illnesses. An 8-year old Chinese girl had also recently
contracted lung cancer, making her the youngest ever recorded. It was said that she had gotten it
from air pollution, especially from vehicles and smog.
In an attempt to fight air pollution and reduce it, the Chinese government enforced
stronger regulation after the record highs in 2013. That year, they established the Action Plan for
the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution which plans to reduce emissions 10% by 2017. They
are also attempting to reduce fossil fuel use and coal burning by developing other eco-friendly
energy sources, such as nuclear and compressed natural gas.
Reading this article, it opened my eyes to how bad air conditions can be in parts of the
world. I couldnt believe how many people died as a result of their environment. My mom told
me a story of how when she moved to California from Japan, she noticed how vividly blue the
skies were, where compared to Japan it was always slightly smoggy faded type of blue. Air
pollution affects other countries, isnt just caused by China, and is a worldwide problem. The
Chinese government needs to realize that they are blindly killing innocent people by allowing
businesses to emit harsh gases into the air. To combat this, I think people need to be more
conscious about their environment, and understand that our air is vital to life, to our world, and to
the future. We must stop thinking about the money. Coal-burning is cheaper than eco-friendly
energy sources, but in the long run, when the earths resources go away, money will become
worthless and clean air will be scarce.

Nakagawa 3
Works Cited
"Air Pollution in China Is Killing 4,000 People Every Day, a New Study Finds." The Guardian.
Guardian News and Media, 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.
Eleanor Albert, Online Writer/Editor, and Beina Xu. Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign
Relations, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.
Perlez, Jane. "Beijing, Bracing for 5 Days of Heavy Pollution, Issues Red Alert." The New York Times.
The New York Times, 16 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.
"Pollution in China." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.
Tatlow, Didi Kirsten. "Dont Call It Smog in Beijing, Call It a Meteorological Disaster." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2016. Web. 20 Dec. 2016.