7/3/2014
Maybe not?
Beijing Might Not Have Clean Air Until 2030, Authorities Say
BEIJING – Beijing authorities estimate that the Chinese capital will not have clean air until 2030 due to the enormous difficulties in tackling the severe pollution in much of China, the China.org Web site reported.
It could take up to 16 years for the PM 2.5 particle level to conform to the international standard considered “safe” by the World Health Organization (WHO), Beijing municipal environmental protection research institute director Pan Tao said.
PM 2.5 particles are considered the most harmful because they can directly penetrate the lungs.
“Improving air quality in the city is not going to be an easy task,” Pan said during a symposium held in Beijing on the urban environment.
“It takes time and effort to turn the ship around,” the environmental official said.
The WHO considers that the concentration of PM 2.5 particles should not exceed 35 micrograms per cubic meter, a figure that Beijing exceeds almost every day.
The average concentration of PM 2.5 particles was 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013, according to figures released by Pan, or more than double the WHO standard.
Officials made a record investment last year to reduce the quantity of these particles to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by 2017.
The plan includes a commitment to shut down 300 polluting industries in Beijing alone.
“The target is still harmful for people, but achieving it is a challenge,” Pan said at the conference.
Beijing’s rapid expansion, enormous population growth and inadequate urban planning have hindered efforts to improve the environment, Pan said.
“The current emission of pollutants is far beyond the city’s environmental capacity and any adverse climate condition easily results in smoggy days,” the environmental official said.
The key lies in reducing emissions of pollutants, Pan said.
Officials have started imposing heavy fines on companies exceeding pollutant emissions limits as part of efforts to reduce pollution in Beijing.
Experts say the only solution is for China, the world’s largest coal consumer, to gradually reduce its dependence on heavy industries and move toward a mixed energy model.
Heavy industries, including construction and manufacturing, accounted for 46 percent of the gross domestic product in 2012.
Pollution is one of the major concerns of the public due to an alarming rise in the number of cancer cases in China, which is home to 20 percent of the world’s patients diagnosed with the disease, official figures show.
In addition to the health problems, pollution is causing economic problems for the Chinese government, with tourism in cities like Beijing falling 10 percent in 2013, compared to the previous year.
Maybe not?
Beijing Might Not Have Clean Air Until 2030, Authorities Say
BEIJING – Beijing authorities estimate that the Chinese capital will not have clean air until 2030 due to the enormous difficulties in tackling the severe pollution in much of China, the China.org Web site reported.It could take up to 16 years for the PM 2.5 particle level to conform to the international standard considered “safe” by the World Health Organization (WHO), Beijing municipal environmental protection research institute director Pan Tao said.
PM 2.5 particles are considered the most harmful because they can directly penetrate the lungs.
“Improving air quality in the city is not going to be an easy task,” Pan said during a symposium held in Beijing on the urban environment.
“It takes time and effort to turn the ship around,” the environmental official said.
The WHO considers that the concentration of PM 2.5 particles should not exceed 35 micrograms per cubic meter, a figure that Beijing exceeds almost every day.
The average concentration of PM 2.5 particles was 89.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013, according to figures released by Pan, or more than double the WHO standard.
Officials made a record investment last year to reduce the quantity of these particles to 60 micrograms per cubic meter by 2017.
The plan includes a commitment to shut down 300 polluting industries in Beijing alone.
“The target is still harmful for people, but achieving it is a challenge,” Pan said at the conference.
Beijing’s rapid expansion, enormous population growth and inadequate urban planning have hindered efforts to improve the environment, Pan said.
“The current emission of pollutants is far beyond the city’s environmental capacity and any adverse climate condition easily results in smoggy days,” the environmental official said.
The key lies in reducing emissions of pollutants, Pan said.
Officials have started imposing heavy fines on companies exceeding pollutant emissions limits as part of efforts to reduce pollution in Beijing.
Experts say the only solution is for China, the world’s largest coal consumer, to gradually reduce its dependence on heavy industries and move toward a mixed energy model.
Heavy industries, including construction and manufacturing, accounted for 46 percent of the gross domestic product in 2012.
Pollution is one of the major concerns of the public due to an alarming rise in the number of cancer cases in China, which is home to 20 percent of the world’s patients diagnosed with the disease, official figures show.
In addition to the health problems, pollution is causing economic problems for the Chinese government, with tourism in cities like Beijing falling 10 percent in 2013, compared to the previous year.
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