Air Pollution Problem in Shanghai - Research Paper Example

Introduction Shanghai is the most developed city and largest metropolis in china mainland. It has a population of over twenty three million people with over nine million migrants. During the 1930s, it was considered the most prosperous and largest city in the Far East. It is one of the most tourist attractive city in china. Huangpu River splits the city into two. The side west of the river is called Puxi with pudong to the east (Jon, Inge et al,7). Puxi is made up of inner districts such as; The bund, Changing, French concession, Hongkou, Huangpu, Jingán district, the Old city, Putua, Yangpu, and Zhabei with Chongming, Pudong, Western suburbs , Zhujiajiao and Southern suburbs making up the outer districts of the greater Shanghai city. The presence of the historic houses called the Shikumen just blends the European flair design with the Chinese houses. It is an industrial hub in china. The city is believed to rise to prominence after china lost the 1842 1st opium war. Shanghai’s climate is described as humid sub tropic. The city has two airports, with other means of transport such as use of buses, taxis, train and boats. Hemisphere Shanghai is located in the northern hemisphere. The latitude and longitude of the city is 31010’N,1210 28’E. The latitude with relation to the equator makes it same as Cairo, Brisbane and New Orleans. It is in the same hemisphere as Tokyo city. Air pollution problem in shanghai Air pollution is among the topics most often discussed this year in Shanghai city. The past two weeks has seen the people living in the Yangtze River delta breath air that was considered most polluted in a period of five years. Zhang, the director of the Shanghai environmental protection bureau considers transportation as the major source of pollution associate with air. Factory and emission from vehicles are considered the main pollutant in shanghai city. The measurement of the shanghai air pollution keeps on fluctuating from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups. Air pollution in shanghai is real. Particles in the shanghai environment tend to impair visibility due to the presence of smog in the atmosphere. Pollution in the shanghai city is caused by the emissions from the large number of vehicles in the city, dust particles, Emission from factories, coal combustions, and construction sites in various parts of Shanghai (Chan & Xiaohong, 25). Fine particles from such emissions are known to enter the blood circulation in the lung when inhaled from the atmosphere. They are therefore considered detrimental to the health of the human being. When the people are exposed for a very long time, heart diseases and the conditions such as lung cancer may occur. The air pollution in the city hit a record last week. Most cities from around were also covered with smog. The changes in the atmosphere impaired visibilities and fueled the air purifiers and masks in the city. The public blamed coal fired power plants’ emissions for putting their health at risk. Green peace unveiled a report which indicated that, 260,000 people were killed in the year 2011 due to illnesses associated with air pollution. It was also found out that the coal fired power plants were the major contributors of pollution (Chen, Changhong et al, 15). Most of the industries are however depending on coal as a source of fuel. The presence of dense smog in the air has forced shut down of various activities in the city of shanghai. The city with its neighbor Beijing are among the cities that have reported excessive pollution with the level of harmful particles in air exceeding the level set by the world health organization. The people concerned with control of pollution have hope the problem will one day be solved. The presences of heavy traffic during rush hours have been considered a contributory factor to the air pollution in the city. The city is believed to register large number of vehicles, yet the number of roads is less to support them. Recently the government has developed efforts of nearly 180 US dollars to help clean up traffic fumes and power stations. The government has hopes of converting the city into a greener city in the near future. Most power plants that were utilizing coal are to be replaced by a more friendly energy other changes target replacing coal with energy that is renewable such as wind, solar and hydro electricity. People are become cautious about the effects of air pollution and some put on masks in cases where the pollution level exceeds the normal limit. Regular publication of information that targets pollution is seen to be very essential in public health. The public are informed of when they are supposed to go out door and when to be indoors until the levels decline. One school in the city had to seal off some part of the playground to reduce the effects to the students. Some technology in schools has been used to protect the people from air pollution through filtration of air that is done by use of a giant inflatable dome. It has become a challenge for the Chinese government to balance public health poverty reduction and growth of the economy. Despite the health hazard related to pollution the government has approved the buildup of sixteen coal industry hubs with the aim of increasing productivity by the year 2015. The proposed power plants are likely to cause, 42000 hospital admission, 32000 premature deaths, and 250 0000 doctors visits. The country’s rush for coal will impair its switch to a decreased emission energy path and hence more people will be exposed air pollution. Air pollution in shanghai is less compared to Beijing city due to its close proximity to the sea. The closeness of Shanghai to the sea enables faster clearance of air. The air pollution problem has impacted negatively to the growth of the city, especially on life expectancy (Zhong, Lijie, et al, 400 ). Extremes of air pollution may result to death of the people due to its effect on the health of the people. All is not lost in the fight against air pollution. Recently, the cabinet has revoked the approval of the power plants that utilize coal. Authorities in Shanghai cut down on coal use and are planning for it to peak up later in 2017.The failure by government to revise its coal plan will impact negatively on the fight against air pollution. A study conducted in the year 2007, showed that over 656,000 people in china die prematurely each year due to air pollution cases. The government of china has continued to emphasize on pollution control by putting more pressure on the local authority that are mandated to reduce the problem. Chen a member of the environmental protection committee suggest that some of the factories ought to be shut down with or relocated to places far from the city to prevent continuous emissions (Zhong, Lijie, et al, 400 ). The committee further suggests that factories should be assessed regularly to find out how they are cutting down on air pollution. According to china daily news, Chen Li a member of the political advisory body in the city called for the organs of the government to utilize new energy vehicle in order to cut on emissions. She also requested the subsidization of the outdoor workers such us the traffic police, the sanitation workers and construction workers with the aim of reducing their exposure to the particles in the atmosphere which impact negatively to their health. Other experts are suggesting improving early warnings and monitoring pollution as among the ways of dealing with pollution effects. Shanghai has created 10 stations in the city to monitor PM2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less). Monitoring of other sources of air pollution such as nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide are done with the aim of assessing the overall concentration of the pollutant in the air. Last year the environmental protection ministry allowed use of public opinions in assessing local authority performance on pollution control in the major cities in china and the country as a whole (Zhong, Lijie, et al, 400 ). The pollution in the city has been worse in the recent past. The increased level of atmospheric smog prompted the warning of the elderly and the children to stay indoors and flights were cancelled for some days due to decreased visibility. All these problems were linked to the air pollution problems. The level of air pollution today is still higher than the one recommended by WHO. The level of air pollution was 63.1 mgcm3. The presence of small particles in the atmosphere are believed to be of higher risk to the health of the people of shanghai. The biggest coal producer has reported decline in sale because companies are going for fuels that are environmentally friendly. The presence of smog has barred investors and is hurting the image of the city. It is however believed that shanghai has not taken enough steps in curbing air pollution. Recent measurement of the air pollution has even shocked many including the shanghai’s chairperson of American chamber of commerce who described the result as shocking. The air pollution issue may impact negatively on the economy of shanghai if plans are not put in place to control it. The city may cease being a commercial hub and investors may be forced to look for alternative places if pollution is not controlled (Mun S. Ho, Chris et al, 200). The air quality index of the city was still at 130 and categorized as lightly polluted. People are warned to stay indoors if the air quality index exceeds 200. Various changes have been done to reduce pollution rate in the country. some of the changes has targeted the companies for example the Baosteel Group Corp which has begun utilizing coal that is low in sulfur and also suspended some of the chemical facilities with the aim of reducing the smog level. Li Keqiang who is the premier pledged to cut down the consumption of coal, controlling the number of cars and shutting down a number of steel plants all with an aim of reducing emission into the earth’s atmosphere. Worsening pollution is believed to reduce utilization of coal as fuel in the city’s industrial plants. It may take so many years for the city to bring the level of air pollution to acceptable standards, but combining cleaner energy technology and public awareness will quicken the process. Traffic problem in shanghai Traffic is another challenge that the people in shanghai face daily. According to china daily the urban expressways in the city are to be denied the name. Road congestion occurs when the road supply is exceeded by the demand. Construction of more roads by the municipality will help solve the problem as thought by many people. Traffic congestion in the city has emerged because of, population growth, urban expansion, family income growth; spatial reconfigurations, the emergency housing and labor markets together with motorization. All these factors have increased demand on the transport sector. Fifteen to twenty five percent of their route encounters congested traffic especially during peak hours. The average speed of the vehicle in shanghai is estimated to be around fifteen to sixteen kilometers per hour. According to oriental morning post, a local newspaper indicate that, the buses find it even slower in the shanghai roads (Colin G. Pooley et al, 90). The traffic problems have worsened in the current year especially during the weekends. The traffic jams also last longer compared to the previous years. The municipal authority is planning to come up with new strategies to curb the traffic problem with predictions that over two million vehicles with shanghai licenses will be on the roads next year. Rapid transit and trams are to be developed to boost middle scale transportation. The city is faced with the many challenges of providing transport to the high population and to satisfy the needs of the people in the suburbs and Yangtze River delta due to the expanding city. The number of registered vehicles in the city has doubled with the car numbers tripling. The traffic capacity is still insufficient for the large number of the vehicles. The traffic problem is also linked to pollution. More emission of the pollutant gases occur during the ever present traffic jams in the city. The city was is a free trade zone following the last month inauguration. The government is thinking of tapping from the congestions by imposing a charge on vehicles during traffic congestions. The plan is also aimed on reducing emissions. The imposition of the traffic charge is believed to reduce the number of vehicles entering the city centres especially at peak hours and the authority are assured that the plan will solve the traffic problem that is experienced in the city (Jon, Inge et al,170). A new auto rental model will allow residents to rent vehicles for only a short time with the aim of reducing city congestion in the city. The car sharing model is considered a popular project that was displayed by Germany during the expo 2010 in shanghai. The model is believed to attract residents who use vehicles only occasionally. The strategy has been successful around other major city in the world. The model was supported by majority of the residents in the city. A shared car is believed to replace more than 6 private cars in the new approach. The plan is believed to solve both the traffic problem at the same time reducing air pollution. The municipality of shanghai has shifted focus from creation of more roads to policies that will regulate the number of vehicles in the roads (Wasim. N, Ansar et al, 415). The city has limited capacity of road extension. The proposed congestion charge is expected to meet a lot of resistance from the residence during enforcement. The traffic authority has plans of adjusting the vehicle area, type and time span on the busy roads. Motorists in the city have also been advised to use public transport network instead. The number of private vehicles in the city is still high. Personal vehicles are said to cause a lot of congestion in public road. The metro system in the city is being extended while more buses only lanes are being constructed. For the past years the municipality authority has focused on construction but strategies are changing and more focus is being directed on the management (Quan & Zhihan, 120) Priority is to be given to the cyclists and the pedestrians. A fast metro line is to be constructed to provide a link between Hongqiao and Pudong airport. The airports are to be linked to the neighboring cities. Radiation problem in Tokyo city Just like shanghai Tokyo is one of the major city located in the northern hemisphere. Tokyo is facing one of the worst problems that pose great danger to humanity compared to the air pollution in Shanghai. A doctor in July claimed that nearly all the districts of Tokyo had been contaminated by radiation. The Japanese doctor believes that Tokyo is no longer safe for humans due to the radioactive contaminations that occurred when the nuclear plant in Fukushima Daiichi melted down. Radiation contamination pose great danger to the residents, especially to the unborn babies as it affects their growth leading to abnormal growth (Boice,John et al, 18) Some of the steps that were taken by the Japan government with the aim of reducing the radiation effect to the environment after the earthquake include displacement of the people, stopping distribution and production of food since the radiation can enter people through the food consumed. The country has come up with ways of centering and monitoring radiation to prevent continued effect on the environment (Boice,John et al, 18). The country has continued to monitor food, air and water for traces of radiations. The Japanese company and the Tokyo power company are working together to asses and address leaks of water at the site that is considered contaminated. They both work together to monitor contamination levels at the sea near the city. Regular update is provided to the people to inform them about the level of contaminations after various assessments are done. Recent inspection targeting tap and food have shown reduced level of radiations in various parts of the city. Regular environmental, food and water radioactive contamination level is performed by the nuclear regulation authority to evaluate the levels and exposure to the people in the city. Many people in the city have presented with symptoms associated with radioactive poisoning in the hospital. Long term exposure to radioactive material can lead to death or even development of cancer. The government displaced people from the zone of disaster but still some people ended up with traces of radioactive material in their body (Frischknecht, Braunschweig et al, 160). The effects of exposure to radiations take long to show. People in the worst affected areas are at risk of developing some types of cancer. Radiation problem has declined development and kept off investors from investing in Tokyo. It will however take time before Tokyo recovers from the impact of the nuclear disaster. Conclusion Shanghai like any other city in the world faces many challenges that have to be addressed to ensure its growth. The municipality should come up with long term strategies of ensuring traffic congestion are controlled. Control of traffic will also reduce the emission of gases into the atmosphere thereby reducing air pollution. Policies that targets reduction of air pollution are to be implemented. A city with quality air that does not pose risk to the residents will attract more investors. Shanghai is the most developed city and largest metropolis in china mainland. It has a population of over twenty three million people with over nine million migrants. Air pollution is among the topics most often discussed this year in Shanghai city. The past two weeks has seen the people living in the Yangtze River delta breath air that was considered most polluted in a period of five years. Despite the health hazard related to pollution the government has approved the buildup of sixteen coal industry hubs with the aim of increasing productivity by the year 2015. Other experts are suggesting improving early warnings and monitoring pollution as among the ways of dealing with pollution effects. Shanghai has created 10 stations in the city to monitor PM2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less). Work cited Boice Jr, John D., et al. "Risk of Breast Cancer Following Low-Dose Radiation Exposure 1." Radiology 131.3 (1979): 589-597. (science direct) Chan, Chak K., and Xiaohong Yao. "Air pollution in mega cities in China." Atmospheric environment 42.1 (2008): 1-42. (Google scholar) Chen, Changhong, et al. "Low-carbon energy policy and ambient air pollution in Shanghai, China: a health-based economic assessment." 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