Air Pollution in Beijing - Essay Example

? Day Month Year Air Pollution in Beijing Introduction Pollution affects everyone and everything. Often times we focus on air quality in terms of human factors, but we fail to realize the environmental effects that pollution has on the planet as well. In recent decades, much has been written about air pollution in China. As the population has exploded in the region, so has economic growth. The Chinese people are experiencing unprecedented growth in economic and business development. This has resulted, however, in a migration of hundreds of millions of people towards urban areas. As this has occurred, countless thousands of factories have been erected to support this growth and to keep up with the increased demand. In the end, this has resulted in an unstable equation when considering pollution and the environment. It is well documented that pollution is a problem, particularly for the very old and very young among us. Pollution can upset the state of the ecosystem, cause children to miss out of valuable outside playtime, prohibit adults from free exercising, and contribute to a host of long-term illnesses such as cancer and breathing problems. There are many factors contributing to the pollution in Beijing, many being attributed back to the massive growth in the urban sector and the burgeoning number of factories and automobiles operating within the city. Couple that with the growing deforestation to make way for more buildings and urban development, and it does not take long realize the seriousness of the pollution issue in Beijing, China. This paper will discuss the problem of pollution in Beijing, its effect on the general population, and the problem that it poses for the environment if recent trends are not reversed. The Problem of Pollution Pollution is causing numerous problems in Beijing City. The situation affects the ecosystem and the health and safety of every person residing with the city limits. Ma, Lu, and Sun (2008) sum up the severity of the problem by pointing out, “The landscape pattern change in Beijing led by rapid urbanization has negatively influenced urban ecosystem health and has caused several environmental problems” (326). It is important that these issues be discussed openly, solutions proposed and implement, and that everyone does their part to begin to reverse the recent trends of over polluted air. Beginning with the changing landscape best approaches the problem. The past half-century has seen Beijing gradually lose must of its land to over development. Not only has this building boom created an overabundance of polluting agents in the air, but it has deteriorated the very ecosystem that is designed to give new life to the city and to help rid the air of those very particles that cause damage (Ma, Lu, & Sun 327). While it is true that 50% of the world now live in Cities (United Nations, 2005), China far surpasses even this fact. It is important to examine the factors that lead up to the current pollution problem in Beijing by examining the reasons why the cities within the country has expanded so. China has the largest population in the world. This population explosion in the past century has greatly contributed to the rapid urbanization of its cities, and urban areas have seen record percentages of population growth. Beijing is not only the capital of China, but it is the third largest city in the country and it continues to grow and develop at a frightening and frantic pace. It is estimated that the urban density within Beijing itself is now up to a staggering 84.3%, which is the second highest in China and one of the highest in the world (Ma, Lu, & Sun 328). In just the last 20 years, this urbanization and population growth has drastically changed the entire landscape pattern of the city, causing pollution to become an even greater problem as the pollutants simply have no where to go. The Chinese are notoriously quiet about problems existent in their communities, but recently there has been a public uproar against the air quality that seemingly continues to worsen. The Economist reports that the government, who has long argued that the pollution is not as bad as reported, has recently reversed their stance. With the public now demanding that officials release more data about the various pollutants that exist in the skies over Beijing, they have now begun to do just that. In fact, they are probably doing more than the international media gives them credit for (Beijing’s Air Pollution, para. 1). The reality is, however, that the problem has gotten so bad that it will likely take decades before any drastic improvement in air quality is achieved and recognized. Just this year, on January 12, 2013, residents Beijing were forced to enjoy one of the worst air quality days ever recorded in the world. The reading during the evening rose to 755 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) (Beijing’s Air Pollution, para. 2). That is more than 250 points over the maximum reading that is even supposed to occur, and 650 points higher than the ‘danger’ zone. Needless to say, this data along dictates the seriousness of the problem that Beijing is facing and must improve moving forward. With readings this high, the problem is the particles that literally can affect the respiratory system of people. While there is often disagreement in just how many micrograms and other particles are in the air at any one time, even the government in Beijing has acknowledged a reading in excess of 700 micrograms. This simply is unacceptable to the residents of the city and it is becoming a rallying cry for protests calling for drastic change in environmental policies and rules. As stated by the Economist (2013), “For perspective on this matter, consider that the guideline values set by the World Health Organization regard any air with more than 25 micrograms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter as being of unacceptable quality” (para. 6). The problem has gotten so bad that there are now applications developed for mobile phones that instantly monitor the air quality in Beijing. These have become commonplace amongst Chinese mobile phone users and illustrate the urgency with which the public views this problem. While the official government readings often differ from international and private monitoring firms, the reality is that it does not matter. Residents in Beijing can smell, taste, and see the pollution in the air (Beijing’s Air Pollution, para. 8). Even the government readings, with measurements lower than private monitoring stations, acknowledge the problem has now risen to a serious level. The fact that the problem seems to be getting worse, not better, will likely magnify the problem in the near future. The public continues to pressure the government to take action. As the air continues to worsen, and the public are able to monitor this, the outcry will only get louder. The government will no longer be able to mask the problem, and it will likely continue to make environmental headlines around the world. The problem surrounding air pollution in Beijing, therefore, is one that affects not only the health of the people, but the integrity of the country of China itself. In reality, however, we need to focus a bit on the general population of Beijing and discover what the effect the pollution levels are currently having on the people that live inside the city limits. Affect on the Population Now that we understand the seriousness of the problem, the discussion needs to center on the effects that pollution has, specifically, on the people of Beijing. It is estimated that more than 1 million people dye an early death every year in China due to causes traced back to the pollution problem. This number is staggering and is the highest reported death total in the world (Stein, para. 1). As people leave to go to work or school every morning, the city quite frequently is blanketed by a thick smog. This manifests itself upon newcomers to the city by an immediate sensation of stinging in the eyes and the development of a raspy throat (Stein para. 4). To alleviate breathing problems, and in an effort to keep harmful particulate out of the lungs, many people have been relegated to wearing masks that cover their mouth when outside. This hinders the lifestyle of the people, makes conversations more difficult, and creates a sterile atmosphere when moving about the city. It is certainly less than ideal. In addition, during much of the year, parents will not allow their children to play outside for fear of them aggravating asthma and other breathing related problems (Chan & Yao 2). To illustrate the reasons that people wear masks to protect themselves and children are not permitted to play outside, one just has look at the air. There are many days in Beijing where office workers cannot see the building next to them, or across the street. It has been likened to a “pea soup of pollution” (Stein para. 10). A recent report uncovered that more than 1.2 million people are actually at risk of death due to simple exposure of air pollution. Beijing is not alone in this, as the population of Asia in general is being affected. It is estimated that two-thirds of all pollution related deaths in the world occur in Asia, and most of those are in China. Beijing is the largest contributor to this sobering statistic (Chan & Yao 4). Air pollution has now risen to be the fourth leading contributor to a person dying in Beijing. Going back to the fact that children are often not allowed to play outside. This stunts their social and physical development. Beyond this, young people are turning to inside activities, such as video games and social networking, rather than playing active games that have been to shown to great contribute greatly to their well-being. On really bad pollution days, children will often be encouraged to stay indoors the entire day, activities cancelled, and sporting events delayed. This prolongs the agony for many families as their very lifestyle is being threatened and taken away from them (Ma, Lu, & Sun 328). In general, the elderly population and young children are particularly vulnerable to the pollution problem in China. In addition, anybody with asthma is a high risk as well. This is not meant to infer, however, that the rest of the population is not affected. There are rising health care costs that have become a burden of every resident. Parents must miss work to care for a sick child or elderly parent. There is a loss of social connection, even amongst adults, as outdoor activities are limited and everyone remains inside. It is, therefore, important to consider the effect on the population, not only in terms of health, but in terms of other areas of life as well (Stein para. 13). Over time pollution greatly contributes to rising head and humidity in the city. Athletes are particularly susceptible to this reality, which is affecting their overall performance and health. It is not just professional athletes that must worry about the ill effects of breathing the air in Beijing. Amateurs are also at risk and short of stopping physical fitness activities altogether, people are forced to turn to other measure to counteract the effects of high pollution days (Bee 18). In summary, the adverse air that Beijing has been experiencing for decades is now beginning to reveal itself in terms of long-term illness and disease. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the ill effects that the high pollution is having on the general population. Andrea Baccarelli notes, “Epidemilogic studies have consistently associated short-term increases in exposure to air particles with higher rates of hospitalization and mortality for cardiovascular disease in the hours and day following exposure peaks” (1). Basically, the the particles in the air that one can see in Beijing are literally being inhaled into the airways of the general populace. Because of the pollutants that are now entering the bloodstream, it appears that high blood pressure is increasingly becoming a problem. This is a serious health concern because just a minor increase in the blood pressure can increase the risk of death to cardiovascular disease of some sort by a full two to four percent (Baccarelli 3). High blood pressure also leads to heart disease and is a contributing factor to strokes. This adds further fuel to the immediate need to reverse the tide of high pollution levels in Beijing. Ironically, it is not just today’s generation that is being effected by this problem. Because of the pollution issues being experienced in Beijing today, the environment is being adversely affected as well. This leads to long term issues for the city itself, and these issues will likely impact future generations. Affect on the Environment The World Health Organization has reported that the pollution levels in Beijing recent rose to more than 20 times the world standard (Zhang et. al 2020). This has created the desire by many to refuse to leave their houses. The skies are often dark in the middle of day as the air is filled with smog. Air filters are having to be employed to clean the air in buildings, but little can be done to make the air more breathable outside. Beijing continues to grow, and as it does the available space is begin dramatically reduced. Today, the government is having to deal with how to balance the economic and population growth of the city in such a way that is sustainable. Part of encouraging sustainable development involves working on way to protect the environment for future generations. Particulate matter in the air is generally how analysts measure air quality. These particles manifest themselves visually is form of dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquid droplets (Zhang et al 2022). They are less than 2.5 micrometers big, so they are easily ingested in the lungs, but they also post a serious environmental effect. When these particles combine in massive numbers to form the smog that has become a daily occurrence in Beijing, the earth’s sun even has difficulty breaking through (Tie & Cao 426). Beyond that, the particles are gradually eroding away at the earth’s ozone layer, allowing harmful ultra-violet rays to make their way into Beijing City. This is contributing to the smothering heat now experienced in Beijing during the summer. There is simply no place for the heat to dissipate to. The particulates are so bad on some days that plant life fails to receive the proper amount of sunlight that they need to survive (Tie & Cao 427). In short, nearly every aspect of environmental life in Beijing has been affected. The particulates in the air over China can also be quite toxic. This can be in the form of heavy metals, acid oxides, organic pollutant, and other chemicals. Combined, these particles erode away at the environment, causing irreparable harm to the ecosystem surrounding Beijing. The particulates can also contain microorganisms in the form of bacteria and certain air-borne viruses (Zhang et al 2023). This impacts people, animals, and plant life. The environmental impact is now being felt as it is getting more and more difficult to erase this problem from Beijing’s ever decreasing landscape. While it appeared that headway was being made in the first part of this decade, that trend is now almost certainly reversing itself in a negative direction. “In the first three months of this year, levels of two major air pollutants increased by almost 30 percent in the Chinese capital, over the same period in 2012, according to a recent report by a Chinese news organization” (Wong para. 2). The level of harmful nitrous dioxide alone has risen 47 percent in just the last month alone. The only bright spot appears to be the sulfur dioxide, a highly detrimental pollutant to the environment, decreased ever so slightly during the last three-month period. The cause of this increase in pollutants appears to the be the result of increased emissions. Not only are record numbers of Beijing residents driving, but the number of trucks and other high-pollutant vehicles continue to rise as well. Add to this the fact that the decreasing amount of land in Beijing and the changing weather conditions that have popped up in recent years, and a near perfect storm of high pollution has been created. The pollutants have literally become trapped in the skies over Beijing and they have nowhere to go. Beijing still burns a lot of coal. Some agencies in China claim that up to 60% of the harmful particulates in the air are a direct result of the burning of coal. This is particularly dangerous because the small particles emitted by coal can be more easily breathed into the lungs and become internalized in tissue linings (Wong para. 6). The coal burning has dramatic impacts on the environment. Birds are migrating elsewhere, animals are having a hard time surviving, and various other factors are destroying the ecosystem in ways never before thought of. Many are calling for the severe restriction and eventual elimination of coal mining altogether in an effort to cut down on the current pollution levels. Something surely must be done in this area before the problem becomes even more dire. According to a recent Chinese news report, “The cost of environmental degradation in Beijing in 2010 alone was 1.54 trillion renminbi, which is about $230 billion, or 3.5 percent of the entire countries gross domestic product” (Wong para. 8). This dollar figure is staggering, but perhaps even more so when the fact is added that it more than three times than it was just six years ago. Agencies from Germany have studied current growth issues being experienced in Beijing and have concluded that air pollution in Beijing will get dramatically worse, which some cannot even fathom, over the next decade. This indicates that the environment will continue to be degraded during the next ten years, after which time it could take generations to overcome even if all pollution was eliminated from the city, which does not seem likely (Baccarelli 5). The rapid erosion of the environment in Beijing is quickly becoming one of the most important issues in social circles. Just in January of this year, the public became outraged as they watched what was happening in their city and what was previously mentioned in this paper. Historically, the Chinese government has blocked efforts by government officials who have taken a pro-environment stance. These officials have tried to implement policies that would begin to slowly, over time, alleviate many of the pollution issues facing Beijing, yet they have consistently been shot down (Wong para. 5). Recently, the government has begun to show some support for these policies, but only time will tell if these sentiments are truly genuine, or if they are simply designed to appease the people of Beijing for a season while nothing is really to be done. The problem has now seeped into concerns over ground water and soil pollution. In early 2013, 16,000 pigs were found dead in rivers that supply drinking water to the city (Wong para. 7). The problem has crept into the villages as well. The groundwater in areas that grow wheat for Beijing, for example, have recently been reported to be using wastewater from a paper mill to grow wheat. They have no other option. The villagers themselves claim they would never eat the wheat themselves, yet it is making its way to Beijing (Zhang et. al. 2029). This pollutants in the water and the soil, therefore, are having an impact that is felt not only in Beijing, but is trickling down to other locations as well. The reality is that the Chinese government, particular local Beijing officials, can no longer ignore the severity of the environmental issues it is currently facing. While economic growth remains the priority of the government, policies aimed at curbing the increase of pollution are slowly being enacted. This policies, however, are likely to take years, possibly decades, to be fully implemented as factories will have to re-tooled, new products be introduced to the market, and the daily habits of corporations and individuals alike must be changed. This must be done, however, because the refusal to act now will carry devastating consequences moving forward. Conclusion This paper has carefully defined the problem of pollution, analyzed its effect on the population of Beijing, and entered into a discussion of the current environmental issues facing the city as a result. In the end, there are no easy answers. While it is obvious that something must be done to alleviate these problems, the reality is that there is no easy cure. Government officials has been lax in recent decades as the focus has been on economic growth. Beijing and Shanghai fuel the Chinese people, and to implement rigid pollution control measure has been feared to stymie that growth. Because of this inaction, the residents of Beijing are now living in a blanket of smog that seemingly will never go away. Moving forward, growth (both economic and population) must be balanced with measure to reduce harmful pollutants from adversely impacting people and the environment. Tough policies must be enacted to gradually clean up the air, even though this might provide inconveniences for business and individuals alike. Some worry about the economic costs of doing this, but has been established earlier, the cost of doing nothing is already gravely high and it is simply getting worse. For the sake of the people of Beijing, let us hope that true action begins now. Works Cited Baccarelli, Andrea. “Effects of particulate air pollution on blood pressure in a high exposed population in Beijing, China: A repeated-measure study.” Environmental Health, 10.108 (2008): 1-10. Bee, Peta. “Wellbeing: How Will They Stand the Heat?: Sports Scientists Have Been Hard at Work Preparing Athletes to Compete in the Smog, Blistering Heat, and Cloying Humidity of Beijing.” The Guardian 22 July 2008: 16-20. Print. “Beijing’s Air Pollution: Blackest Day.” The Economist. The Economist Magazine, 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Chan, Chak and Yao, Xiaohong. “Air Pollution in Mega Cities in China.” Atmospheric Environment. 42.1 (2008): 1-42. Ma, Min., Lu, Zhaohua., and Sun, Yajie. “Population Growth, Urban Sprawl, and Landscape Integrity of Beijing City.” International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology. 15.4 (2008): 326-330. Stein, Rob. “Beijing’s Air Pollution Linked to Millions of Early Deaths.” NPR. NPR, 02 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Tie, Zuexi and Cao, Junji. “Aerosol Pollution in China: Present and Future Impact on Environment.” Particuology. 7.1 (2009): 426-431. United Nations. “World Urbanization Prospects – 2005 Revision.” New York: United Nations Population Division. (2006): 173-182. Wong, Edward. “2 Major Air Pollutants Increase in Beijing.” NYTimes.com. N.p., 04 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Zhang, Ju., Ouayang, Zhiyun., Miao, Hong., and Wang, Xiaoke. “Ambient Air Quality Trends and driving factor analysis in Beijing.” Journal of Environmental Sciences. 23.12 (2011): 2019-2028. Read More