Air Pollution in China - Report Example

Air pollution in China Introduction The rapid economic growth in China resulted from an equally rapid industrialization of the country thereby causing myriad forms of environmental pollution. Various types of environmental degradation occur in the country all of which present varied environmental and health problems for the country’s populace. In 2009, a study on environmental pollution in China claimed that the economic cost of pollution in the country was about 8% of the country’s gross domestic product. Another study conducted in 2012 failed to quantify the cost of pollution in the country claiming that the country would continue to grow its economy relying on the energy inefficient industries and using the polluting agents (Feng, 1999). However, the studies claim that the cost of pollution would oppose the development a feature that has begun stagnating development endeavors in the country as the discussion below portrays. The introductory paragraph above states that pollution is costly and deters infrastructural development and economic growth in the country. China’s economy has grown within the last few years owing to the rapid industrialization of the country. China is among the largest consumers of fossil fuels in the world with most of the industries in the country running on petroleum products. While industrialization has fostered the economic growth of the country, such endeavors have contributed to different forms of pollution thus culminating in the current state of affairs. Currently, the rate of pollution has reached the highest level deterring visibility owing to fog. Such high levels of pollution have begun affect the country’s economic growth by making the country, a country that was once the leading global investment destination, lose on foreign investors most of who site the health implications of the intense pollution. Industries in China are the leading pollutants. The country has millions of industries that run of fossil fuels thereby emitting large amounts of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide among other poisonous gases. Cities in the northern parts of the country are more polluted than in any other parts of the country owing to high number of industries in such regions. China for example is the leading exporter of steal globally (Innes & Hassan, 2000). Steel and cement industries are among the companies located in the northern parts of the country. Cement and steel industries in the country contribute to pollution owing to the large-scale evacuation processes they carry out coupled with an equally large-scale emission of the poisonous gases. The large-scale evacuation of the earth result in deforestation of such parts of the country, which further contribute to the climatic change, this worsens the pollution in the country. Cancer is the leading cause of death in the country. Additionally, respiratory illnesses are increasing in the country further compounding the worsening health status in the country. Such diseases arise from the poisonous respiratory gases that the industries emit. Besides the air pollution that arises from the emissions, industries in the country discharge contaminated refuse into the country’s waterways. This has compounded the situation in the country resulting in more diseases that are waterborne. Industrial refuse requires effective treatment before discharging them into the water bodies. The failure to treat such discharge poisons the rivers and the water bodies thereby destroying the aquatic ecosystems. Fish among other animals that live in the water bodies thus die owing to the heightened contamination of the rivers and lakes in the country a feature that eradicates some of equally valuable resources in the country (Dasgupta, Hua & Wheeler, 1997). The rising death rates resulting from cancer related diseases besides the respiratory diseases have proven that pollution is costly and will curtail the country’s economic growth. The government of China have begun investing billions of dollars in numerous clean up processes some of which may not achieve the desired success (Faiz, Weaver, Walsh & Gautam, 1996). Furthermore, pollution has destroyed aquatic habitat in the country with most of the rivers and lakes turning poisonous owing to the high pollution rates. The destruction of the aquatic life has resulted in either the death or mutation of aquatic animals into other unique species. The fact that families living in parts of rural china rely on the water from the rivers for domestic use further makes them more susceptible to diseases. Such factors have increased the rate of cancer related pre mature deaths in the country thereby denying the country the much-desired human resources. The country has several cities and urban centers a feature that has piled pressure on the country’s natural resources including rivers and forests. The increase in cities and urban centers in the country has for example increased the demand for housing. To meet the growing demand for housing, the real estate industry has become one of the most lucrative industries in the country (Bytnerowicz, 2008). Real estate agents eradicate large tracts of forest covers with the view of developing apartments. Deforestation coupled with the dredging of the rivers in search of such raw materials and sand and boulders for building do not only pollute the rivers but also reduce the levels of water in the rivers. The increasing demand for such resources has caused a shift in the country’s climate thereby contributing to the increasing desertification of the country. Dust is a major polluting agent in the country as steel and cement-manufacturing industries coupled with the increasing desertification continue to disturb the earth surface thereby compounding the country’s social problems. Life in China is becoming unbearable. A massive exodus of the wealthy from the polluted parts of the country typifies the social and economic problem in the country. Additionally, the China currently does not attract as many investors as it had done in the past. This depicts the severe economic ramifications that the country is likely to face in the future owing to pollution. The destruction of aquatic life destroys the country’s tourism industry besides contributing to the increase in cancerous among other water borne diseases. In a summary, pollution in China is becoming the most expensive endeavor with the government spending billions of dollars to curb the growth of the vice. Additionally, the vice causes severe social problems including premature deaths thus loss of human resource in the country. A report by the World Bank showed that more than eight hundred thousand people died prematurely in China owing to the extensive air and water pollution. The country’s economy continues to suffer great loses as the country continues to lose its vital resources while it no longer attracts potential investors most of who site the health problems related to the adverse air and water pollution in the country (World Bank, 1995). However, curbing pollution in the country is still difficult owing to the lack of effective policy to control the growth of industrialization in the country. References Bytnerowicz, A. (2008). Wild land fires and air pollution. Oxford: Elsevier Science. Dasgupta, S., Hua, W. and Wheeler, D. (1997). -11-30). "Surviving success: policy reform and the future of industrial pollution in China". The World Bank. Volume 1: 11-30. Faiz, A., Weaver, C. S., Walsh, M. P., & Gautam, S. P. (1996). Air pollution from motor vehicles; standards and technologies for controlling emissions. Washington, D.C: The World Bank. Feng, T. (1999). Controlling air pollution in China: Risk valuation and the definition of environmental policy. Cheltenham, Glos [u.a.: Elgar. Innes, J. L., & Hassan, H. A. (2000). Air Pollution and the Forests of Developing and Rapidly Industrialising Countries: IUFRO Research Series, No. 4. Wallingford: CAB International. World Bank (Washington, DC). (1995). China: Macroeconomic stability in a decentralized economy. Washington, DC: World bank. Read More