Air Pollution in Beijing - Case Study Example

The Nature and Scope of the Report on Air Pollution in Beijing Abstract This paper will serve to take a look at the specific nature of air pollution in Beijing, how widespread the issue is, and will take a look at the key features of the topic. It will strive to answer questions regarding what the audience may already know on this particular topic, and some of the positions the audience may hold already in regards to this matter. Common misunderstandings in regards to air pollution in Beijing will be looked into, and the impressions that the report hopes to convey will be looked into. The paper will also go over the essential features and facts regarding the issue; the knowledge that one is required to have in order to understand the issue itself. Keywords: air, pollution, Beijing, China, factors, influences, misconceptions, impressions The Nature and Scope of the Report on Air Pollution in Beijing Pollution is a widespread, global issue that affects humans, plants, and animals alike. It causes issues with individual habitats, evolutionary changes, diseases, illness, and even death. Children learn about the topic of pollution each and every day in school, but in spite of what is learned, the lessons are not fully brought home, and the concept of the planet becoming more and more polluted, and even inhabitable in some cases, is completely lost on the individual, who continues to think of pollution as simply an abstract concept. Yet, for the children, men, and women who live in Beijing, China, the issue is far from an abstract one, as pollution, air pollution specifically, continues to have lasting and adverse impacts on their day to day lives. Though many Americans are familiar with the concept of air pollution, and how it may have an effect on the environment itself, it is a topic that is hardly ever brought up, except perhaps in the context of whether or not their car is old enough to bypass the emissions check required for newer cars upon their yearly inspection. The American populace may read the occasional article on abc.net.au, or some other such site about the pressing concerns that the air quality in China has forced upon those who live there, however, again, it is an abstract concept, many people having never left the country, and even less who are considered knowledgeable about the cultures, practices, geography, or political climate in China. As such, it could be said that the knowledge of the American populace in regards to matters concerning China, and in regards to issues revolving around air pollution itself is that of limited depth and limited breadth. Due to this lack of knowledge, lack of familiarization with other cultures and countries, and as a result of the nebulous way of viewing the topic of air pollution, it is guaranteed that the American audience will have misconceptions in regards to the topic of air pollution in Beijing. One possible misconception that may arise is the assumption that the government in Beijing works in the same manner as it does here in America due to the fact that they too have a mayor. The associated assumptions that come with this viewpoint will cause the information provided by the mayor on February 10th to be viewed in a different light, making them appear more like empty campaign promises than actual decisive actions that will be taken in order to work to combat this particular issue (Kelly, 2013). In addition, due to the very nature of air pollution in America, and how it is viewed, “That’s a problem in x city, but it’s not an issue here in my city,” the reader is likely to take the same cavalier attitude towards the issue, one of out of sight, out of mine; the idea that it is someone else’s problem. Due to this particular type of attitude, misconceptions may arise regarding how severe the particular issue is, and how pertinent it is for others to play their part in correcting the matter; for them to look back at the situation, see the cause and effect process, and be able to then turn and apply those selfsame thought processes to their location, to use Beijing as a cautionary tale, designed to ensure that no other city surpasses the highest recorded pollution levels by the World Health Organization (WHO) (Watt, 2013). The primary position that the intended audience for this paper will most likely take is one of either indifference or dismissal: “that’s all well and good, but that’s not an issue that concerns me here, and it’s not even in a country that is close to me, so let them deal with their issues, and let me deal with mine.” Society today has become concerned with only what affects the individual themselves, and not concerned with what the global and far reaching implications of a particular aspect or issue are. They are less concerned with the plight of another person in another country or nation than they were less than twenty years ago, and as such, treat matters of foreign interest as unique little trivia at best, and dismiss it entirely at their worst. If this is not the position that the audience takes, that will restore just a tiny bit of faith in humanity, but, barring that type of position on the subject of air pollution in Beijing, the other possible position that the intended audience may take on this particular matter will be one of polite disinterest. The audience will pay attention, listen to what is being said, store it away for future knowledge, and that would be the end of it. They will not take this information and look for other ways that it can be applied, nor will they look at the issue as one of pressing concern, but will instead treat it like any other piece that they may read that does not have any bearing on their current lifestyles or way of life. While any author may hope that their words have a timeless quality, making a lasting impression on those that read them, and bringing about change in each individual who reads those printed words, sadly, this is not often the case. The impression that the author of this paper on air pollution in Beijing hopes to convey to the readers is comprised of many different affectations. First and foremost, the author hopes to present the topic to the reader in such a way as to convey the gravity of the situation, discussing the causes and effects of the increasing levels of pollution in the city of Beijing, and then coming in for a more personal touch, a human interest portion that drives home the severity of the issue through the words of a Beijing resident of 38 years (Yokohama, 2013). In this manner, the reader will become engaged in the report itself, which will then go on to discuss the possible solutions being worked on, as reported by the Mayor themselves (Kelly, 2013), and through the secondary data information garnered from other accredited sources. Through the process of writing this particular report in this manner, the reader should be drawn in, the seriousness of the situation be understood, the somber feelings that this particular issue brings about, be touched by the heartfelt tale of Mr. Yokohama, and then feel not only accomplished at the end of the report, with everything tied together, as though with a pretty little bow, but should also be galvanized into some form of action, that will assist in the global issue of air pollution, and even if that galvanization lasts only for a day, every little bit is a help. The main features that are essential to understanding the issue at hand, how truly pressing the pollution levels in Beijing are, include a distinct, targeted approach to the topic itself, radiating inward from a general, broad, and yet localized issue cycling downward into more concise descriptors of the issue, the causes, and the potential solutions to the matter at hand. First, a simple explanation of what the primary issue is will be discussed, starting out very basic with pollution itself, then going to air pollution, and increasing to a more complex level that covers the different forms of air pollution that are present in this particular city itself. Following a brief review of what constitutes air pollution, a more complex version discussing the specific causes of the increased pollution levels in the air will be reviewed, discussing many of the specifics as reported by Sanderson of Bloomberg.com (2013). Once the general information has been covered, the background information, showing how the city got to these levels, can be reviewed, looking into the urbanization problem in China (Chinese Academy of Engineering et al., 2005). The changes in the climate itself as a result of these pollution problems also need to be brought to the audience’s attention, such as the increase in sand storms in Beijing following days of high levels of air pollution present in the city itself (McDonnel, 2013). The next feature of this topic that should be looked into would be how this affects the daily lives of the people of Beijing, with specific emphasis on Mr. Yokohama, as well as the life threatening aspects for the residents of the city itself, ranging from poor visibility on the roads (King, 2013), to the respiratory problems that could result in children and the elderly in particular due to these increasingly high levels. Specific instances of the reports published by city officials themselves will be provided, showing how truly dire the situation is believed to be. The last feature of the topic that the audience will need to concern themselves with is in regards to what is being done to work to rectify the issue, the steps being taken in Beijing to decrease the pollution levels to a more manageable state, and finally, how these working changes may be applied in other cities and in other communities in order to bring their air pollution levels down even further than they already are, effectively working to prevent the situation from getting as bad as it is in Beijing at the current time. The issue of air pollution in Beijing is a pressing one, not only in regards to the quality of life issues that it brings up, but the environmental impact as well, and through a detailed and targeted look at the different symptoms of this ailment, the reader should be able to see the entire issue through the process of start to finish, what it is, how bad it is, how it affects others, and finally what is being done in regards to the issue itself. Once this information is gathered, read, disseminated, and processed, the next step should then be to take that knowledge and apply it practically in regards to the self-same issue in other cities, states, countries, or regions, and how a better quality of life may be affected. As the issue is already present in Beijing, it is up to the next generation of humans to work to address the problem itself, take steps to correct the issue at hand and work to ensure that this type of issue does not occur in the future. Works Referenced Chinese Academy of Engineering et al. (2005). Urbanization, Energy, and Air Pollution in China: The Challenges Ahead -- Proceedings of a Symposium. Beijing: National Academies Press. Kelly, R. personal communication, February 10, 2013 King, B. (2013, Jan. 29). How You Could Profit From China’s Air Pollution. The Daily Reckoning. Retrieved from http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/how-you-could-profit-from-chinas-air-pollution/2013/01/29/. McDonnel, S. (2013). Beijing hit by air pollution, sand storms. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-28/beijing-hit-by-air-pollution-sand-storms/4545944 Sanderson, H. (February 28, 2013). Beijing Air Pollution Tops Hazardous Levels Days Before Congress. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-28/beijing-air-pollution-tops-hazardous-levels-days-before-congress.html Watt, L. (January 14, 2013). Air Pollution in Beijing goes off the Index. Retrieved from http://www.wunderground.com/news/air-pollution-china-beijing-off-index-20130113 Yokohama. R. personal communication, February 11th 2013 Read More