Causes of PM2.5 in China - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal: Examine the causes of PM2.5 in China and its correlation to the economy growth, as well as the strategy in resolving the problem of PM2.5 through economic measures Background China, the world's most populous nation with an age-old culture, is one of the largest and fastest-growing economies of the world. Although, China’s economy stagnated for close to two decades in the second half of the twentieth century under Mao Zedong’s rigid authoritarianism, it bloomed under the Deng Xiaoping’s regime facilitated by his open market reforms. So, from being a modestly developed nation from earlier times, China went into an active phase of economic expansion from the 1970s and emerged as one of the prominent world economies by the turn of the century. Further aided by international trade agencies’ removal of trade barriers, China brought down its “iron curtain” thereby facilitating both inward and outward flow of investments. “Nowadays China is one of the world's top exporters and is attracting record amounts of foreign investment. In turn, it is investing billions of dollars abroad” (BBC 2015). Still being a socialist market economy, China has become the second largest economy in terms of nominal GDP, and the fastest-growing economy achieving growth rates of over 10 percent for the past three decades. “With a population of 1.3 billion, China recently became the second largest economy and is increasingly playing an important and influential role in the global economy” (The World Bank 2015). This optimal economic growth has led to number of benefits for its people and the nation as a whole including elevated lifestyle, increased purchasing power, development of finest infrastructures, and many more. However, this economic ascendance has also caused number of challenges, with environmental degradation and the resultant health issues being the prominent one. China’s economy is mainly fuelled by its manufacturing sector, but this sector primarily emits number of dangerous materials affecting the environment. Furthermore, China’s fast-growing economy has accentuated its energy demand, with environmentally-destructive coal being used to meet the rising demands. So, increased economic activity has gravely affected the natural environment causing number of health problems to the Chinese people including life-threatening diseases such as cancers, heart diseases, respiratory problems, and others. Treating these health issues drain the exchequer’s money thereby in a way sizably affecting or even nullifying the economic growth. More than this issue, the basic aspect of any economic growth is that it should elevate and safeguard people’s lives and not be a detriment. In addition, any economic growth which makes negative impacts on people’s lives and environment will be viewed as an unethical and even inhumane exercise. So, considering these above perspectives of how China’s economic progress is having repercussions thereby creating a negative image, it is important to study it. To sum up, as being pointed above, China economic advancement has actualized number of optimum benefits to its people and the nation as a whole, but when that same advancement also leads to grave dangers, it is crucial to study it. Objectives or Key Research Questions As environmental degradation because of heightened economic pursuit being a broad area, it is necessary to set some parameters or boundary to the research. In that direction, environmental degradation and the resultant health problems because of air pollution caused by a particular product or by-product of economic activity, namely Particulate Matter 2.5 or PM2.5, will be focused. PM2.5 refers to particulate matters or fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which are found in the air and which is the prime cause for air pollution in China. Air pollution caused by increased economic-related industrial activity and automobile emissions has become a major crisis in China posing serious health threat to the Chinese people. This is backed by number of facts. The World Bank has stated that Air pollution alone is estimated to kill 700,000 people a year, with a Chinese study showing that in 2010, airborne microscopic pollutants caused an estimated 8,600 premature deaths in four major Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xian (Pei 2013). Apart from these facts, there are number happenings in the recent past which is validating how air pollution and PM2.5 cannot be whisked away and is going to be clear and strong danger. For instance, in early 2013, Beijing and major parts of northern China was enveloped by poisonous air pollutants making even breathing difficult. The city of Harbin, with a population 11 million, was the worst affected as it was literally shut down with halting of transportation, closing of schools, and others as dense pollution reduced visibility to a few meters (Grumbine 2013). This scenario caused people of China's mega-cities fear of an impending “airpocalypses” (Grumbine 2013). This fear was further accentuated by the fact that there is a visible increase in certain air pollution related diseases. “Lung cancer and cardiovascular illnesses are already rising and could get worse in the future because of factory emissions, vehicle exhausts and cigarette smoke” (Watts 2012). So, it is evident that air pollution and in particular PM2.5 has started making dangerous impacts on the natural environment and people’s health thereby making it necessary to focus on the causes or sources of PM2.5 and importantly its negative effects on people. In addition, this problem is expected to accentuate further in the future as well considering the fact that China might not lessen its economic activity and the related aspects. Related aspects in the sense, as above-mentioned growing Chinese industries will naturally have increased energy demands, which have to be met by the detrimental coal thereby leading to repercussions. “Total energy demand in China continues to skyrocket. Coal — the source of much of the country's air pollution — remains critical; over the next two decades, use is projected to rise by 70 percent from current levels” (Grumbine 2013). Although the problem of air pollution and PM2.5 is strongly evident, it does not mean that China is not taking any corrective steps. Both the central and provincial governments of China are initiating number of constructive measures to lessen the negative impact of PM2.5. Firstly, from 2012, there has been a stricter air pollution monitoring of PM2.5 in all the major cities, with the plan to cover even the smaller cities by end of 2015. In addition, the central government “has taken steps to shutter coal plants in major cities and reduce the number of new cars allowed to be registered in Beijing and other metropolitan areas” (Grumbine 2013). So, it is necessary to focus on the steps already taken by the government and also the measures that need to be strongly implemented in the future. Based on the above discussion, few key questions emerge. 1. What is PM2.5 and what are the causes or sources of PM2.5? 2. How PM2.5 is affecting the health of the Chinese people? 3. How the increase of PM2.5 is clearly linked to increased economic growth, and how this link or trend might continue in future? 4. What are the steps being taken by the government to lessen the negative impact of PM2.5? 5. What are the economic-based measures need to be initiated by the government in this regard in future as well, even without compromising economic growth? Literature Review PM2.5, air pollutants or fine particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, is composed of microscopic solids, liquid droplets, micro-organisms, and others. The report by the Greenpeace focuses on this basic aspect by stating, “Compared to other particulate matter, it (PM2.5) is more prone to carrying a variety of toxic heavy metals, acid oxides, organic pollutants and other chemicals, as well as microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses in the air” (Greenpeace 2012). Hu and Jiang (2013) add to this by focusing on how PM2.5 is formed based on industrial as well as other natural process. The primary particles of PM2.5 are “formed during combustion, industrial processes and in natural processes (e.g. wind erosion), while the “secondary particles are formed indirectly through nucleation, condensation or processes where gaseous pollutants (SOx, NOx, NH3, VOCs) are involved in particle formation or growth” (Hu and Jiang 2013). The secondary particles of sulfate and nitrate arising from SOx or NOx precursors are normally the dominant components in PM2.5 particles, and these detrimental secondary particles primarily cause the environmental and health impacts. When one catalogues the above-pointed compositions of PM2.5, it can help figure out its sources. Deng (2014) utilizes a study of Beijing to provide the sources of PM2.5, which are “secondary sulphur, vehicle exhaust, fossil fuel combustion, road dust, biomass burning, soil dust and metal processing”. From these findings, it is evident that contributions from the energy and automobile sector mainly facilitate the formation of PM2.5. As Deng presented these findings in the panel discussion of Princeton University China Energy Group (PUCEG), he was able to provide an exhaustive list. Even then Hu and Jiang (2013) add the construction and cement manufacturing sector to this list of industrial sectors which maximally contribute to the formation of PM2.5. Speaking of the energy generation sector, the Greenpeace Report point out that increased energy demands because of augmented economic activity but at the same time lack of clean coal technology has resulted in that fact that 36.4% PM2.5 particles in the city of Beijing is contributed from coal combustion (Greenpeace 2012). The report further adds that “41.8% PM2.5 pollution in Beijing is contributed from vehicle exhaust”, as automobile industry is witnessing an upswing because of strong economic performance (Greenpeace 2012). Greenpeace report focused more on the energy generation and automobile sector, while article by Hu and Jiang (2013) dealt with construction sector along with others. In that direction, Hu and Jiang (2013) bring in the contribution of the construction and cement industrial sector by pointing out that “residential and commercial construction wastes contribute 15.8% to PM2.5 particulate in Beijing”. So, it is evident that the causes of PM2.5 are correlated to increased economic activity. While the above figures focused mainly on Beijing, Deng (2014) provides average PM2.5 figures for all the major Chinese cities. “In 2013, the recorded annual mean PM2.5 concentrations for the 74 major cities in China range from approximately 30 u.g/m3 to 160 u.g/m3v, all exceeding the World Health Organization standard (10 u.g/m3)v” (Deng 2014). This figure shows how PM2.5 levels are way above the WHO levels thereby exhibiting the seriousness of the problem. So, it is absolutely necessary for these cities to bring down PM2.5 levels. In that direction, Cao et al. (2012) states “the Chinese government issued a national PM2.5 standard that requires cities to have concentrations below 35 u.g/m3 annual average and Read More