Andrew Calhoun, Jr. / 2-22-08 / 2:19PM / Current Event # 6 / Pollution
For this week, I have more news involving China's attempt to reverse the damages of air pollution and improve the air quality in Beijing for the upcoming Olympics. As of this Friday, officials in China have decided to cut industrial pollution for two months from late July in Beijing and five surrounding provinces. This "air quality guarantee plan", as described by Wang Jian, director of the division of Air and Noise Pollution Control at the State Environmental Protection Agency, intends to close more than ten factories within the areas of Beijing and Hebei in the next couple of months. Before this recent plan, officials had planned to shut down the factories over the next two years. To ensure the plan's effectiveness, officials targeted factories with the highest pollution content in those six provinces--the worst polluters such as power and steel plants. Along with reducing the power plants and production plants, the plan also targets private vehicles by banning cars from usage with certain registrations on certain days. The details on this portion of the plan would be left up to the authorities in the cities.
I feel like the actions to cut down on air pollution in China are a good step towards improving the current situation. I'm also happy that the officials seem to be making progress in an efficient and fast manner. However, I'm skeptical about the future of such methods and the long term effects. It's quite clear that China has had it's share of environmental woes resulting from their speedy development through the years. In my opinion, looking at their approach to their rate of growth makes the long-term goals even more important. All the goals they set seem very short-term and done for the wrong reasons. Like, I wonder if they would have taken these drastic steps to solve the pollution had they not been the host location for the next Olympics.
http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7329225,00.html
3 comments:
Maybe now China will actually cut emissions in EPZs and realize the damage to the world they create. MAYBE.
Kristopher Hilbert / 3:46 PM / 02.22.08
I think it is wonderful that China has a plan to cut pollution, we all need to pull together to protect our environment or we are not going to have a world to live in. I wish more countries would follow suit and make some sort of plan to cut pollution.
forgot to add name to my comment Esther Mandelstamm/Feb 24, 2008/ 9:15pm
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